Firstrust Bank announced that its subsidiaries Apex Mortgage Corp., a commercial mortgage lender, and Firstlease, Inc., a leading nationwide provider of equipment financing, have merged under the new name of Apex Commercial Capital Corp. A full-service lender, Apex Commercial Capital has focused core business lines of commercial mortgage lending and equipment financing for small businesses.

Andrew Tauber, executive vice president at Firstrust Bank, will lead the newly combined company and serve as president. Tauber has more than 30 years of experience in commercial lending and specialty finance with focuses in business development, risk management, strategic planning and organizational development.

"This merger with Firstlease will strengthen Apex's ability to help small businesses achieve their financial goals by offering them a wider variety of commercial financing products and services," said Tauber. "We are committed to providing the best financial solutions to small businesses, and through combining our skills and more than 25 years of experience, we can improve our offerings to better fit the needs of those we serve."

With the merger, Apex Commercial Capital will be a technology-enabled small balance national commercial finance company that is agile, positioned for organic growth and capable of adding additional product lines.

In addition to Tauber's leadership, Apex Commercial Capital is led by a team of experienced financing professionals that include: Jaime Weinstein leading operations, Claire Gorton heading finance and accounting, Donald Wampler concentrating on business development, and Kevin Boyer guiding credit and collections.

Apex Mortgage and Firstlease completed the merger on April 1. The new company will continue to be a fully-owned subsidiary of Firstrust Bank. All Apex Commercial Capital lending is processed and serviced at its headquarters in Horsham, PA.