Pinnacle Financial Partners has formed a debt capital markets group that will house its existing loan syndications team and future efforts in the bond capital markets. In addition, Pinnacle has created a new specialty group to provide financing to middle-market restaurant and franchise businesses.

Kevin Combs has joined the firm as Head of debt capital markets and will lead both new units, bringing Whit Steers on board as a restaurant and franchise Financial Advisor, Ben McCollum as a capital markets Associate, Chris Mears as a Credit Advisor and Leighsa Bailey as a Financial Advisor Assistant. Combs, Steers, McCollum and Bailey are based at the firm’s Atlanta Riverwood office, and Mears works from Pinnacle’s Mt. Pleasant, SC, office in the firm’s South Carolina Coastal region.

“Kevin and his team are the right people to lead this specialty lending initiative for us because of their relationships, experience and ability to provide effective advice to our clients,” Pinnacle Chairman Rob McCabe said. “Kevin has been financing restaurants since 2005 and also has expertise in the retail space, which will help Pinnacle capitalize on opportunities to serve other industries over time.”

Introducing the franchise financing capability gives financial advisors across Pinnacle’s footprint the opportunity to offer more solutions to existing clients while the debt capital markets team develops new business throughout the Southeast and the rest of the United States. In addition to building out a national restaurant platform, Combs will oversee the firm’s syndication team.

“These professionals are such a great addition to our team,” said Rob Garcia, regional president for Pinnacle in Atlanta. “Clients and prospects will benefit greatly from their expertise and advice in the franchising space, not to mention the opportunity to get personalized, distinctive service that just can’t be found anywhere else.”

Combs brings 28 years of experience to Pinnacle, most recently as managing director and retail and restaurant group head for Fifth Third Bank. He led two distinct national teams: the restaurant and franchise finance vertical, which served restaurant and franchise fitness operators, and the retail vertical that covered retail, convenience store, consumer products and apparel companies. Combs worked at Fifth Third for seven years, and prior to that served as managing director and Southeast division manager for Wells Fargo’s large corporate banking group for six years.

He earned his bachelor’s degree from Auburn University and his MBA from Emory University.

Steers has eight years of restaurant banking experience from Regions Securities, where he most recently served as a relationship manager in the restaurant and franchise finance group and originated, structured and managed a loan portfolio of restaurant and fitness franchisees. He earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from Auburn University.

McCollum comes from Regions Bank with four years of experience, most recently as a corporate banking associate. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia.

Mears joins Pinnacle from Citizens Bank in Irvine, CA, where he was vice president and portfolio manager for the bank’s franchise finance team, responsible for underwriting and management of approximately $900 million in loans for quick-serve restaurant and casual family dining franchisees and approximately $500 million in new debt financing. He has 23 years of financial services experience.

Bailey brings 12 years of financial services experience, most recently as a commercial support manager for Synovus in Atlanta. She earned a bachelor’s degree in finance and a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice forensics with a minor in applied statistics and data analysis from Kennesaw State University.

Pinnacle expanded to Georgia in 2020 by hiring a team of local financial services professionals to start an office in Atlanta.

The firm began operations in a single location in downtown Nashville, TN, in October 2000 and has since grown to approximately $38.5 billion in assets as of Dec. 31, 2021. As the second-largest bank holding company headquartered in Tennessee, Pinnacle operates in 15 primarily urban markets across the Southeast.