Bell Bank announces the launch of Bell Business Credit, a national specialty lending team providing asset-based lending and factoring services ideally suited for working capital intensive companies that generate $2 million to $120 million in annual revenue. Bell Business Credit’s offerings leverage accounts receivable, inventory and equipment to help businesses more readily access working capital for ongoing cash flow, growth financing, turnaround or restructuring, acquisition support, recapitalization and more.  

Led by industry veterans Kei Lehigh, who serves as president, and Matt Howe, director of credit and operations, Bell Business Credit further expands Bell Bank’s commercial finance and specialty lending areas. Lehigh and Howe bring to Bell more than 50 years of combined commercial lending experience in this niche.  

“We feel very fortunate to have Kei and Matt on board,” said Raoul Booton, managing director in Bell Bank’s specialty finance group. “Expanding Bell’s commercial offerings with a full suite of asset-based lending and factoring capabilities has been a goal of ours for some time. Finding the right leadership for the new group was imperative. We believe that the expertise Kei and Matt bring to the table, coupled with Bell Bank’s amazing culture and independent ownership, will be a winning combination in this space.”

Bell Business Credit is headquartered in Bloomington, Minn., but will have employees located throughout the country, Booton noted.

Founded in 1966 in Fargo, N.D., Bell Bank (Member FDIC) is one of the nation’s largest independent, family- and employee-owned banks, with full-service banking locations in Minnesota, North Dakota and Arizona, a loan production office in Denver, and more than $11 billion in assets. Since 2008, Bell’s unique Pay It Forward initiative has empowered more than $24 million in employee giving to individuals, families and organizations in need.