Latest news with #AmyKoch
Business Upturn
a day ago
- Business
- Business Upturn
Lendmark Financial Services Fuels its Wisconsin Expansion Plans, Opening Four New Branches in Delavan, Janesville, Madison, and Menomonee Falls
MILWAUKEE, July 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Lendmark Financial Services (Lendmark) , a leading provider of personalized loan solutions, is proud to announce the expanded access of its services to more customers throughout southern Wisconsin. In the past 30 days alone, Lendmark has opened four new branches in the communities of Delavan, Janesville, Madison, and Menomonee Falls, as part of the company's long-term plans to strengthen its presence in the Midwest and meet the growing consumer demand for relationship-focused financial solutions. These recent branch openings bring Lendmark's presence in Wisconsin to 16 locations, since entering the Badger State less than two years ago, and reaffirm the company's commitment to supporting the financial well-being of individuals and families throughout the state – with plans to continue this momentum in the months ahead. Each branch is expected to serve hundreds of customers, retailers and auto dealerships in the first year, with the Delavan branch located at 1741 E. Geneva Street, Suite 100; the Janesville branch at 2610 E. Milwaukee Street; the Madison branch at 1 Dempsey Road, Suite 4; and the Menomonee Falls branch at N95 W18394 County Line Road. Respectively, Branch Managers Meagan Sweeney, Amy Koch, Rebecca Rogers, and Christina Muskin will oversee the daily operations of their branches, each focused on building strong personal relationships with customers and the surrounding community. 'We're excited to continue growing across the beautiful state of Wisconsin while proudly serving these hard-working communities that reflect the true spirit of the Midwest,' said Mike McIntire, Vice President of Branch Operations at Lendmark. 'Grounded in genuine care and compassion, our number one priority is ensuring Wisconsin residents experience unmatched service and guidance from our local branch teams, with personalized loan terms tailored to meet their specific financial needs.' In addition to serving consumers directly, Lendmark provides financing solutions for thousands of retailers and independent auto dealerships, allowing these businesses' customers to obtain Lendmark financing. Local businesses that are interested in partnering with Lendmark to provide financing solutions for their customers should visit the branch or call the desired location: Delavan: 262-725-8008; Janesville: 608-352-6272; Madison: 608-866-9988; Menomonee Falls: 262-293-6166. Lendmark's 'Climb to Cure' is its signature cause-related initiative. The company has committed to raising $10 million by 2025 to mark its 10-year anniversary partnering with CURE Childhood Cancer. So far, Lendmark's employees, partners and customers have raised more than $9 million to support CURE, an Atlanta-based nonprofit dedicated to funding targeted pediatric cancer research that is utilized nationwide. About Lendmark Financial Services Lendmark Financial Services (Lendmark) provides personal and household credit and loan solutions to consumers. Founded in 1996, Lendmark strives to be the lender, employer, and partner of choice by offering stability and helping consumers meet both planned and unplanned life events through affordable loan offerings. Today, Lendmark operates more than 525 branches in 22 states across the country, providing personalized services to customers and retail business partners with every transaction. Lendmark is headquartered in Lawrenceville, Ga. For more information, visit . Media ContactJeff HamiltonSenior Manager, Corporate Communications [email protected] 678-625-3128
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Lendmark Financial Services Fuels its Wisconsin Expansion Plans, Opening Four New Branches in Delavan, Janesville, Madison, and Menomonee Falls
MILWAUKEE, July 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lendmark Financial Services (Lendmark), a leading provider of personalized loan solutions, is proud to announce the expanded access of its services to more customers throughout southern Wisconsin. In the past 30 days alone, Lendmark has opened four new branches in the communities of Delavan, Janesville, Madison, and Menomonee Falls, as part of the company's long-term plans to strengthen its presence in the Midwest and meet the growing consumer demand for relationship-focused financial solutions. These recent branch openings bring Lendmark's presence in Wisconsin to 16 locations, since entering the Badger State less than two years ago, and reaffirm the company's commitment to supporting the financial well-being of individuals and families throughout the state – with plans to continue this momentum in the months ahead. Each branch is expected to serve hundreds of customers, retailers and auto dealerships in the first year, with the Delavan branch located at 1741 E. Geneva Street, Suite 100; the Janesville branch at 2610 E. Milwaukee Street; the Madison branch at 1 Dempsey Road, Suite 4; and the Menomonee Falls branch at N95 W18394 County Line Road. Respectively, Branch Managers Meagan Sweeney, Amy Koch, Rebecca Rogers, and Christina Muskin will oversee the daily operations of their branches, each focused on building strong personal relationships with customers and the surrounding community. 'We're excited to continue growing across the beautiful state of Wisconsin while proudly serving these hard-working communities that reflect the true spirit of the Midwest,' said Mike McIntire, Vice President of Branch Operations at Lendmark. 'Grounded in genuine care and compassion, our number one priority is ensuring Wisconsin residents experience unmatched service and guidance from our local branch teams, with personalized loan terms tailored to meet their specific financial needs.' In addition to serving consumers directly, Lendmark provides financing solutions for thousands of retailers and independent auto dealerships, allowing these businesses' customers to obtain Lendmark financing. Local businesses that are interested in partnering with Lendmark to provide financing solutions for their customers should visit the branch or call the desired location: Delavan: 262-725-8008; Janesville: 608-352-6272; Madison: 608-866-9988; Menomonee Falls: 262-293-6166. Lendmark's 'Climb to Cure' is its signature cause-related initiative. The company has committed to raising $10 million by 2025 to mark its 10-year anniversary partnering with CURE Childhood Cancer. So far, Lendmark's employees, partners and customers have raised more than $9 million to support CURE, an Atlanta-based nonprofit dedicated to funding targeted pediatric cancer research that is utilized nationwide. About Lendmark Financial ServicesLendmark Financial Services (Lendmark) provides personal and household credit and loan solutions to consumers. Founded in 1996, Lendmark strives to be the lender, employer, and partner of choice by offering stability and helping consumers meet both planned and unplanned life events through affordable loan offerings. Today, Lendmark operates more than 525 branches in 22 states across the country, providing personalized services to customers and retail business partners with every transaction. Lendmark is headquartered in Lawrenceville, Ga. For more information, visit Media ContactJeff HamiltonSenior Manager, Corporate Communicationsjhamilton@ in to access your portfolio
Axios
21-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
Dealmaking in the dark: Legislators scramble to finish budget behind closed doors
Minnesota lawmakers are expected to spend the coming days building out the remainder of a $66 billion two-year state budget. But most of the heavy lifting will be done behind closed doors and out of the public eye. Why it matters: The Legislature's practice of making 11th-hour political deals in private is raising public transparency concerns among open-government advocates and close observers of the Capitol. "[There's] no disclosure of what's being negotiated OR the positions on the matter," the nonpartisan good government group Common Cause Minnesota wrote on X regarding the lack of full public vetting for these sweeping spending and policy measures. "The public has ZERO way of knowing who to hold accountable." Driving the news: With the regular session officially gaveled out as of Monday, legislators convened informal "working groups" to smooth out remaining sticking points. Once they work out the details, they hope to have a short special session to pass at a rapid clip what will likely be hundreds of pages of legislation. State of play: Leaders say they're pushing members to do as much as they can in public. A signed agreement between leaders said the working groups should "function as much like a conference committee as possible, including holding public meetings and meeting in person." Yes, but: Zero public meetings were listed on the Legislature's joint calendar as of Tuesday morning, as leaders and some committee chairs set up camp in the governor's cabinet room for closed-door talks. The one exception by late Tuesday afternoon was the tax working group, which scheduled a public hearing in the Capitol basement with 90 minutes' notice. The big picture: It's not just the legislative overtime work fueling transparency concerns at the Capitol. Official conference committees, which are formed to resolve differences between bills passed by the two chambers, often negotiate in private, meeting only to go over their legislation once a deal is reached. Case in point: Details of a final $77 million environment and arts funding package were hashed out largely out of the public eye. The only public hearing on the completed measure involved members signing off on the legislation, just hours before it would pass both chambers. One committee member, Sen. Eric Pratt (R-Prior Lake), declined to sign the agreement, citing his concerns about "offers [made] in closed rooms" with no "chance to debate the merits of what's in the bill or not in the bill." What they're saying: Years of "degrading transparency" have made it "impossible" for the public to weigh in or vet consequential measures before they become law, Amy Koch, a lobbyist and former GOP Senate leader, told Axios. "2023 was rough," she told Axios. "2024 was the worst I had seen, and this year has reached a new low." In addition to those concerns, the practice of behind-the-scenes drafting followed by swift passage can lead to laws carrying mistakes and unintended consequences, Koch noted. The other side: House DFL leader Melissa Hortman, a veteran of budget battles, told reporters that it "just doesn't work" to conduct some sensitive negotiations, including those at the leadership level, in public. "You need people to be able to say what's their bottom line, and to make their emotional pitch, and to say where their caucus is, and say where their votes are, and show their cards," she said. "So that is a space that has not ever and probably will not ever be transparent." Defenders of the Legislature's practices also point out that many provisions that make the final budget bills have gotten a hearing — or even passed at least one chamber — at some point in session. The intrigue: Closed-door dealmaking also contributed to confusion and conflicts at the Capitol as lawmakers scrambled to get the budget done. Top leaders gave conflicting accounts over the last week about what was — and wasn't — actually covered by the broader deal announced Thursday. Those tensions boiled over Monday, as Democrats and Republicans spent the final day of session accusing each other of reneging on the original agreement and putting new issues on the table. What's next: Working groups face a 5pm Wednesday deadline to finalize their draft legislation or escalate unresolved issues to legislative leaders and Gov. Tim Walz for another round of high-level talks.
