Taylor Capital Group, Inc., is set to capitalize on the nation’s construction industry. The company recently announced that its subsidiary Cole Taylor Bank has launched a new equipment financing division for the commercial sector.

The bank’s new unit will be known as Cole Taylor Equipment Finance, and according to a statement from Taylor Capital, the division represents Cole Taylor’s third national line of business. In establishing equipment financing operations, the bank will welcome Edward A. Dahlka, Jr., as the division’s president.

Dahlka boasts more than four decades of experience in leasing and equipment financing, and he has previously performed as the president of LaSalle National Leasing Corporation. The bank will also gain four additional employees from LaSalle as Dahlka takes over, and Steven Williams, Peter J. Steger, Joseph A. Maddox, and John A. Hurt will be teaming up with Cole Taylor to lead the commercial equipment division.

“I am very pleased to welcome Ed and his team to Cole Taylor,” said Mark A. Hoppe, president and CEO of Cole Taylor. “I’ve known Ed for many years, and the highly-experienced team has an established network in the marketplace. I’m confident they will build a successful and sustainable line of business for the bank. We expect that Cole Taylor Equipment Finance will become a strong source of balance sheet growth and fee revenue for the bank and further contribute to the diversification of our earnings.”

Dahlka added his thoughts, noting, “I’m delighted to have joined Cole Taylor Bank. My team shares with Cole Taylor a dedication to customer service and a commitment to trust and transparency. Our team averages more than 25 years in the leasing business, and we’re looking forward to bringing our experience and expertise to this outstanding organization. Our customers and market participants will see that the deals we structure will be exactly what we deliver.”