ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -

About a year and a half after the company lost its founder, who died in a cycling accident, Fleet Financial has now reemerged with what company leadership hailed as a new look, feel and brand.

Fleet Financial, a national finance and insurance marketing firm that focuses on auto refinancing, announced this week that it’s rebranding as iLendingDIRECT. A new website carrying its new visual identity was also launched at www.ilendingdirect.com.

President and chief executive officer Nancy Fitzgerald explained that iLendingDIRECT provides low‐interest auto loans and end‐of‐lease financing programs directly to consumers, specializing in tailored solutions to customers’ unique financial situations.

“The name iLendingDIRECT is a more personal approach to our customers, communicating how much we care,” Fitzgerald said.

“Our new logo symbolizes a smiley face, and reminds us that although financial decisions are serious they can still be fun,” she continued. “Our tagline ‘Smart Financial Solutions’ is indicative of how we serve our customers, not just with their auto loans; we look into our customers’ whole financial world and provide solutions. 

“As a team, we came together to find out who we were and where we were going. What emerged was a strong unified voice on what our core values are,” Fitzgerald added.

The company leader also mentioned an aggressive growth plan for iLendingDIRECT stays true to its core value: Freedom.

“When we achieve our goal of growing our business as a team, we gain the freedom to grow personally and professionally, and the cherry on top of it all is financial freedom,” Fitzgerald said.

The company insisted iLendingDIRECT can extends this financial freedom to its customers through what the finance company calls its five‐point advantage:

• Great savings for customers through low interest rates

• One‐stop shop for every financial situation, covering auto‐loan refinancing, company vehicle purchase, auto lease buyout, secured auto title loan, GAP insurance and auto warranty

• Peace of mind receive expert loan advice from highly qualified consultants

• Tailored solutions that address specific needs and means

• Holistic approach to customers’ financial well‐being

Fleet Financial began in 2006 with a business model to finance the purchase of company vehicle. With the financial crash just a year later and the historic low interest rates that followed, the company saw the opportunity to go into auto loan refinancing.

“Fleet Financial is the brainchild of my husband Patrick. We grew the company at an unprecedented rate,” Nancy Fitzgerald recounted.

Then Patrick Fitzgerald did tragically in 2014.

“What emerged out of the rubble was a company, a team, and most importantly a family determined to stay the course, remain strong, and forge into the future,” Nancy Fitzgerald said.

In 2015, Fleet Financial broke every record in the company’s history by growing 35 percent in a single year.

"I am confident that this will be an exciting new era for Nancy and her company. After the tragic death of her husband Patrick, Nancy used her leadership skills and her passion to build an exceptional management team,” Lease Plan USA president Mike Pither said.

The company highlighted more developments are ahead as iFleetDIRECT and iPartnersDIRECT are but two of the innovations iLendingDIRECT  has in store for 2016.

“Fleet Financial has been a valuable partner of Westlake for many years and we are excited about this major milestone. We look forward to building upon our partnership with iLendingDIRECT,” said Ian Anderson, group president of Westlake Financial.

Nancy Fitzgerald wrapped up the lastest achievements by saying, “Fleet Financial will always be our parent company, just as Patrick will always be our inspiration. Those are our roots from which we will grow.

“iLendingDIRECT is our fresh start, and will be even better because iLendingDIRECT has our fleet family guiding it and holding it up — its foundation is solid and strong,” she went on to say.