After attending the National Equipment Finance Association’s (NEFA) Fall Conference in Minneapolis, I can honestly say this year’s event stood out as one of the best. The conference brought together a great mix of lenders, brokers, service providers and technology partners to discuss where our industry is headed and how we can all continue to improve.

To celebrate CLFP Day 2025, Tamarack teamed up with Channel, KLC Financial, and Northteq for a casual get-together at Kip’s Irish Pub in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, on October 8. About 15–20 industry friends from the Twin Cities stopped by throughout the evening to share stories and make connections.

The days are growing shorter, the air is crisp, and here in Minnesota the tamarack trees are beginning their yearly transformation—shifting from soft green to glowing gold before shedding their needles for winter. This change of seasons is a reminder that transition is a natural part of life. Like the lean bear preparing for the long winter months ahead, we all have goals to tackle before year-end. While our work may not be as simple (or as satisfying) as a bear adding a few extra pounds, we remain focused on moving the needle and making progress on what matters most.

In mid-September, I attended the inaugural ELFA Innovation Lab in Denver. While I had been a regular attendee at its predecessor, the ELFA Operations and Technology Conference, I was eager to experience this new iteration. There was a great sense of energy and enthusiasm across all three days of the event. I don’t know if it reflected the positive business conditions or simply the excitement of the new format but attendees seemed light on their feet and genuinely engaged in their conversations.

Scott Nelson and Bob Rinaldi show how data visualization and AI are transforming operations like syndication, revealing hidden trends and driving smarter, faster decisions.

Like many places in the country, Minnesota has weather that can change drastically overnight! Just yesterday it was sunny, calm and 82 degrees with water temps in the 70s. Today, the high will be 59, and I find myself starting a fire in the woodburning stove. Generally, late August weather provides sunny and comfortable days and chilly nights – very conducive to leaving the windows open at night for cool fresh air for sleeping.

The great thing about paradoxes is that they are counter intuitive. They start with the expected: technological efficiency improves the productivity of a resource thereby reducing the need for that resource, for example. But then there are unexpected outcomes that are persistent and consistent.

Floorplan rates range from 9% to 11%

July and August are peak summer, so they’re also peak road trip times. Whether heading out on a national park vacation, visiting extended family two states over, or just going back-and-forth to the lake every weekend, many of us are riding the highways this time of year.

As a student of...