USA Mortgage recruits Heartland Bank lenders

Several mortgage loan originators and support personnel have left Heartland Bank to join the Springfield office of USA Mortgage.

Eight employees affiliated with St. Louis-based Heartland Bank's local operations this month joined USA Mortgage, a St. Louis-based subsidiary of DAS Acquisition Co. Leading the move is Kent Kelso, Heartland's former head of home loan operations in Springfield, Joplin and Branson, who has become branch manager of USA Mortgage-Springfield. Kelso joins Steve Kitrel, who opened the local USA Mortgage office in fall 2011, according to a news release.

“As a competitor, I’ve tracked the growth of USA Mortgage. It has been remarkable,” said Kelso, a 23-year industry veteran, in the release. “The opportunity to join forces with Steve Kitrel to form an organization that by the end of 2014 could very well be among Springfield’s top three home lenders was too attractive to pass up."

Others migrating from Heartland to USA Mortgage include loan officers Matt Soutee, Liz Crutcher and Kerry Norman, as well as four support personnel. The additions boost USA Mortgage's workforce to 26 at its 1525 E. Republic Road office space.

Last year, USA Mortgage-Springfield closed 530 loans with a cumulative value of $66.3 million. With the addition of the former Heartland workers, Kitrel is projecting the branch will surpass $100 million in loans in 2014. The Springfield office originated $50 million in loans during its first year, according to Springfield Business Journal archives.

“Adding Kent Kelso and the other key producers strengthens our market presence across southwest Missouri,” Kitrel said in the release. “We fully anticipate that our sales team will continue to grow in the months ahead.”