Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC), the top commercial bank lender to production agriculture in the nation, has named Karen Hardy to the new post of Central Region head for the company’s National Food & Agribusiness Division. Based in Denver, she will lead growth of Wells Fargo relationships with farmers, ranchers, producers, and processors between the Rocky Mountains and the Mississippi River in the U.S., and between British Columbia and Manitoba in Canada.

In her 22-year Wells Fargo career, Hardy has built broad Commercial Banking experience. She has served in roles as relationship manager, loan team leader, and loan team manager. Since 2007, she has worked in the regional credit office for the Commercial Banking group’s Mountain and Central regions in Denver.

As the Food & Agribusiness Division’s Central Region head, Hardy will lead a 30-person team that works with Wells Fargo Commercial Banking offices across the U.S. and Canadian breadbaskets – 21 states and four provinces – to provide customers with specialized agricultural financing and other resources, including crop insurance. Additional leadership positions on Hardy’s team will be filled in Chicago; Kansas City, Kansas; and Texas.

“Karen’s extensive experience in credit and risk management will be a strong asset in Wells Fargo’s growth of new business in the heart of the U.S. and Canada,” said Rob Yraceburu, head of the company’s National Food & Agribusiness Division, which was formed in April. (Follow link to Wells Fargo news release archive.) “And from her tenure as a regional credit officer, Karen also knows the industry’s regional traits.”

About Wells Fargo’s National Division of Food & Agribusiness

Wells Fargo is the No. 1 lender to production agriculture in the United States. And with regional and industry experts throughout the U.S., Wells Fargo’s National Food & Agribusiness Division provides resources to help meet the needs of agribusiness, including dairy farmers, food processors, nurseries, and vegetable, fruit and nut growers. The company provides financial resources to help businesses grow while also managing risk. Understanding the impact of regional, national, and global economic conditions, Wells Fargo offers specialized financing for all areas of agribusiness, including input supply, production, processing, wholesale distribution and retailing.

Wells Fargo supports agriculture in other ways as well. For instance, Rural Community Insurance Services (RCIS), a wholly owned subsidiary, is the nation’s largest crop insurance provider, offering risk management protection for more than 100 crops in all 50 states through a national network of more than 5,000 professionally trained and licensed independent agents. It provides multi-peril crop insurance and livestock policies offered through the United States Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency (RMA), as well as crop hail, flood, named peril, as supplemental and stand-alone insurance products.

About Wells Fargo Commercial Banking

With 110 offices across the U.S., Wells Fargo Commercial Banking is the country’s No. 1 lender to middle market businesses with annual sales above $20 million. In addition to providing a world-class customer experience for our clients, Wells Fargo Commercial Bankers are also committed to being good citizens, from charitable giving to volunteering to public service.

About Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a nationwide, diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.4 trillion in assets. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance through more than 9,000 stores, 12,000 ATMs, the Internet (wellsfargo.com), and has offices in more than 35 countries to support the bank’s customers who conduct business in the global economy. With more than 270,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 26 on Fortune’s 2012 rankings of America’s largest corporations. Wells Fargo’s vision is to satisfy all our customers’ financial needs and help them succeed financially.

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