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New Hires/Promotions in the Leasing Business
and Related Industries

Emalee Brubaker was hired as Senior Paralegal, American Equity, Johnston, Iowa. She is located in Des Moines, Iowa. She joined DLL as Debt Collector, December, 2013, promoted July, 2015, Contract Administration, promoted Rebooking Administrator, January, 2018, promoted Paralegal (April, 2020- August, 2025); Wells Fargo, June, 2012, Bank Teller, promoted Customer Service and Sales Representative (August, 2023 - November, 2023).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/emalee-brubaker-654652137/

Brylee Horning, CLFP, was hired as AVP, Credit, Priority Capital Partners, Inc., Melrose, Massachusetts.  She is located in the Greater Phoenix Area. Previously, she was VP, Credit &
Syndication, Summit Commercial Finance Company (January, 2004 - September, 2020),
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brylee-horning-clfp-b2900b1a2/

Eric Schlegel was hired as Senior Vice President, Paramount Financial, Newport Beach, California. He is located in Ladera Ranch, California. Previously, he was at MAZO Capital Solutions,
Irvine, California, starting March, 2022, Senior Manager, Business Development, promoted Vice President, Working Capital (January, 2025 - September, 2025); Client Executive, Marsh & McLennan Agency (March, 2021 - March, 2022). He joined Currency, Head of Sales/Branch Manager, Orange County, January, 2016, promoted Manager, Strategic Partnerships, April, 2017), promoted Business Development Manager (April, 2020- March, 2021); Director of Sales and Marketing, QWC Capital, (January, 2015 - December,  2015). Full Bio:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-schlegel/details/experience/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-schlegel/

Matt Schrap was hired as Chief Commercial Officer, Forum Mobility, Long Beach, California, where he is also located. He remains Lecturer, Center for International Trade and transportation,  (April, 2015 - Present); Chief Executive Officer, Harbor Trucking Association , (June, 2021- August, 2025); VP Government Programs, Velocity Vehicle Group (January, 2011 - June, 2021); VP Government Programs, Crossroads Equipment Lease and Finance (January, 2021). Full Bio:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-schrap/details/experience/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-schrap/

Joe Winters was hired as Vice President, Direct Originations, BriteCap Financial, Las Vegas, Nevada. He is located in Greater Philadelphia. He previously was at CAN Capital, (April, 2021- March, 2025), Senior Business Development Manager, Team Lead, promoted to Director, Business Development (March, 2025 - August, 2024); Senior Business Development Manager, NewLane Finance (November, 3030 - April, 3021); Senior Business Development Manager, Marlin Capital Solutions (May, 2015 - October, 2020).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-winters-957967aa

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NVLA Women in Leasing Virtual Meeting
September 17, 9am PT/1CT/12pmET
Leading with Emotional Wellness

Meetings are open to National Vehicle Leasing Association (NVLA members and non-members) who are in the vehicle leasing industry and have an interest in learning more about this group and NVLA.

Moderator: Lisa Yanskey
Ice President, Sales, MOBILEASE

Leading with Emotional Wellness

At each Women in Leasing meeting, we host expert-led discussions focused on the unique challenges and opportunities women face in today’s workplace.

Our next session will explore emotional wellness. Emotional wellbeing is key to your overall success at work, but women often face unique mental health challenges. In this session, we’ll explore how leaders can create psychologically safe environments where women can express themselves without fear of judgment. Learn how to navigate emotional stressors such as care giving and work-life balance and discover how peer support and mentorship programs can help you thrive emotionally at work

To Learn More and Click to Attend:
https://www.nvla.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1909329

Leasing and Finance  Help Wanted
Balboa Capital
We Are Growing Our Senior Sales Team Now

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U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
August 2025 Report

In August 2025, the U.S. unemployment rate was 4.3%, marking the highest level since October 2021 and an increase from the previous month. This increase coincided with a substantial drop in job growth, with only 22,000 nonfarm jobs added, the slowest pace in years. The labor market is softening, with the number of unemployed people increasing by 148,000 and the labor force participation rate rising slightly to 62.3%.

Presidential Policy Impact: Some economists attribute the slump to policies such as tariffs, immigration crackdowns, and mass firings of public workers implemented by the Trump administration.

Labor Shortages Persist: Despite job growth slowing, certain sectors like agriculture, construction, hospitality, manufacturing, and healthcare continue to experience labor shortages, which are expected to worsen without legal immigration.

Full Report: (Paste in Google)
chromeextension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/
https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf

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RaceTrac Acquires Sandwich Chain
Potbelly for $566 Million

The deal unites RaceTrac’s 800-plus c-stores with Potbelly’s 445 sandwich shops. RaceTrac announced Wednesday that it will acquire quick-service brand Potbelly for roughly $566 million, a move that will take the sandwich chain private for the first time in over a decade.

The acquisition is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025. Until the transaction closes, both companies will continue to operate independently.

The restaurant chain enters the deal with more than 445 shops across the U.S. The fast casual, founded in Chicago 40-plus years ago, has a long-term goal of reaching 2,000 shops nationwide. That path is guided by franchising. In the second quarter, Potbelly added 54 new franchise shop commitments, the most it’s ever done in one quarter, finishing with 369 restaurants in development.

Potbelly CEO Bob Wright said, “RaceTrac’s strategic vision including their commitment to quality align perfectly with our mission to delight customers with great food and good vibes.

“We have positioned Potbelly for accelerated franchise-led growth in recent years, and this transaction fortifies our path while delivering certain and immediate value to our shareholders. With RaceTrac’s resources, we will unlock new opportunity for this incredible brand while staying true to the neighborhood sandwich shop experience that makes Potbelly special.”

Meanwhile, RaceTrac operates more than 800 c-stores across 14 states under the RaceTrac and RaceWay brands and oversees sites under approximately 1,200 Gulf-branded stores in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. The family-owned company was founded in 1934 and has more than 10,000 employees.

Natalie Morhous, CEO and Chairman of the Board at RaceTrac, commented, “We are proud of Potbelly’s legacy as a beloved neighborhood sandwich shop and are excited to expand our family of convenience-driven brands.

“I’m pleased to welcome Potbelly’s more than 5,200 team members and franchise partners to the RaceTrac family. Together, we’ll serve guests in even more meaningful ways.”

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Gender Pay Gap Widens After Years of Progress
By  Felix Richter, Statista

The gender pay gap widened for the second consecutive year in 2024, according to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Tuesday. Where the median annual pay for female full-time, year-round workers aged 15 and older was $57,520 in 2024, the figure stood at $71,090 for male workers. That means for every dollar earned by men, women earned just $0.81.

As our chart shows, progress has been made over the past six decades, as the female-to-male pay ratio has gradually improved from less than 60 percent in the 1960s to more than 80 percent in recent years. Progress has been painfully slow, though, and full equality of pay is still a long way out. In 2023, the pay gap even widened for the first time in years - one of many small setbacks amid an overall positive trend. Moreover, the gender pay gap is not the same for all women. It is significantly wider for Black, Hispanic and Native American women as well as for working moms.

Interestingly, education is not the key to closing the gap between male and female remuneration. Looking at workers with a bachelor’s degree or higher across various high- and low-earning fields from electrical engineering to social work, the U.S. Census Bureau found a significant pay gap between men and women in all of them. And not only that: an analysis by the Economic Policy Institute found that the gender pay gap even widens with education levels, ranging from 20 percent for workers without a high school diploma to 30 percent for those with an advanced degree.

News Briefs

The US economy has come down with a case
   of early-onset stagflation
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/11/business/stagflation-economy-fed-nightcap

The US economy is weakening. These 5 numbers
     tell the story
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/09/10/newsletters/starting-point-trump-economy-inflation-jobs/?rss_id=section_rss_full&s_campaign=bg:full:rss:section&et_rid=1863613500&s_
campaign=businessheadlines:newsletter

Trump administration asks Congress for extra funding
    in talks to dodge shutdown
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/09/09/trump-administration-budget-talks/

Mortgage Rates Are at an 11-Month Low
    Will That Save This Housing Market?
https://www.wsj.com/economy/housing/mortgage-rates-are-at-an-11-month-low-will-that-be-enough-to-save-this-housing-market-84dbc248?st=5p56Xw&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

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Another wave of return-to-office crackdowns is coming
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/09/11/return-to-office-microsoft-mandate/

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Sports Briefs---

 

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California News Briefs---

San Francisco Bay Area Prices Jump in August
with Accelerating Inflation
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/11/business/stagflation-economy-fed-nightcap

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Gimme that Wine

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJnQoi8DSE8

Can Mobile Pressing Create New White Wine
    Production, Business Models?
https://www.winebusiness.com/wbm/article/307038

Artificial Intelligence Makes Its Debut in Cellar Software
https://www.winebusiness.com/wbm/article/307036

Hiring Stalls as Trade Upended
August 2025
US Wine Sales +4%
Off-Premise -5%
DTC Shipments -5%
Winery Jobs -25%
[12 month change]

Wine industry hiring continues to slow as economic anxiety rises with prices driven higher by tariffs that have also curtailed U.S. wine exports. Strong import sales did help the U.S. market grow by 4% in the past 12 months, but the Winejobs Winery Job Index is 30% less than last year.

Tariffs Add Pressure in Contracting Market
Wine escaped the worst tariffs threatened during President Donald Trump’s first administration, when duties of up to 100% may have been imposed on European Union wines as part of a running dispute over EU subsides to Airbus. While a 25% duty remained in place until the Biden administration declared a five-year truce in January 2021, […]

AI is Helping, Not Hiring Just Yet
It’s an odd time to be looking for work. It’s also an odd time to be hiring. Applicants fear their jobs will be nixed thanks to Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems, or that they may not make it through the modernized screening process due to unintentional biases; if they do, they may find themselves interviewing with […]

Average Wine Salary up 4%
Winemaking and DtC roles saw some of the largest average salary increases this year and some of the strongest growth in pay since the pandemic. The average production salary was up 5% this year while the average increase for DtC positions was 6%. The role of “special events coordinator” saw one of the largest increases […]

Industry Metrics: Jobs Index Slips
Domestic Wine Sales Value 12 months ended July 2025 +4%  U.S. wine sales including bulk imports, bw166 Other Industry Metrics for July 2025 (versus July 2024) data: -7%  off-premise sales value, NIQ channels -2%  on-premise sales (52 weeks ended June 14), CGA by NIQ -11%  DtC shipment value, WineBusiness Analytics/Sovos Ship Compliant -30%  Winery Job Index, […]

Upcoming Events
SommCon Conference and Beverage Expo: Sept. 7-9 Sessions and tastings to connect the global wine industry with the U.S. trade in San Diego, Calif. sommconusa.com Winejobs Summit: Nov. 11 Winejobs.com SUMMIT is a one-of-a-kind gathering in Napa, Calif., for HR managers to connect with their peers to discuss current HR topics and learn from industry experts. Seating […]