For over twenty years, CHAMPRO Sports (www.champrosports.com) has manufactured high performance equipment for America’s athletes. Using the best and most experienced factories in the world, CHAMPRO Sports maintins specifications and performance standards that meet, and often exceed, the heavily advertised brands. CHAMPRO Sports doesn’t use professional athletes to endorse their equipment. Teams and athletes use CHAMPRO equipment because it performs better. But that wasn’t enough for their big bank.

“Even when businesses believe they have financing lined up, it can fall apart, as Champro Sports, a $25 million-a-year sports clothing and products company, discovered last September.  “We had what we thought was a verbal agreement to increase our credit line from $8.5 million to $10.5 million to handle growth in our business,” President Bill Hunt said. But the bank, with whom Champro had a 20-year relationship, declined to follow through, Hunt said.  He turned to North Shore Community Bank (and Wintrust Business Credit), which last month provided the million credit line. “It gives us breathing room and allows us to continue to grow our business,” he said.

- The Chicago Tribune, April 12