Equipment Finance Connect welcomes the Federal Reserve to our speaker faculty for the third consecutive year as Martin Lavelle, senior business economist for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago presents at Equipment Finance Connect 2025. 

Lavelle will speak on the impact of current economic trends on the equipment finance market on Wednesday, May 14, at 4 p.m. ET.  

The conference takes place May 14-15 at the JW Marriott Nashville in Tennessee.  

View the full event agenda here.  

Lavelle has worked with the Chicago Fed’s Detroit branch for 19 years and focuses on rural economic development, the auto industry, consumer spending, construction and real estate. He routinely contributes to the Chicago Fed’s portion of the Beige Book, a report on the Fed’s 12 districts, and is a contributing author for the Chicago Fed’s Midwest and Michigan Economy Blogs. 

Lavelle will discuss how macroeconomic trends affect the equipment finance market, both positively and negatively. In particular, he will talk about the prognosis for interest rates, strategies to manage larger economic conditions and how to identify signs of reversals in charge-off trends. 

Lavelle’s presentation comes as equipment markets are expected to remain volatile, with elevated inventories and declining values. For example, inventories for wheeled skid steers rose 29.2% year over year in November, while values for day cabs fell 14% YoY, according to Sandhills Global market reports. 

Equipment Finance Connect is the only event for both equipment dealers and lenders, and features two days of networking, technology demonstrations and educational sessions.  

Covering diverse sectors including agriculture, construction, transportation and material handling, Equipment Finance Connect promises insights, connections and strategies tailored to help lenders and dealers redefine their approach to finance operations and success in the current economic environment.  

The third annual Equipment Finance Connect at the JW Marriott Nashville in Nashville, Tenn., on May 14-15, 2025, is the only event that brings together equipment dealers and lenders to share insights, attend discussions on crucial industry topics and network with peers. Learn more about the event and register here.