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Staying power – real staying power – is born of vision, leadership, commitment, integrity, a bit of good fortune and, of course, a great team.

These are the roots that have enabled Wells Fargo Financial to grow and thrive for more than a century, from the seeds planted in the simplest of circumstances by one man, working alone.

Key Dates in Wells Fargo Financial's History:

  • 1897 – Jacob Levitt opens first State Loan Company office in Des Moines, Iowa
  • 1924 – Second office opens in Sioux City, Iowa
  • 1925 – First out-of-state office opens in Kansas City, Missouri
  • 1929 – Finance receivables top $1 million
  • 1930 – Company name changes to State Finance Company
  • 1936 – Offices open in Colorado, Nebraska and Utah
  • 1944 – Company opens first office in California.
  • 1951 – Founder and Chairman Jacob Levitt dies; his son, Ellis Levitt, succeeds him
  • 1957 – Receivables top $50 million, and offices exceed 100
  • 1958 – Company name changes again to Dial Finance Company
  • 1960 – Company's common stock offered to public on NASDAQ
  • 1963 – Receivables surpass $100 million
  • 1968 – Company's common stock listed on NYSE
  • 1971 – Receivables surpass $200 million
  • 1980 – Receivables top $700 million; more than 500 branches in 36 states
  • 1982 – Dial Finance merges with Northwest Bancorporation and name changes to Norwest Financial
  • 1985 – Receivables surpass $2 billion
  • 1992 – Trans Canada Credit acquired giving the Company a consumer finance presence across all 10 Canadian provinces
  • 1993 – Community Credit Co. auto finance company acquired; total receivables top $5 billion
  • 1995 – Island Finance in Puerto Rico acquired; receivables top $6 billion
  • 1997 – Norwest Financial celebrates its 100th anniversary
  • 1998 – Norwest Financial acquires auto finance company Fidelity Financial Services
  • 2000 – Company changes its name to Wells Fargo Financial, Inc. on July 1, 2000
  • 2001 – Wells Fargo Financial completes acquisition of Flagship Credit, an indirect automobile lender based in Philadelphia, PA. Wells Fargo Financial begins construction of a 360,000 square foot addition to its headquarters in Des Moines
  • 2002 – Wells Fargo Financial signs a sponsorship agreement with NASCAR’s Kyle Petty.
  • 2004 – Wells Fargo Financial begins construction of a second 360,000 square foot addition to its headquarters in Des Moines
  • 2005 – Trans Canada Credit becomes Wells Fargo Financial Corporation Canada, a major expansion of the Wells Fargo brand across the northern border of the United States
  • 2006 – Wells Fargo Financial opens its second addition to its home office complex, which now includes four connected buildings totaling 1 million square feet in downtown Des Moines.
  • 2007 – Wells Fargo Financial acquires Greater Bay Capital and Matsco. Greater Bay Capital provides financing through manufacturer-sponsored programs for a variety of equipment. Focusing exclusively on financing for dental, veterinary and vision care practices, Matsco provides investment capital to help doctors acquire, build, expand, equip and refinance their practices.