New bank names are popping up around South Florida. As the strong replace the weak and the economy stabilizes, the changes should help ease the credit crunch.

A series of bank takeovers, spurred by the recent financial upheaval, has brought several new banking giants to the state — already one of the most competitive landscapes in the nation for banking.

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“The beauty is we have stronger banks in Florida than before when the banks — like WaMu and Colonial — were hobbled by bad real estate [loans],“ said William Hardin, a professor of finance and real estate at Florida International University.

The newcomers all insist that despite Florida’s dicey economy, they are lending and are willing to lend in the state — provided they find credit-worthy customers.

Read: “Newcomers to give Florida banks a run for the money,“ an article from the MiamiHerald.com.