Paragon Hires Phil Esposito

Paragon Financial Corp., Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., has announced the signing of Hall of Fame hockey great Phil Esposito under a marketing plan that aims to teach the mortgage business to current and former athletes.Mr. Esposito will work from Paragon's new Tampa, Fla., office, but will be involved nationally in Paragon's effort to expand its mortgage origination business, the company said. "This partnership with Paragon offers Phil an opportunity to create a successful post-sports business within our mortgage division by working with developers, national builders, and real estate agents," said Scott Vining, Paragon's chief financial officer. The company can be found on the Web at http://www.pgnf.com.