Monitor asked the leading women of equipment finance to share their paths to success, guidance for future industry professionals and industry insights. We thank Laurie Bakke of Western Equipment Finance, Maureen Carr of CapitalSource Corporate Asset Finance and Diane Notch of Stearns Bank Equipment Finance Division for their participation.... read more

Jul/Aug 2014

Hudson Valley Bank announced in March 2014 the launch of its equipment finance and leasing entity HVB Equipment Capital. Group Head Steven Orenstein and bank CEO Stephen Brown spoke with Monitor about how HVB Equipment Capital will expand the bank’s Northeast footprint nationally with a service-oriented approach, all the while staying mostly in the small-ticket “sandbox.”... read more

Jul/Aug 2014

When Craig Weinewuth and Jim Freund facilitated Engs Commercial Finance’s March 2012 acquisition, the transportation finance and leasing company exclusively served the West Coast market. Over the last two years, the business partners expanded the company’s vendor activity nationwide and consequently reported an almost five-fold increase in new business activity from 2011 to 2013. They explain how casting a wider net has helped the 62-year-old company flourish to become one of the top leasing and finance companies in the U.S.... read more

June 2014

LEAF Commercial Capital’s Miles Herman notes the equipment industry is currently enjoying a period of steady funding, but says changes in the securitization marketplace and regulatory reform have altered the landscape and forced issuers to adopt key practices that will ensure access to the ABS market in today’s environment.... read more

June 2014

Regular Monitor contributor Lesley Anne Hawes offers insight into Bankruptcy Code preference provisions. Using underpinnings of the Eighth Circuit’s recent decision in the case In re LGI Energy Solutions, Inc., she details the exceptions and defenses to preference recovery, noting that the analysis and rationale of the statute must be applied in a manner consistent with the policies and purposes it was intended to promote.... read more

June 2014

Regular Monitor contributor Bill Bosco says that while the IASB/FASB Lease Project is still a work in progress, the FASB has taken into account the feedback from comment letters, as well as the ELFA’s IASB/FASB Lease Project Working Group’s efforts to help preserve current sale leaseback accounting. However, he cautions that there is still work to be done.... read more

June 2014

David A. Ward joined SMBC Leasing and Finance, Inc. Group in 1991 and has spent the last two decades building the business into an international enterprise with an established presence in the U.S. and the UK, as well as expansion plans extending to Australia. Ward says he’s mindful of global challenges as he works to bring a broader array of bank products to his customers.... read more

June 2014

Michael Urquhart has served at People’s Capital and Leasing since its inception in 1997. This year, he became the president and CEO, following the retirement of Vincent Cianciolo. With 17 years of experience at the company adding to his diverse background, Urquhart sets his sights on strong leadership in a growing market in 2014.... read more

June 2014

Since being named the president/CEO of U.S. Bank Equipment Finance in April 2014, Cracchiolo has set his sights on underserved asset classes and a dominant place in the marketplace. In coming months, he plans to use economic growth to bolster company momentum in the industry.... read more

June 2014

Monitor mystery writer Dexter Van Dango takes us through a series of rants and other reminders of how many of the folks in our industry to seem lose sight of the proverbial forest for the trees regarding our conduct with our customers and, surprisingly, even with each other.... read more

June 2014

Expanded regulation and concern over past problems have increased the scrutiny auditors are applying to residual reviews, particularly for banks. Shawn Halladay and Carl Chrappa of The Alta Group discuss the impacts additional scrutiny has, including amplified levels of detailed information and external appraisals that auditors are requiring. The authors say lessors can use this increased scrutiny to create opportunities to better manage portfolios and maximize the value of existing residuals.... read more

June 2014

CIT’s Vincent Belcastro provides his take on equipment finance opportunities that have been created as a result of America’s resurgence as an affordable and reliable energy producer. Belcastro notes that rising oil and gas production is only part of the story as the transmission and distribution of energy is another emerging opportunity that will fuel future investment demand.... read more

June 2014

Given the expense, disruption and ruffled feathers that accompany the transition to a new lease management system, it's no surprise that organizations tend to delay a replacement project for as long as possible. ... read more

2014

Monitor contributor Andrew Alper discusses a recent equipment finance fraud, and how lenders and lessors can identify and protect against scams. Ultimately, he says it is important to do as much due diligence as possible before making a loan or entering into a lease in a concerted effort to prevent a fraudulent transaction.... read more

May/June 2014

The author describes how equipment financiers can set up their leasing business from scratch, with top industry processes, technology standards and limited upfront investment. While he discusses several challenges financiers face, he notes the entrance of third-party providers that have enabled financiers to mitigate much of the risks associated with launching operations.... read more

May/June 2014