Lender Referral Success: $6,000,000
A large Midwest real estate lender had a client with a time-sensitive growth opportunity. The business needed capital to expand operations and take on a significant new contract. Refinancing the real estate portfolio was on the table, but the timeline and complexity made it the wrong path. Liquidating assets was not the answer either.
The lender called us.
The client had a yard full of equipment used in daily operations. We evaluated the assets, structured a $6M sale-leaseback, and deployed the capital. The client retained full use of the equipment, ramped up operations, and secured the new business.
No changes to their existing credit arrangements. No disruption to the lender’s relationship. Before the first deal closed, the referring institution was already in discussions with us about additional clients.
That is what a performing referral looks like.
We Finance the Equipment. You Keep the Relationship.
Banks, credit unions, private equity sponsors, VC firms, family offices, hedge funds, real estate private equity sponsors, and private debt funds send us clients and portfolio companies with equipment needs that their capital strategy was not built to handle. We step in as the dedicated equipment financing partner for those borrowers. The referring institution stays exactly where it is.
We do not co-invest. We do not compete with a referring partner’s capital strategy. We do not take positions in anyone else’s deals. Our job is to finance the equipment, execute cleanly, and protect the relationship that brought the deal to us.
Every transaction we structure uses only equipment as collateral. Our UCC filing applies only to the financed equipment. The referring institution’s existing credit arrangements with that client remain unchanged.
We structure deals we would sign ourselves. Every referral gets that standard.
Why Banks and Institutional Partners Direct Business to Us
When banks and other financial institutions recommend a leasing company for equipment needs to their clients, as it aligns with their clients’ requirements, or when they face limitations in providing lending services themselves for various reasons. These are some scenarios that may lead to such referrals.
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Client Credit History
Not every strong business has clean financials. We evaluate the full story behind a credit, forecasts, market position, and strategic trajectory, not just historical ratios. Clients who have been declined elsewhere often find a workable path with us. -
Cash Flow Strategy
We finance 100% of the project cost, including equipment, installation, shipping, warranties, and vendor deposits. Clients preserve working capital for operations rather than deploying it upfront on a capital acquisition. -
Specialized Equipment Needs
Our experience spans manufacturing, medical devices, food processing, construction, energy infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, and more. When a referring institution lacks the equipment-type expertise to underwrite a specific asset, we step in as the specialist. -
Balance Sheet Reporting
Operating leases are recorded as an ROU (right-of-use) asset and a corresponding lease obligation on the lessee's books under current accounting standards. For clients managing their balance sheet presentation, the lease structure provides a defined, predictable treatment. -
Higher Risk Profile
We work with clients whose credit profiles fall outside conventional bank parameters, including startups, high-growth companies with limited operating history, and businesses financing assets with accelerated depreciation schedules. If a referring institution's client does not fit their credit box, it may fit ours. -
Higher Risk Profile
We work with clients whose credit profiles fall outside conventional bank parameters, including startups, high-growth companies with limited operating history, and businesses financing assets with accelerated depreciation schedules. If a referring institution's client does not fit their credit box, it may fit ours. -
Flexibility Regarding Conditions
We structure payment schedules around the client's actual cash flow cycle. Deferred start dates, step-up payment plans, and interest-only periods during equipment installation are structures we use to align financing terms with operational realities. -
Loan Limitations
When a bank has reached its exposure limit on a client, or can lend but not enough to complete the project, we fill the equipment financing gap. We do not touch the bank's credit position. The client proceeds, and the bank protects the relationship.
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Client Preference
Some clients prefer to lease for reasons unrelated to credit access. Leasing can offer tax benefits, a lower initial outlay, and greater flexibility at the end of the term. We recommend clients work with their accountant or tax advisor on the structure that best fits their specific accounting and tax situation. -
Non-Core Business Lending
Institutions that specialize in real estate lending, working capital, or SBA products sometimes encounter equipment financing needs that fall outside their core product set. Referring those needs to us keeps the client whole and the primary relationship intact, without requiring the institution to build or maintain internal equipment financing expertise. -
Fast Turnaround
Our credit committee runs three to four senior decision-makers. No routing through a bank committee. No third-party approval chain. For standard transactions up to $5M, we issue an LOI within 24-48 hours. Complex multi-million-dollar deals clear underwriting in 10-14 business days. When a client has a hard deadline, we give a direct answer on timing upfront. -
Strategic Referral Partnership
Referring a client to us is not a one-time handoff. We stay engaged through the full financing lifecycle, communicate with the borrower's finance team, and keep the referring partner informed as requested. Our goal is always an outcome that reflects well on everyone who brought the deal to us. -
End-of-Term Flexibility
At lease end, clients have structured options: purchase the equipment at fair market value, return it, or upgrade to a new asset. The majority of our clients keep their equipment. We structure leases with that outcome as the goal from day one. -
UCC Filing on Leased Equipment Only
Our UCC registration attaches to the financed equipment and nothing else. Existing bank credit lines, receivables, real property, and all other assets remain unencumbered. For banks and credit unions in particular, this is a clean structural separation, the referring institution's existing arrangements with that client are not affected by anything on our side of the transaction.
The Types of Lenders and Investors We Serve
Every institution in the capital markets ecosystem encounters equipment financing needs. Each has a different reason to refer. Here is how we work with each.
Banks and Credit Unions
Banks and credit unions refer equipment financing to us for three primary reasons: exposure limits, lien structure, and speed. When a client has reached the institution’s credit ceiling but needs capital for essential equipment, we fill the gap without touching the bank’s existing credit position.
Our UCC filing attaches only to the financed equipment, leaving all existing bank arrangements intact. When internal approval timelines cannot match the client’s deadline, our three to four-person credit committee can.
Private Equity Firms
Private equity sponsors refer portfolio company equipment needs to us when equipment financing falls outside the fund’s core capital strategy. A PE sponsor growing or acquiring a manufacturing, medical, or industrial business often faces equipment CAPEX that would strain working capital or require additional equity deployment. We step in as the dedicated equipment financing layer, preserving portfolio company liquidity and keeping equipment collateral separate from the sponsor’s broader credit arrangements. Your portfolio company gets the equipment. Your capital structure stays intact.
Venture Capital Firms
Venture capital firms refer portfolio companies to us when a startup or early-stage business needs essential equipment but cannot access conventional bank financing. VC-backed companies often have strong technology and market positioning but limited operating history, which most banks decline.
We evaluate the full picture, including growth trajectory and market potential, not just historical financials. Equipment financing through us is non-dilutive, preserves the portfolio company’s equity runway, and provides the production capacity it needs to execute.
Family Offices
Family offices refer equipment needs to us when a direct investment or portfolio company requires capital for essential equipment and deploying additional family office capital into depreciating assets is not the preferred approach. Leasing through us preserves liquidity for higher-priority allocations while giving the portfolio company the equipment access it needs to operate and grow. Equipment-only collateral keeps our financing isolated from the broader portfolio company credit structure. We work with the discretion and responsiveness that family office relationships require.
Hedge Funds
Hedge funds directing portfolio companies through turnaround or reorganization refer equipment needs to us when capital preservation is the operational priority. Leasing keeps cash available for operations rather than locking it into depreciating assets. For companies with existing equipment, a sale-leaseback can unlock working capital without layering additional enterprise debt. We structure these transactions to stay clear of the broader capital and operational strategy; our collateral attaches only to the equipment we finance.
Real Estate Private Equity
Real estate private equity sponsors refer equipment needs to us when a property acquisition or development involves operational equipment that falls outside the real estate capital stack. Healthcare facilities, industrial properties, and commercial assets often require specialized equipment that neither the property lender nor the sponsor’s equity was structured to finance. We handle the equipment layer, including progress funding for staged builds and milestone payments, while the real estate financing structure remains clean. Our collateral attaches only to the financed equipment.
Explore Our Real Estate Private Equity Equipment Leasing Program
Private Debt Financing Groups
Real estate private equity sponsors refer equipment needs to us when a property acquisition or development involves operational equipment that falls outside the real estate capital stack. Healthcare facilities, industrial properties, and commercial assets often require specialized equipment that neither the property lender nor the sponsor’s equity was structured to finance. We handle the equipment layer, including progress funding for staged builds and milestone payments, while the real estate financing structure remains clean. Our collateral attaches only to the financed equipment.
Explore Our Real Estate Private Equity Equipment Leasing Program
Business Development Companies
Business development companies that invest in mid-sized businesses often encounter portfolio company equipment needs that fall outside their deployment strategy for a given borrower. We serve as the equipment financing partner for those situations, providing a structured, equipment-only solution that preserves the BDC’s enterprise credit position and keeps the portfolio company’s working capital intact.
Specialized Financial Firms
Specialty finance firms, including factoring companies, trade finance providers, and other niche lenders, sometimes encounter clients with equipment needs that fall outside their product scope. Referring those clients to us keeps the primary client relationship intact while ensuring the borrower receives a purpose-built equipment financing solution from a specialist.
Why Institutional Partners Choose to Work With Us
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Direct lender with an in-house credit committee
Your referred client reaches a credit decision made by three to four senior decision-makers, no bank committee, no third-party approval chain. When your client has a deadline, we have an answer. -
Defined decision timelines
You get a clear timeline on day one. Standard transactions up to $5M receive an LOI within 24-48 hours. Complex multi-million-dollar deals move through underwriting in 10-14 business days. No ambiguity on where the deal stands. -
Defined decision timelines
You get a clear timeline on day one. Standard transactions up to $5M receive an LOI within 24-48 hours. Complex multi-million-dollar deals move through underwriting in 10-14 business days. No ambiguity on where the deal stands. -
Financing range
We handle transactions from $5M to $100M per project, through direct lending and a syndication network of private equity groups, family offices, banks, and credit unions. If your client's equipment need fall in that range, send it our way. -
100% project financing
Your client does not have to come out of pocket. We finance hard costs, soft costs, installation, shipping, international vendor deposits, and milestone payments, preserving their working capital for operations.
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Equipment-only collateral
Our UCC filing attaches only to the financed equipment. Your client's existing credit lines, receivables, and all other assets stay unencumbered. Nothing we do touches the arrangements you already have in place with them. -
Progress funding
For staged builds, your client's vendors get paid as work is completed. We handle milestone-aligned disbursements directly, including payments to international vendors in Europe and Asia. -
Repeat client rate
More than 50% of our clients return for additional capital. When you refer a client to us, you are sending them to a lender they are likely to come back to and likely to thank you for. -
Master lease structures
Your client's first financing schedule with us will not be their last. A master lease framework makes each additional transaction faster and more efficient than the previous one. Clients build toward better terms with every deal. -
Industry credentials
BBB A+ accredited. 13+ years in business. Active member of ELFA, NEFA, AACFB, and CLBA. Buddy Zarbock holds the AACFB President's Award, given once annually, and serves on ELFA's Political Action Committee. Traci Dolphin is a Top Women in Leasing honoree with 34+ years in credit and finance. These are the people your client will work with.
How the Referral Process Works
Submit the Lender Referral Quote Request Form
Provide your name, your institution, a brief description of your client’s project, and their funding requirement. It takes a few minutes. That is all we need to get started
We contact your client within 15 minutes
As soon as your referral comes through, our team reaches out to the borrower directly. Your client does not wait.
Your client receives a credit decision on a defined timeline
For standard transactions, we issue an LOI within 24-48 hours. For complex multi-million-dollar deals, underwriting takes 10-14 business days. Your client gets a direct answer, no ambiguity on where things stand.
You stay informed, on your terms
We keep you in the loop as much or as little as you prefer. We operate under NDA when appropriate. Your client relationship stays in your hands throughout.
Funded, with one point of contact throughout
From referral submission to funded deal, your client works with one dedicated contact on our side. No handoffs. No confusion about who owns the deal.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Do you compete with the referring institution's existing credit arrangements?
No. Our role is limited to financing the equipment. We do not take blanket liens, we do not touch receivables or real property, and we do not create complications on existing credit arrangements. Our UCC filing attaches only to the financed equipment. Everything your client has in place with you stays exactly where it is.
What types of equipment and industries do you finance?
We finance revenue-generating equipment across manufacturing, medical, pharmaceutical, construction, food processing, energy, and more. If the equipment is essential to the borrower’s operations and supports revenue generation, we want to evaluate it. We work with both new and used assets.
What is your minimum and maximum deal size?
For our lender referral program, we work on transactions from $5M to $100M per project. If your client’s need falls outside that range, contact us directly and we will tell you how we can help.
Do you require a blanket lien?
No. Our UCC filing attaches only to the equipment being financed. Receivables, real property, and all other business assets remain unencumbered. This is a structural commitment on every deal we do, not a case-by-case accommodation.
Can you finance 100% of the project, including soft costs and deposits?
Yes. We finance 100% of the total project cost including equipment, installation, shipping, warranties, and vendor deposits. For staged builds, we handle progress funding directly with vendors as work is completed. Your client does not have to come out of pocket at any stage.
What happens after I submit the referral form?
We contact your client within 15 minutes of submission. Standard transactions receive an LOI within 24-48 hours. Complex multi-million-dollar deals move through underwriting in 10-14 business days. You stay informed throughout at whatever level of involvement you prefer.
Do you work with borrowers who have been declined by their bank?
Yes. Many of our clients have been turned down elsewhere, due to exposure limits, limited operating history, or credit profiles that fall outside conventional bank parameters. We evaluate the full picture behind the credit, not just historical ratios. If a viable, well-structured deal exists, we find a way to get it done.
Can you handle international vendor payments?
Yes. We manage vendor deposits and progress payments in foreign currency, including euros, for equipment sourced from Germany, Switzerland, China, and other international suppliers. Many of our clients source specialized equipment that is not manufactured domestically. We pay those vendors directly so the borrower does not carry that cash burden.
Have questions? Start with our financing FAQs
Submit a Lender Referral
Submit the form below. Your client hears from us within 15 minutes. Standard transactions receive an LOI within 24-48 hours.
If your engagement requires an NDA before we make contact, note it in the project description field and we will have one in place before we reach your client.
Prefer to reach us directly?
Call Us (801) 461-3304 | [email protected]