Grocers need to reexamine how their real estate will function in the post-pandemic world, writes Joe McKeska, a Senior Managing Director at A&G Real Estate Partners, in an April 26 opinion piece for Progressive Grocer. While many chains performed well over the past year, McKeska explains, consumer spending continues to swing back to dining out, in-person entertainment and travel. “That means many grocers will need to redouble their efforts to improve fundamental weaknesses that they were able to gloss over during the pandemic, such as subpar in-store experiences and inadequate omnichannel infrastructure,” he advises.

Kent Plunkett, Founder & CEO of Salary.com, the compensation solution provider of the trusted data and intuitive software you need to get pay right, today announced the company has secured $67M in funding in a financing round led by Accel-KKR Credit Partners, Centre Lane, and Wells Fargo Capital Finance. Salary.com was advised by Raymond James. Prior investors H.I.G. Capital and Salary.com management also participated.

White Oak Commercial Finance, LLC (“White Oak”), an affiliate of White Oak Global Advisors, LLC, announced its Government Contracting Finance arm provided a $4.5 million asset-based lending facility to a mechanical products distributor that sells to Fortune 500-listed companies.

Gordon Brothers, the global advisory, restructuring and investment firm, has promoted Evren Ozargun to the newly established Head of Credit role. Ozargun and his growing Credit team will work in close partnership with Gordon Brothers’ deal professionals and play an integral role in structuring, underwriting and monitoring all investments involving both debt and equity transactions. Additionally, Ozargun will continue to oversee Corporate Development activities.

Sidley Austin LLP is pleased to announce that Tom Califano is joining the firm’s global Restructuring group. Mr. Califano will be a partner in the New York office. He joins from DLA Piper where he was the global co-chair and U.S. chair of the restructuring group.

FrontWell Capital Partners (“FrontWell”), a private credit fund that provides transitionary senior debt financing to middle-market companies in the United States and Canada, today announced that Nick Bassi has been appointed Vice President, Underwriting and Portfolio Management. Mr. Bassi, an industry veteran with more than two decades of asset-based lending experience in underwriting, origination and portfolio management, will be based in the firm’s Toronto headquarters.

Dillard’s, Inc. (DDS: NYSE) (“Dillard’s” or “the Company”) announced that it has amended and extended its $800 million senior secured revolving credit facility consistent with the Company’s liquidity needs. A $200 million expansion option remains in place. The new maturity date is April 28, 2026. The credit facility was arranged by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.

CIT Group Inc. (NYSE: CIT) today announced that its Power and Energy business served as coordinating lead arranger on a $84 million financing for a new 140-megawatt solar farm in Fort Bend County, Texas. Cutlass Solar is a utility-scale project to be built about 40 miles southwest of Houston. Its sponsor, Advanced Power, is a leader in power generation with numerous projects in the U.S., Canada and Europe.

IDS, a leading provider of enterprise mission-critical solutions for the secured finance industry, recently completed its annual System and Organization Controls (SOC) audit and received validation reports for SOC 1® Type 2, SOC 2® Type 2 and SOC 3®. This was conducted by a third-party validation provider over a six-month period to demonstrate ongoing effectiveness of security controls for IDS and IDScloud.

Rosenthal & Rosenthal, Inc., a leading factoring, asset-based lending and purchase order financing firm in the U.S., today announced the completion of a joint $2 million factoring and $750,000 inventory production finance deal for a Georgia-based importer and distributor of recreational sporting products.

The facility is secured by medical insurance accounts receivable with an advance rate of 85%. The Company is using the proceeds of the facility for working capital, a partner buyout and to facilitate its growth.

Siena Lending Group continues to be a leader in the asset-based lending industry, consistently finding creative ways to offer our clients maximum flexibility and liquidity. We are proud to provide this overview of the financing solutions that Siena and our Siena Healthcare Finance division delivered in Q1 2021. In firm news, we made two key additions to our new business origination team, reinforcing our commitment to meeting the financing needs of clients in the Southeast and Midwest.

Anne “Annie” Mask has joined Sallyport Commercial Finance, LLC’s team as a partnership associate to help better serve its referral partners and assist prospects with sound finance solutions.

Hilco Industrial Acquisitions, an Amsterdam-based Industrial Asset Disposition and Acquisition Company, acquired all Machinery & Equipment from the Swiss-based CMO Legacy Pharmaceuticals. After several years of expansion, the Swiss company was forced to file for bankruptcy in December 2020. After decontamination of the facility, the Cantonal Insolvency Department Basel-Land organised a liquidation sale of all assets at the end of March 2021.

Cleanse www.icleanse.com, the leader in UV-C personal device disinfection, announced today that it has joined forces with CIT, a top 50 national bank, to provide low-interest financing on all iCleanse disinfection products to keep customers and staff safe from infectious pathogens. This alliance allows iCleanse to better serve its current and future customer base, who may have limited cash flow due to the year-long pandemic, making UV-C disinfection more attainable for small and large businesses alike and keeping businesses open.

Cosmo Films is a leading manufacturer and supplier of BOPP and Specialty flexible packaging films. The Company is among top BOPP and thermal films suppliers in the world with export to more than 80 countries and is expanding its base to specialty chemicals beside flexible packaging films.

LSQ, a leading provider of technology-driven working capital solutions, announced the origination of a $1.5 million facility for a growing South Carolina manufacturing company distributing DIY products to one of the largest home improvement retailers in the U.S.

exactEarth Ltd. ("the Company") (TSX: XCT), a leading provider of Satellite-AIS data services announces that it has entered into a new credit facility ("Credit Facility") that provides for a $6 million secured revolving operating line with National Bank of Canada's ("NBC") Technology and Innovation Banking Group. The Credit Facility is undrawn as of today's date.

Farmer Bros. Co. (NASDAQ: FARM) (the “Company”) announced today the finalization of a new $ 127.5 million, four-year financing arrangement, which includes an $80.0 million asset-backed revolving credit facility and $47.5 million term loan due April 2025. The financing was led by Wells Fargo Bank. In accordance with the terms of the financing agreement, the proceeds may be used for general corporate purposes and the Company may prepay amounts borrowed under the asset-backed revolving credit facility at any time without premium or penalty.

Flatbay Capital LLC (“Flatbay”) (www.flatbaycapital.com) is pleased to announce that industry veteran, Jorge Puig (formerly at Bank of America) has joined Flatbay Capital as a Managing Partner. Jorge will join the firm’s credit committee, manage part of the business development team, and collaborate with founder Elliot Smith on expanding the firm's bank relationships.