Articles

White Oak Commercial Finance is pleased to announce that Martin F. Efron has joined the firm as the portfolio manager in New York, serving the Northeast region. He will report to Bob Grbic, CEO and president of White Oak Commercial Finance.

White Oak Commercial Finance (“White Oak”), an affiliate of White Oak Global Advisors, announced today it has purchased a portfolio of asset-based loans from Veritas Financial Partners, a Boca Raton, FL based specialty finance company.

CIT Group Inc. (NYSE: CIT) today announced that its Power and Energy business served as coordinating lead arranger on a $323 million refinancing of the Coso Geothermal power facility in Southern California.

Originally developed in 1987, the 142-megawatt Coso Geothermal facility has been a steady source of renewable power for the Southern California region for more than three decades. The Coso site is considered one of the top three producers of geothermal electrical power in the United States.

Aaron Hughes, Managing Director of Equiniti Riskfactor, a leading provider in the commercial finance industry, examines the SME lending market for the coming year and the importance of risk management to lenders.

Fifth Third Bank, National Association, announced today that Mitchell Feiger, the chairman and CEO of Fifth Third Bank (Chicago), will retire on May 29, 2020. Succeeding him as the leader of the Chicago region will be Mark Hoppe, who had been named to the post of regional president in July 2019. Feiger had served in his current role since the merger of Fifth Third Bank and MB Financial in March 2019. He previously had served as president and CEO of MB Financial. 

Gerber Finance found the ideal candidate in Andrew Hollingsworth to develop its Natural Products Group and set up a west coast operation to serve its clients' growing portfolio. Andrew possesses a keen understanding of the mindset and needs of natural product companies, having served as CFO for Numi Organic Tea, and brings a deep background in banking, accounting, and finance. Andrew manages Gerber Finance's growing portfolio of natural products clients who value the consultative, relationship that is the hallmark of the Gerber formula. Natural Products Group clients include baby food and products, mushroom mycelium powders, protein powders, sustainable and reusable food storage bags, organic tea, and Asian bone broths and noodles.

As the former CFO of Numi Organic Tea, Andrew was first a client of Gerber Finance, supporting the growth of the business and the brand's expansion. In his role, Andrew garnered an in-depth knowledge of supply chains, business seasonality, and cycles, supporting the need for investment in innovation and the expansion into new markets, leading strategic planning and analysis, debt financing, and investment rounds.

S&T Bank has named Eric Huff as senior vice president, managing director of asset-based lending.

With over 25 years of experience in financial services, most recently as the senior regional director and business development officer at Huntington Bank, Huff brings a wealth of knowledge and experience. In his role at S&T Bank, he will be responsible for the ongoing sales and growth of the bank’s asset-based lending portfolio.

The Children’s Place, Inc. (Nasdaq: PLCE), the largest pure-play children’s specialty apparel retailer in North America, today announced the completion of an $80 million secured term loan financing with Crystal Financial LLC. The net proceeds from the term loan will be used to repay borrowings under the Company’s secured revolving credit facility with certain banks.

FrontWell Capital Partners (“FrontWell”), a private credit fund that provides transitionary senior debt financing to middle-market companies in the United States and Canada, has announced that it has added to its roster three professionals who bring extensive expertise in sourcing, underwriting and portfolio management across many industries and multiple market cycles. Aubrie De Sylva has joined the firm’s deal originations team as Vice President and Kevin Freer and Andrew Isaac have joined the underwriting team as Vice President and Assistant Vice President, respectively. They will be based in FrontWell’s Toronto headquarters.

A corporate scramble for cash and massive injections of liquidity by the Federal Reserve are reverberating across the balance sheets of U.S. commercial banks, with commercial and industrial loans registering the biggest week-over-week increase in more than 45 years.

C&I loans jumped 7.4%, or $176.17 billion, during the week ended March 18, according to seasonally adjusted data in the Fed's latest H.8 report on bank assets and liabilities. The data covers a week during which the crisis caused by the new coronavirus pandemic escalated rapidly. The Trump administration declared a national emergency March 13, and states placed increasing restrictions on public gatherings and business activity aimed at slowing the spread of the virus.

Embattled financial startup Greensill Capital plans to file for insolvency in the U.K. this week, as it simultaneously moves toward a deal to sell its operating business to Apollo Global Management, according to people familiar with the matter.

Also Wednesday, in a dramatic ratcheting up of Greensill’s problems, Germany’s top financial regulator BaFin referred matters related to the firm’s banking unit, Greensill Bank AG, to criminal prosecutors, according to a spokesman for the Bremen prosecutors office. Details of the complaint sent to prosecutors couldn’t be learned; it is up to the prosecutors to decide whether to file any charges.

SFNet will be providing original content shortly on the unfolding Greensill Capital story. Continue to check TSL Express for updates.