Articles

Vernon Francois grew up in a Rastafarian household where the weekly tradition was having his hair braided every Sunday. The experience was so painful that he decided to learn how to braid hair himself, using carpets and window shade edges as practice.

All that practice paid off. When he was just Vernon Francois grew up in a Rastafarian household where the weekly tradition was having his hair braided every Sunday. The experience was so painful that he decided to learn how to braid hair himself, using carpets and window shade edges as practice.

Lending to companies with just a few million dollars in earnings is gaining greater interest from investors seeking higher yields and better protections as the private credit market grows increasingly segmented and sophisticated.

Firms are looking to raise funds to target companies in the lower middle market, or companies with an Ebitda of less than US$15m, including Deerpath Capital Management, which wants to raise US$1bn for its lower middle market fund, and PineBridge Investments, which announced it has US$596m to invest. At the same time, Main Street Capital Corp said it is continuing to seek opportunities in this segment.

Monroe Capital LLC (“Monroe”) today announced the closing of a $454.35 million term debt securitization known as Monroe Capital MML CLO IX, LTD. The term financing was Monroe’s fourth CLO completed since March 2018 and is secured by a portfolio of middle market senior secured loans.

Aaron Hughes looks at some of the ways directors might misuse their invoice finance facilities and how lenders can stem any potential losses. 

Gordon Brothers, the global advisory, restructuring and investment firm, has named Joe Massaroni as Director, Business Development as Conrad Lauten retires.

Based in Atlanta, Massaroni will lead efforts to develop and maintain strong client relationships across the Southeast. Massaroni joins Gordon Brothers with decades of experience in secured finance. He’s worked at several lending institutions throughout his career and previously served as director and team leader responsible for managing key relationships and more than $4 billion of account commitments.

Northpoint will offer senior secured revolving credit lines and term loans ranging in size from $2 million to $20 million to borrowers across a wide range of industries. Industry veteran Robert Wagner, Northpoint General Manager and Head of Asset-Based Lending, will lead a team of seasoned ABL professionals.

Capital One executives discuss how innovation in the food & beverage sector are making it an industry lenders don’t want to ignore.

The transformation of retail is creating new and significant challenges for traditional retailers. Antony Karabus, CEO of HRC Advisory, explores those obstacles and offers solutions to help retailers survive – and even thrive — during these tumultuous times.

On November 5, Callodine Group, an asset management firm focused on yield-oriented investment strategies, announced it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the loan portfolio and assume the employees and operating costs of Gordon Brothers Finance Company, LLC (GBFC). In connection with the closing of the transaction, GBFC has changed its name to Callodine Commercial Finance (CCF). Led by CEO Gene Martin, and the current investment team, CCF will be the successor firm to Gordon Brothers Finance Company, LLC. Callodine’s acquisition represents approximately $400 million in assets and is being funded in part by new strategic financing from KKR, East Asset Management and Axar Capital Management. BlackRock Capital Investment Corporation (“BCIC”), the most recent majority owner of the business, will also remain a financial partner to CCF. TSL Express' senior editor spoke with Gene Martin and Mark Forti at Callodine Commercial Finance about opportunities in the asset-based lending space and what lies ahead.

- Led by CEO, Gene Martin, and the current investment team, Callodine Commercial Finance will be the successor firm to Gordon Brothers Finance Company, LLC

- Investment strategy is consistent with Callodine’s focus on yield-oriented investment opportunities across the capital markets

Clear Thinking Group LLC announced today that Gennady Spivak has joined the firm as a Managing Director.  Mr. Spivak is an accomplished professional with a proven record in bankruptcy and insolvency, financial analysis, forensic accounting, fraud investigation, litigation support and wind down management.

Prior to joining Clear Thinking Group, Mr. Spivak was a Senior Manager in the Corporate Recovery & Litigation Services practice of a major accounting firm where he specialized in the fields of bankruptcy and insolvency, creditors’ rights and litigation support.

(Editor's Note: A member of SFNet’s Advocacy Committee, Brett Garver of Moritt Hock & Hamroff LLP, has provided this alert pertaining to CFPB Section 1071, which could prove to be unduly burdensome to the vast majority of small and mid-sized finance companies that provide credit to small businesses. If you have any questions or comments, please contact Michele Ocejo at mocejo@sfnet.com.)

CIT, a division of First Citizens Bank, today announced that it is launching a new lending and leasing vertical focused on financing fleet golf cars, turf (grounds care) equipment, utility vehicles and similar equipment.

Golf & Turf is part of CIT’s Business Capital group, which is already a national leader in equipment financing solutions for small and mid-size businesses across a wide range of market sectors, including technology, office imaging, printing, construction, industrial and many others.

Monroe Capital LLC today announced it acted as sole lead arranger and administrative agent on the funding of a $120 million senior credit facility to support the recapitalization of an infusion therapy business by a private equity sponsor.

The company is a provider of home and alternate-site infusion therapy and complex specialty pharmacy solutions to patients. 

Gen Merritt-Parikh is the president of Haversine Funding, a leading financing provider to specialty finance companies, including asset-based lenders, factors, purchase order, equipment and inventory lenders. With more than 25 years of experience in commercial finance, she joined Haversine Funding in August 2020, responsible for origination, underwriting, investment analysis and management and asset allocation strategy for Haversine Funding.

In 2018, as president of Allied Affiliated Funding, she led the company to a successful sale through a nationally chartered bank where she continued to manage that line of business for the bank. Merritt-Parikh holds a bachelor of arts degree in business and economics from the University of Texas at Dallas.

TAB Bank is pleased to announce it has finalized the acquisition of BAMFi’s $46 million BAM Capital Division.  This is TAB Bank’s fourth successful completed acquisition of a working capital loan portfolio.  As part of the acquisition TAB will retain the operations and staff at BAM’s office in Dallas, TX. BAMFi, a leading provider of software for the secured lending industry, will continue to own FactorCloud™, its proprietary, all-in-one, cloud-based secured lending software solution.