All articles by Antonio Fabrizio
Antonio Fabrizio
Mega opportunity?
Some commercial vehicle lessors are rubbing their hands with glee as the EC talks about allowing heavier and longer trucks on European roads. The current discussion follows a debate started over 13 years ago when an EC directive established that road vehicles in international traffic could not exceed 18.25 metres in length and 40 tonnes in weight.
Sword Apak signs pan-Europe deal
De Lage Landen has chosen Sword Apaks wholesale finance system, WFS, to implement its commercial finance technology operations throughout Europe
German SME lender Albis buys German bank
German lessor Albis Leasing has agreed to acquire a minority stake of 48.8 percent in Essen-based Gallinat Bank, with the option to purchase the remaining shares later As part of the transaction, Albis HiTec Leasing, a subsidiary of Albis Group, will also completely acquire Gallinat Leasing from Gallinat Bank once the agreement is finalised.
The march continues
UniCredit Leasing surprised many observers last year when it managed to merge all of its disparate leasing companies under one umbrella
Country reports – Turkey
New business at countrys biggest lessor, Garanti Leasing, down 40% because of economic downturn Figures recently published by FiDER, the Turkish leasing association, reveal new business fell by 74 percent in the first six months of 2009
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Country reports – Italy
Experts predict that new volumes in Italian leasing will be an extraordinary 20 billion less this year than they were in 2007 the boom year of Italian leasing
CSG renews JV with telecoms giant Mitel Networks
UK lessor Capital Solution Group (CSG) Lease has renewed a vendor programme it began last year with the UK arm of Mitel Networks, a Canadian-headquartered telecoms manufacturer. CSG Lease initially won the account in 2008 to fund Mitels managed service contracts in the UK. CSG Lease currently works with around 50 of the manufacturers channel partners, providing training and ongoing negotiation support with their customers and ultimately financing the contracts.
Adding out-source to the party
Without this a lessor can make huge losses both in the good times, when a lessor is writing lots of new business, and in the bad, when it is forced to partially or totally divest itself of its leasing activities.
DLL upgrades mobile technology
Following the success of its mobile phone technology in the UK, De Lage Landen now has plans to start using it across Europe Already launched in UK, Germany and Italy, over the next 12 months this will expand to include France, Belgium and Spain, enabling DLL to use its mobile phone technology throughout all the key sectors that it currently services The company rolled out a basic in-house version of the software in 2005 in partnership with McCormick Financial Services specifically for UK farmers
Rating agencies upgrade Banca Italease ratings
Two rating agencies have recently upgraded Italys Banca Italease rating following a review for possible upgrade started earlier this year. Rating agency Moodys, following the completion of a public tender offer promoted by the lessors main shareholder Banco Popolare, has upgraded the Italian lessors long and short-term ratings, from Ba1 to Baa3 and from Not Prime to Prime-3.