All articles by Fred Crawley
Fred Crawley
Growth of the in-house leasing programme
In every sector, the trade press is filled with articles explaining leasing to first-timers, as manufacturers set up own-book leasing programmes or small-scale vendor programmes. Take veterinary scanning technology manufacturer BCF Technology, which last month set up an in-house leasing scheme for three of its products: the MicroMaxx and DP6600 ultrasound scanners, and a KodakCarestream digital radiography system.
Transport and construction equipment finance: two sectors in the doldrums
Drops in freight volumes connected to GDP decline have caused a demand crash that has played havoc with residual values, while postponed investments from customers have dented new business volumes across the continent.
Opportunities abound for lessors in the trade supply channel
Asset management firm Acqsys is behind a leasing scheme aimed at improving working capital
Why an operator can reduce lessor tax burdens
Historically, the UKs HM Revenue & Customs has deemed plant hire companies which offer equipment without operators to be leasing companies But with 40 percent FYA announced in this years Budget, where does the plant hire sector stand in terms of eligibility?
Building bridges
Fred Crawley discovers that Barclays Asset & Sales Finance has responded to the economic crisis by some internal reorganisation and getting closer to its parent. Although Barclays Asset & Sales Finance (BA&SF) is keen to remain relatively quiet in the run up to its parents half-yearly results which are due to be published on 3 August, it is clear that the asset finance arm of the UK banking giant remains active and keen to develop its strategic response to a challenging market. Speaking to Alex Brown, who heads up the Asset Finance division of BA&SF, it becomes clear that a central element to strategy in the coming months will be a much more integrated, joined-up approach to business alongside colleagues at Barclays Commercial Bank (BCB).
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Ruffler-Base merger creates dream team
Ruffler Bank, which was recently acquired by private equity firm AnaCap, has merged with Base Commercial Mortgages, the specialist commercial mortgage lender, and rebranded as Aldermore resulting in a well-capitalised, recently established commercial lender which seems to have the potential to become much greater than the sum of its parts.
Ghost of its former self
Despite Poland being one of only two European economies to report growth over the years first quarter (at 0.4 percent), results from the countrys leasing association suggest the countrys formerly booming leasing industry is still in extremely difficult circumstances
One to watch – Medialease
The entertainment media industry is volatile, seasonal, highly international and geared towards high-cost, often unique, and rapidly outdated equipment. With the ebb and flow of the business so far removed from the experience of most risk desks, media finance is a potentially nightmarish world
What Wyse meant to CHG
The acquisition of IT brokerage Wyse Leasing by the UK arm of CHG-Meridian last month has changed the tone of the M&A market, representing the first instance in a long while of a finance provider strategically purchasing a channel to market. Talking to Tricia Bolton, who heads the British operations of the independent German IT lessor, it becomes clear that this was no opportunistic pick-up of a cheap book, but a calculated move into the UK SME sector, predicated by a desire to absorb elements of Wyses sales strategy. A principal reason for the purchase was that CHG, which specialises in lease finance and asset management offerings for large corporate and public sector clients, wanted to enhance the channel partnerships part of its business
Avaya Financial Services launches deferred payment plan
CIT-owned Avaya Financial Services (AFS) has launched a Europe-wide payment deferral programme for businesses purchasing Avaya call centre equipment, in a bid to tackle investment deferral by recession-hit customers. Under the new scheme, companies making orders comprising at least 70 percent Avaya products and services before 25 September will be able to make their first payments in January 2010.