Leaders from six independent equipment finance companies joined Monitor for a roundtable discussion on one question: What does it mean to be an independent? They discuss the innovative nature of these entrepreneurs, their ability to specialize and their freedom when it comes to structuring deals and accessing capital.
When I met with the guest editors of this issue, we decided to do something different for our independent’s roundtable this year. We asked several leaders from top private independent companies one question: What does it mean to be an independent?
Mike Rooney, CEO of Verdant Commercial Capital, says trying to categorize all independents into one bucket is a mistake. “What’s interesting about independents is just how unique our businesses are,” he says. “Some independents focus on large-ticket transactions starting at $5 million dollars and go up from there. Others focus on micro-ticket financing, averaging less than $50,000 per transaction. Another niche for independents is marketing directly to high credit quality end-users, and some will even further segment that focus into FMV structures alone.”