Thousands of financial professionals converged on Las Vegas in February for the annual SFIG Vegas event, providing a perfect opportunity to solicit their opinions on issues affecting the industry. Capital One conducted a survey at the annual conference, and Dave Kucera examines the results with ABF Journal editor Nadine Bonner.
For 30 years, Vermont Aerospace crafted precision machinery for aircraft from its home in the Connecticut River Valley. A spiraling financial downturn combined with the unexpected death of its owner left the company reeling. After VA received the TMA’s 2017 Small Company Turnaround Award, the TMA invited attorney Cathy Reece to moderate a discussion by the turnaround team to learn how this unusual transformation enabled the company to avoid bankruptcy and retain its employees.
The year kicked off with the surprise acquisition of Crestmark Bank by Meta Financial. Jerry Gonzalez provides his illustrated take on the merger.
Losing its business and having to repay its debts can compel a bitter borrower to retaliate against a lender, blaming the lender for its default. Jeffrey Wurst notes the courts do not always favor borrowers, as a recent suit filed against MB Financial Bank demonstrates.
The soaring stock market has resulted in a frothy ABL market with competition at an all-time high and liquidations, outside of retail, at a low. Appraisals from the Big Four firms have held up. Charlie Perer looks into his crystal ball to envision the ABL scenario when the next recession hits.
While lenders carefully scrutinize companies seeking to borrow money, borrowers rarely exercise the same due diligence to screen potential lenders. No one embarks on a business venture planning to fail, but it does happen. Bayard Hollingsworth advises borrowers to investigate the ways lenders handle a deal that goes wrong before accepting other people’s money.
With 30 years in the industry, Hilco Valuation Services has grown by bringing in value-added services. Its newest unit will cover Construction and Transportation Advisory. Bryan Courcier has the hands-on experience to not only develop the business, but to make it an authority.
In 2017, Citizens Bank took an unusual step with its annual M&A Advisory Survey — it polled business decision-makers before and after the election to test the impact. Optimism was high in the post-election survey, and in 2018, it is higher still. Ralph Della Ratta, head of M&A Advisory at Citizens Capital Markets, explains why this is a good time to sell and encourages lenders to push customers towards eager buyers.
Both Bain Capital and Antares Capital have global reputations as investment firms. So there was more than a bit of frisson in the lending world when the two companies announced a joint venture in December. This unique unitranche platform combines the strengths of both companies and provides an unusual opportunity for partnership. Bain Managing Director Michael Ewald and Antares Senior Managing Director Timothy Lyne share their thoughts about the new platform with ABF Journal Editor Nadine Bonner.