COVER STORY
Saving Shawnee Tubing: Oklahoma Lender and Business Community Rally to Save Local Factory - Since 1974, the Wolverine Tube factory cranked out copper tubing for industry and construction use from its Shawnee, OK plant. Last year, the Canadian owners decided to sell the factory, threatening more than 500 Shawnee jobs. Greg Gallman, the plant’s general manager, worked with local investors and bankers, the city’s Economic Redevelopment Foundation and MB Business Capital to save the business and renamed it Shawnee Tubing Solutions.
FEATURES
Innovative Financing: From Mellon & Sons to Alternative Lenders’ Impact on ABL Today - In the face of continuing bank regulation, alternative lending companies are launching to fill in the gaps. ABF Journal contributor Hugh Larratt-Smith examines the types of loans these lenders are providing and shows how ABL lenders can benefit by teaming up with these new players.
Paying the Piper: Acquiring Digital Technology Without Breaking the Bank - As every sector contends with tech-enabled disruption, Mark Solovy discusses the three strategies — buy, build or sell to private equity — that companies can use to acquire new technology at a reasonable cost.
Keeping it Under Control: Robert Radway and NXT Capital Keep a Tight Rein on the Finance Business - Robert Radway worked for some of the largest companies in the commercial finance business including The Finova Group and Heller Financial. He founded Merrill Lynch Capital only to see it sold off to GE Capital after the mortgage crisis hit. Determined to take a different path, he built a team of co-workers from his past employers and started NXT Capital, a small company with a large vision that he could more easily control.
TURNAROUND CORNER
Taking the Road Less Traveled: An Experienced Lender Choreographs a Borrower’s Turnaround - When a distressed company approaches a lender for financing, it usually comes down to a black-and-white decision: Will the company be able to repay the loan or not? In most cases, the lender doesn’t become involved in the turnaround of a borrower. But Robert Miller relates a more nuanced story, showing how a lender can take the road less traveled and provide more than financing to restore a failing company.
SPECIALTY LENDING
Building Community One Bottle at a Time: Live Oak Bank Guides a Craft Brewer from Home to Market - Liz and Curtis Chism began by making beer in their kitchen with a brewing kit. Today, they own Council Brewing, a popular San Diego destination for craft beer lovers. As the Chisms honed their brewing skills, they also gained the financial expertise to turn their hobby into a thriving business. Live Oak Bank provided both financing and business acumen to help them make the transition.
LEGAL LINES
The Emergence of Financial Documents in E-Commerce - Spurred by the rapid growth of e-commerce and online lending, e-signatures and e-documents are becoming an essential part of business. However, both terms remain loosely defined in a legal sense. Paul Shur examines the regulations and case law that govern their use.
FINAL CUT
Signature Bank Q2 Earnings Suffer On Taxi Medallion Loan Losses - Ride hailing services like Uber and Lyft have put a dent in the taxi medallion business. Cartoonist Jerry Gonzalez illustrates Signature Bank’s uphill struggle to deal with those loan losses.