All articles by Fred Crawley
Fred Crawley
Microlease ramps-up VF deal with Agilent
New deal should help Microlease achieve annual turnover target of £30 million.
Making the right choice
With rising levels of impairment and insolvency making risk the dominant force in leasing strategy over the past two years, how are European lessors ensuring the right decisions are being made at national subsidiaries?
Time for a makeover
Leasing is undergoing a sea change as the giants of asset finance integrate factoring and invoice discounting.
Outright purchase gains ground in Middle East
The influx of used European construction equipment to the Middle East has presented leasing companies in the region with a sales challenge, as pre-owned plant prices have sunk low enough to make outright purchase attractive to companies even cash-poor ones anticipating an industry upturn.
Top European lessors vie for Microsoft vendor contracts
BNP Paribas Lease Group, Key Equipment Finance International and SG Equipment Finance are understood to be in negotiations with software giant Microsoft over its Microsoft Financing programme. Meanwhile, there is uncertainty over the future role of De Lage Landen (DLL) in the vendor finance programme, which is believed to involve around 500 million of software lease agreements
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Lombard U-turn saves Lancashire Tea
RBS Subsidiary Lombard has reversed a decision to sell plant held by insolvent tea producer Lancashire Tea, allowing for the possible revival of the business by new investors
Estonian leasing sees growth at last
The Estonian Leasing Association has reported that new business written by members during October was up nearly seven percent, from 22 million to 23.5 million, showing signs of recovery in the Baltic states leasing market Finance Leasing made up 60 percent of this new business, and operating leasing just 32 percent: a marked change from the national portfolios makeup of 50 percent finance lease and 41 percent operating lease.
Quartz Finance to enter aviation and marine markets
Vendor finance specialist Quartz Finance is moving into the corporate aviation and leisure marine markets, hiring Ian Jackson to develop the business in this area Quartz director Graham Wall, whose company transacts 40 percent of its business outside the UK, says he hopes to create vendor partnerships and possible public sector work in the aviation market.
Expansion on all fronts
Fred Crawley reports that corporate finance and exotic assets are at the top of Norton Folgates agenda
VT predicts more public sector fleet outsourcing in 2010
Service provision company and former warship builder VT plc has predicted a boom in public sector outsourcing in line with drastic public spending cuts next year, and says that fleet leasing will be part of the solution.