All articles by Fred Crawley
Fred Crawley
44% of fleet users to maintain utilisation rate in 2010
Some 44 percent of UK businesses expect to maintain their investment levels in leased vehicle fleets over the next 12 months, according to a report released this month by Global Markets Direct.
Peter Haynes launches new recruitment firm
After six months out of the industry, veteran consultant Peter Haynes has resurfaced in the recruitment market this month, through Peter Haynes Recruitment Services, a brand new firm aimed at the leasing and asset finance sector.
Leasedirect finds £900,000 for vet hospital
Broker Leasedirect Finance has completed a £900,000 (993,400) deal, providing equipment finance for a veterinary hospital based in the West Midlands.
Lombard funds new survey aircraft
APEM Ltd, an environmental consultancy specialising in aerial surveys, has taken delivery of a new £370,000 (408,300) aircraft, funded by RBS asset finance arm Lombard.
SBS: Lombard and Barclays ready to push for recovering marine market
Lombard Marine Finance (LMF) has reported that business written during the first half of this year’s Southampton Boat Show has been double that written during the same period last year – the latest sign that the lower end of the marine finance market may have begun to move again, after bottoming out at the start of the year.
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Ex-Global customer pursued by Universal over 74 month lease
As disputes continue over leases signed for equipment sold by collapsed telecoms provider Global Telecoms & Technology Ltd, lessors are beginning to escalate legal action against Globals ex-customers.
Lease brokers hit less hard than other commercial finance introducers
Although hardly cheering in the wake of business cuts from Lombard and Hitachi Capital, the latest statistics from the NACFBs annual member survey have revealed that the UKs asset finance brokers are faring better than almost all other commercial finance introducers, except for those selling invoice discounting.
International Advisory Associates relaunches
Leasing consultancy International Advisory Associates, originally established in 1998, was officially relaunched on 1 September this year, headed by Derek Soper.
Hitachi Capital the latest to cut loose brokers
Hitachi Capitals Business Finance division in the UK severed the majority of its links with asset finance brokers this week, as part of a business review that will see it concentrate investment on building vendor and manufacturer relationships, particularly in its agricultural line of business.
Commercial finance: the key to future growth?
For leasing subsidiaries sitting alongside other commercial finance units inside a larger family of businesses, a shrewd go-to-market strategy can lead to leveraging other divisions connections to sell more asset finance, while also using leasing relationships as a platform to sell other financial products. Cross-selling is not a new concept, but 2009 seems to be seeing a marked trend for many financial services groups to integrate asset finance sales into a broader strategy aimed at selling a solution rather than products.