In the current market, we are faced with companies and governments requiring the expansion or renovation of their capital intensive assets in various related infrastructure market segments.  Whether expanding manufacturing facilities, implementing new infrastructure capacity or leveraging existing assets for expansion into different regions or market niches, innovative financing is often at the core of long-term projects to transform a company’s strategy.  The ability to transform and execute upon one’s corporate strategy in capital intensive industries (like energy, oil & gas, transportation, government concessions and/or heavy equipment and manufacturing) is dependent upon the access to capital required to deploy existing and new capital assets that are critical to the long term recurring cash flows of a company’s or project sponsor’s(s) operations.

Akin to the underlying transformation in corporate objectives, the challenge with the project finance strategy is that the investment is made upfront while the anticipated benefits of the initiative are realized in the much longer term.  It is imperative to identify and prequalify sources of funds that can thoroughly understand the underlying changes being implemented by the prospective borrower(s) and project sponsor(s), and to achieve a comfort with the future cash flows arising from the collateral package of project investment or captive acquisition. Read the rest of this entry »

If You Want Funding This Year

Several CFO’s have recently asked me “When will the capital markets “return to normal?”  My answer is:  Not this year.  Therefore, if you are a C-level executive that wants to obtain funding for your company, you might consider leveraging your company’s top-line gross revenues with a new form of financing structure from Entrex, Inc., based in Chicago, and Bank of New York/Mellon, and made available to you through your corporate finance investment banker.

The current reality is that talk by traditional banks about low interest rates is not solving your cash flow needs, particularly when stricter lending requirements have reduced the amount of your working capital line or term loan.  Also, selling or giving up equity at a today’s reduced valuations is not attractive, which explains why raising equity capital in the types of private placements typical a few years ago, are not getting done.  As a result, unless your company is distressed (and, therefore, attractive to vulture investors), then you are most likely frustrated with your inability to access capital for growth and recapitalizations.

One attractive and innovative financing solution that middle market companies might consider is obtaining lump sum capital in exchange for giving the investor a monthly fixed percentage Read the rest of this entry »