Oil & Gas
A major UK supplier tendered for a contract with one of the world's largest oil companies to provide support facilities for oil and gas exploration in the North Sea. The tender included the supply of five well-head 'workover' systems manufactured by the company. By structuring the sale on a rental basis, the supplier was able to meet the budgeted costings required under the tender but also record the full profit of the sale in that year.
Shipping
One of the UK's largest Facilities Management Group won a five year contract with the Ministry of Defence for support services to the UK naval fleet
The tender included acquisition and management of 189 vessels.
Five further vessels were required for the contract and the acquisition had to be completed within in 7 weeks and accommodate a validated 'off balance sheet' structure. We purchased the vessels and underwrote an 'Operating Lease - Charter by Demise'.
Specialist Vehicles
Our client converts luxury cars into armoured vehicles and customers include heads of State, Royal Families and Diplomats etc.
They developed a specialist range of armoured passenger vehicles to meet the needs of News Agencies, Security Forces and Police. We established a dedicated 'Captive' finance company in order that they could offer a financing alternative to cash sales and lease transactions have been completed with the MOD, Metropolitan Police and ABC News.
Technology
A leading supplier of broadband services had identified Banks and Government Departments as ideal targets for lease and rental.
We established a dedicated captive financing arm and within one year had a built up potential deal log in excess of £40 million of potential lease transactions. Leases were completed with a number of well known UK institutions before the supplier was acquired by one of Britain's largest utility companies. Our facility is now managed 'in house' by the new parent.
A small but well respected print company based in Hertfordshire needed to purchase a new Heidelberg, six colour printing press for c £1.2m.
With the help of our funding relationships and a buy back from Heidelberg we were able to secure a six year hire purchase facility, plus VAT deferment for three months as well as a repayment holiday for the first three months. This structure helped the company to manage its cash flow as well as give it the time to make sure the machine was performing to its full potential, before having to make any repayments.
Commercial Vehicles
We arranged a £15m funding line for a UK plc operating in the bus, coach and mechanical handling sector to finance the purchase and hire on of new stock.
At the time, the company had fully utilised their facilities with their existing funders. We were approached to arrange further facilities, as the client needed to replace old stock.
We approached a number of alternative funders and successfully arranged an initial advance of £5m, increasing to £15m over the following twelve months.
Cars
We were approached by a London based firm of accountants, who had a client wishing to import £8m of prestige German cars from the Far East.
As a team we have unrivalled expertise and contacts and through our contact with a leading Merchant bank, we were able to arrange a facility which enabled the client to import these vehicles in tranches of £1m over a period of eight months.
We faced competition from other rival brokers, but they were unable to facilitate such a transaction.
Helicopters
Our client was preparing for a stock exchange listing. With subsidiary companies across the UK and with regular visits from overseas clients, the company ordered a Twin Squirrel helicopter. The transaction was structured by establishing an SPV charter company, with which the client had priority charter arrangements, and thereby ensuring that the aircraft was 'off balance sheet'.
Corporate Jets
A retired charter pilot wanted to start a charter airline for business users. We sourced a Cessna Citation V and arranged an Aircraft Loan & Mortgage structure to facilitate the purchase.
Logistics
A small but emerging company asked us to help with development capital to fund their expanding empire.
They had a contract with a major international airline. The contract was under re negotiation, and with our assistance a proportion of the payment streams were contracted by promissory notes made out to Merchant House Finance. We were able to discount those notes in the London market and provide our client with circa €500,000. We are now preparing the client for an AIM listing via our sister company ' Merchant Capital.
Yacht Financing
In August 07 we completed our negotiations with Wright International to establish a captive finance arm ' Wright International Marine Finance Ltd . WI have over 800 vessels for sale on their website www.wright-international.com which range from work boats to super yachts to ferries.
The website was viewed by the Chairman of a well known company who was looking to purchase a luxury yacht.
He subsequently negotiated the purchase of a vessel €3.5 million. Although we did not supply the vessel, we were able to negotiate a marine loan and mortgage structure in 5 weeks from start to finish.