In today’s message:

  • Fancy financial footwork
  • Some humour…
  • Helping you and your clients buy or sell equipment

Fancy finance footwork

The last couple of weeks have been busy here at Aquilian, what with bringing on several new clients who needed some customized financing. Here are a few of them:

A manufacturer of large format digital printers asked us to finance a purchase by a customer who couldn’t cover the $300,000+ price tag. The manufacturer made the sale by offering a choice of 3 different monthly payment plans, all of which are more manageable than the full price payable delivery. The manufacturer will get the full purchase price (no haggling, no discounts) as soon as the customer accepts delivery.

An accountant referred to us her client who had bought several pieces of equipment at an auction, at a total cost of $1.2 million. The client’s bank could not move quickly enough to finance this amount. We approved the lease within 24 hours and they picked up the equipment a few days later.

One fellow recently lost a relative who owned a trucking company and some other businesses. The survivor has been working hard to keep things going while also selling off everything gradually to raise cash for the other beneficiaries of the estate. He came to us looking for a way for him to buy some of the trucking company’s tractors. The problems here were: The units had high mileage, he needed to be able to show the other beneficiaries that he paid Fair Market Value, his own credit score was not the best, and he intended to run the tractors as a “new” owner-operator for another carrier. We arranged a third-party appraisal to determine the Fair Market Value and then approved him for financing. We expect to pay the estate a lot of cash next week, once all the paperwork comes in.

Another owner-operator wanted to buy a reefer (refrigerated) trailer from a carrier owned by his brother. It can be difficult to get financing for a sale between related parties, but we were able to determine that the price was fair, so this one will get paid next week, $32,000.

An engine in Alberta needed replacement. That, along with other repairs, came to a total bill of $22,000. We financed the repair bill over 12 months without any early-payment penalty.

We got called one week before a small fleet took delivery of a new tractor. They asked whether we could get a better price or cut their monthly payments. We did both: We bought an identical unit from another dealer at a lower “wholesale” price ($12,000 less), and then financed it at a full 2% less than the dealer. Please note that the dealer said their rate was the same 7% as ours, but we could prove that the rate they were actually charging was 9%.

A medium-sized carrier called us to raise some cash from their fleet of trailers. They are looking for $550,000. We will get the fleet appraised, then buy just enough of the trailers to raise that amount. The carrier will then have a 3-year term (their choice) to pay off the loan/lease. At the end of the term, they’ll own the trailers outright once again.

Let us know if our fancy financial footwork can help you.


Some humour

Do you remember the late, great George Carlin? Here are few from him:

Ever notice that anyone going slower than you is an idiot, but anyone going faster is a maniac?

Isn’t it a bit unnerving that doctors call what they do “practice”?

What year did Jesus think it was?

In America, anyone can become president. That’s the problem.

Atheism is a non-prophet organization.

I’m always relieved when someone is delivering a eulogy and I realize I’m listening to it.

Why do they lock gas station bathrooms? Are they afraid someone will clean them?

I’m not into working out. My philosophy is no pain, no pain.

Why is it called tourist season if we can’t shoot at them?

Why is the alphabet in that order? Is it because of that song?

You have to stay in shape. My mother started walking five miles a day when she was 60. She’s 97 now and we have no idea where she is.


Need some free financial or non-financial advice? We’re happy to help!

Sometimes it helps to bounce ideas off another person who isn’t so close to your situation.

Call or write any time. It doesn’t matter that you aren’t going become a client. It’s a kind of service to our fellows that we really enjoy and value.

It could be a question of strategy, policies, marketing, professional practice, personal relationships, or how we manage to heat our home with wood from our forest. We like to help. Period.


Helping you and your clients buy or sell equipment

  • Does a client have equipment they’d like to sell, but buyers don’t have enough cash?
  • Does a client want to buy from a private seller who wants only cash?
  • Does your client have an employee who could be an owner-operator or subcontractor, if only they could get financing?
  • Does an owner-operator or subcontractor want to replace equipment or get an additional unit?
  • Is a bank or leasing company saying, “No”?
  • Want to find the lowest rate and best terms for equipment finance?

We can help, at no cost or obligation.


Thanks for taking the time to read this, and have a great weekend.

Aquilian Financial provides loan, leasing, and employee health benefits solutions.

Contact: Email (eric@aquilian.ca)

or phone toll-free: 1.844.252.0524.

Eric Grossman, CPA, CGA  –  Aquilian Financial

“Who is this guy?” 
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