Equipment finance, technology outlook with The Alta Group leadership

Johnnie Martinez
0 minutes 5 seconds0:05

Johnnie Martinez 0 minutes 5 seconds

On today's episode of the Dig, I am joined by three members of the altar group and I will let the three of them introduce themselves.

Johnnie Martinez 0 minutes 14 seconds

Well, if you'd start us.

VG

Valerie L. Gerard
0 minutes 15 seconds0:15

Valerie L. Gerard 0 minutes 15 seconds

Sure. Thanks, Johnnie.

Valerie L. Gerard 0 minutes 16 seconds

I'm Valerie Gerard Co, CEO of the Ulta Group and I lead the largest practice within Ulta that's focused on providing general consulting and advisory services. And you know it might make sense for me just to spend a second to introduce the Alta group, to your listeners who aren.

Valerie L. Gerard 0 minutes 32 seconds

Familiar with us, we have been around for 30 years.

Valerie L. Gerard 0 minutes 37 seconds

We are the undisputed leader when it comes to providing advisory services.

Valerie L. Gerard 0 minutes 42 seconds

On a global basis to the equipment leasing and finance.

Valerie L. Gerard 0 minutes 45 seconds

Industry, we are exclusively focused on equipment finance and leasing.

Valerie L. Gerard 0 minutes 50 seconds

We're not distracted by mortgages or consumer autos. It's just the core equipment leasing business and anything that a client would have in terms of a need, we do it.

Valerie L. Gerard 1 minute 3 seconds

So that could be assisting them with some growth initiatives, entering new markets, becoming more efficient in what they do.

Valerie L. Gerard 1 minute 11 seconds

We have a lot of competitive intelligence, market intelligence work we.

Jim Jackson 21 minutes 28 seconds

So I would imagine that's that's going to be another leg in the stool that people will consider as we go forward.

Jim Jackson 21 minutes 34 seconds

It's just still a bit at the infancy stage right now, so it's it's it's a consideration, but I wouldn't say it's a major factor just yet.

Johnnie Martinez
21 minutes 46 seconds21:46

Johnnie Martinez 21 minutes 46 seconds

Hey, understood. And as we we sort of get into the end of this, I know this report is so comprehensive and touches on so many different things that we could discuss. But I want to be valuable with with your time and obviously the listeners time if we could.

Johnnie Martinez 22 minutes

Go through and kind of some some key takeaways, distillation, maybe one or two from each of you of things that you know sections in the report.

Johnnie Martinez 22 minutes 8 seconds

Key things that you learn while putting it together that the reader should be aware of and you know they can.

Johnnie Martinez 22 minutes 13 seconds

They can go in and look at the the report themselves.

Johnnie Martinez 22 minutes 15 seconds

Of them trying to get the the more macro view of it.

Johnnie Martinez 22 minutes 21 seconds

Wait a few would start.

RR

Rick Remiker
22 minutes 24 seconds22:24

Rick Remiker 22 minutes 24 seconds

Well, I would start with, you know, watch for the continued reemergence of Banks re entering the space. More than likely with a little more pricing discipline and probably a little more measured balance sheet growth focused predominantly on customers.

Rick Remiker 22 minutes 43 seconds

So I don't think that it's an end to the glory days of of independence and captives, but I think you'll see 2025.

Rick Remiker 22 minutes 51 seconds

The banks will come back, particularly the regional banks will come back.

Rick Remiker 22 minutes 54 seconds

Back in a much stronger fashion.

JJ

Jim Jackson
22 minutes 59 seconds22:59

Jim Jackson 22 minutes 59 seconds

Yeah, Johnny, I'd say from my standpoint on the M and a market, you know we're expecting a strong M and a market.

Jim Jackson 23 minutes 5 seconds

I think there's a lot of things in our favor.

Jim Jackson 23 minutes 7 seconds

The caution again is keep an eye on the interest rates.

Jim Jackson 23 minutes 11 seconds

Let's see what the Fed does.

Jim Jackson 23 minutes 12 seconds

Let's hope we can continue on our course to have a soft landing and the interest rates behave so that we can continue to see some progress in the M and a front in 25.

VG

Valerie L. Gerard
23 minutes 25 seconds23:25

Valerie L. Gerard 23 minutes 25 seconds

And I would just throw in one cautionary note.

Valerie L. Gerard 23 minutes 28 seconds

You know the industry has benefited from some very strong credit quality over the last handful of years and I think it's just time now where we're starting to see potentially some stress on portfolio.

Valerie L. Gerard 23 minutes 40 seconds

So keep a watchful eye.

Valerie L. Gerard 23 minutes 42 seconds

We're not concerned that there's going to be any big credit crunch or crisis out there, but just start to just start to pay a little more attention on the credit book.

Johnnie Martinez
23 minutes 53 seconds23:53

Johnnie Martinez 23 minutes 53 seconds

Caviano that that all makes a bunch of sense.

Johnnie Martinez 23 minutes 55 seconds

And you have so much of it is, you know, you can do the due diligence on the front end.

Johnnie Martinez 23 minutes 58 seconds

It's less problems on the back end.

RR

Rick Remiker
24 minutes 1 second24:01

Rick Remiker 24 minutes 1 second

Absolutely.

VG

Valerie L. Gerard
24 minutes 1 second24:01

Valerie L. Gerard 24 minutes 1 second

There you go.

Johnnie Martinez
24 minutes 3 seconds24:03

Johnnie Martinez 24 minutes 3 seconds

Alright. Well, with that all in mind, I would just say if is there anything else that our listeners should know about the report or the Alta group and then obviously they can read the the reporting itself and but anything else in particular that stands out that we should.

Johnnie Martinez 24 minutes 18 seconds

Discuss at this moment.

RR

Rick Remiker
24 minutes 22 seconds24:22

Rick Remiker 24 minutes 22 seconds

Again, go to thealtagroup.com and pull down the 2025 Alta Group Insights report.

Rick Remiker 24 minutes 26 seconds

I think it'll be a excellent 5-10 minute read.

Johnnie Martinez
24 minutes 32 seconds24:32

Johnnie Martinez 24 minutes 32 seconds

Alright, well, I thank all three of you for Jim.

Johnnie Martinez 24 minutes 35 seconds

Are you gonna add something? Sorry.

JJ

Jim Jackson
24 minutes 37 seconds24:37

Jim Jackson 24 minutes 37 seconds

No, I was just going to also say and once once you go to the website and pull down the report and read it, obviously if you have questions about the report, you know, I'd encourage everyone. Our contact information is out on the website.

Johnnie Martinez
24 minutes 40 seconds24:40

Johnnie Martinez 24 minutes 40 seconds

Hmm.

JJ

Jim Jackson
24 minutes 47 seconds24:47

Jim Jackson 24 minutes 47 seconds

Feel free to call Valerie or Rick or myself.

Jim Jackson 24 minutes 50 seconds

We'll be happy to explain anything that maybe isn't quite clear or expand on any of the discussi...