Independent Perspectives: How Independents Are Shaping The Equipment Finance Industry
Newsline convened three leading independent equipment finance company leaders to share their perspectives on today’s evolving equipment finance market. In this article, participants including Paul Fogle, President of Quality Equipment Finance, Shervin Rashti, Chief Executive Officer of SLIM Capital, and Drew Olynick, Senior Vice President with Taycor Financial discuss shifting customer expectations, increased demand for flexible payment structures, and a growing appetite for customized financing solutions. They highlight how businesses are seeking more adaptable terms to better align financing with cash flow realities. Together, their insights paint a picture of a market that is becoming more responsive and creative, as independent firms adjust strategies to meet changing client needs and navigate ongoing economic uncertainty.
Newsline: As an independent funding source/lessor, please provide our readers with a brief description of your company including years in business, the mix of your company’s business origination channels, as well as y our geographic scope, basic borrower profiles, and the primary asset classes your company finances.
Shervin Rashti: SLIM Capital just celebrated its 10th year in 2026. We originate roughly 60% through TPOs and 40% direct/ vendor financing on a nationwide basis. Our credit profiles range widely, as we have bank line facilities that provide us a lot of latitude to finance transactions that make sense for us. For credit-qualified businesses, we score transactions and offer up to $500,000 for A and B credits on an application-only basis. For tougher transactions, we structure deals and secure collateral, including equipment and real property, to mitigate risks. We found this very effective in helping “rescue” folks who get caught in the MCA wheel. Our flexible credit parameters allow us to be equipment agnostic, depending on the credit profile. We finance everything from software to yellow iron to food trailers and anything in between.
Newsline: How is ongoing economic uncertainty—particularly inflation, interest rate volatility, and geopolitical risk—affecting your customers’ willingness to invest in new equipment, and how are you adjusting your origination strategy in response?
Rashti: Interestingly, we just finished Q1 2026 sharply ahead of Q1 2025, when tariffs were a major unknown for many businesses across all industries and interest rate volatility added significant uncertainty to the cost of funds. That being said, we have seen many of our approved transactions stall out as business owners wait to see what lies ahead. We have found that our generalist approach has aided us in hedging our investments by not relying too heavily on any asset class or industry. From my previous experience managing our subprime long-haul portfolio, I learned that you can’t rely on pricing your way out of risk.
Newsline: How are customer expectations evolving around leasing structures—such as usage-based or flexible payment models—and how is your company adapting its product offerings to meet these expectations?
Rashti: We are finding a renaissance of the lease structure with a full payout residual. Historically, taking residual risk as a lender was not something we liked to do. However, as we have seen the demand increase, we are incorporating more and more of the Term Residual or capped residual options, with flattened lease payments. We have seen a larger demand for our initial touch payment or seasonal structures, which we consider on a case-by-case basis.
Continue to read more from this article: NEFA NEWSLINE MAY/JUNE 2026
