tsl profile big shoulders CApi TAl n and learning about struggling compa- nies. They love putting their capital to work to achieve growth for fundamen- tally good companies. “Being out there on the frontlines and interacting with different companies all the time has built a deep database
of knowledge and relationships that we
can lean on,” DiBenedetto said. “If we
get into some unique industries, we then
have relationships of experts and spe-
cialists within each industry. For us, it’s
all about going into these deals open-
minded, with a clean sheet of paper.”
“We’re on a growth path,” said Peter-
son. “We don’t hire people who are not
passionate about helping our clients. It’s
a real central component of our culture
and that translates into creating this
increasingly large, high-quality loan and
lease portfolio.”
Looking ahead, Big Shoulders Capital
will continue to focus much of its effort
and energy on developing new relation-
ships.
“The entrepreneurial spirit is always a
part of our effort, and so it’s our willingness to take risk in conjunction with
our understanding of the bankruptcy or
distress processes. As a joint venture culture, it’s all about meeting new people
who have expertise or experience in an
industry that we don’t and exploring
other ways where we can maintain a
competitive advantage. It’s the excitement of not doing the same old thing
day after day,” DiBenedetto added. TSL
Elieen Wubbe is senior editor of The
Secured Lender.
extensive experience in the distress
world, from bankruptcies and foreclo-
sure, and we’re comfortable funding
into non-bankable or unconventional
transactions. We initiate and originate
new loans and, because of the nature of
the world we live and breathe in, acquir-
ing existing debt sometimes is a quicker
way for us to join.”
Peterson describes Big Shoulders
Capital as built for speed with an under-
writing team that moves with alacrity.
“Having our own plane allows us
to get out and see assets faster than
anyone in the industry,” she said. “Our
experience and knowledge allows us
to craft innovative solutions that the
competition wouldn’t come up with.
Todd and I have different experiences
that complement each other,” Peterson
explained. “I’ve done a lot of financing
earlier in my career, albeit in the Fortune
100 world. Bringing that structure,
process and expertise to a very fun and
entrepreneurial undertaking was attrac-
tive to me personally.”
DiBenedetto has more than 20 years’
experience in family business, manufac-
turing and transportation, which helps
in finding value which a typical lender,
relying on a third-party appraisal firm,
may not see.
“We’re also experienced in develop-
ing a unique hybrid approach where we
may be a lender for a percentage of the
deal and then an asset buyer for surplus
equipment or facilities that are unde-
rutilized,” DiBenedetto said. “We can
quiet the noise of multiple lenders and
maybe a bankruptcy or a foreclosure
process and give the transitioning busi-
ness some breathing room to restruc-
ture and right-size the company. We’re
really patient in that regard and those
are the types of deals where we really
thrive.”
Peterson and DiBenedetto credit Big
Shoulders’ relationship-driven culture
to helping put different pieces together
amed after Carl Sandberg’s
1914 Chicago poem, Big
Shoulders Capital prides
itself on its heritage and
expertise in machinery and
equipment financing and
understanding commercial
and industrial assets. The
company underwent a
rebranding in fall 2014 from
Revere Finance to become
Big Shoulders Capital to
reflect its Midwestern roots,
strengths and values.
Big Shoulders Capital originates asset-based loans and leases ranging from
$500,000 to $15 million to small and
middle-market companies in the U.S.,
across a range of manufacturing industries. The company also buys loans in
the secondary marketplace.
“We are executing a vision to build
an asset-based funding company for
the long term,” said Alice Peterson, chief
operating officer, Big Shoulders Capital.
“With this focus on building a great com-
pany and making the requisite invest-
ment to grow it properly, we wanted a
memorable name and one that reflected
who we are.”
“The catalyst that brought us here
is the deep history that our founding
group has in the industrial machinery
and equipment, manufacturing and
transportation sectors, and our roots in
understanding these assets and compa-
nies,” said Todd DiBenedetto, presi-
dent, Big Shoulders Capital. “We have
