SLR Equipment Finance

What SLR Equipment Finance does

SLR Equipment Finance is a privately held, middle-market equipment finance company headquartered at 40 Danbury Road, Wilton, Connecticut. Founded in September 2010 (originally as Nations Equipment Finance and rebranded to SLR Equipment Finance on February 25, 2021), the company originates equipment lease and secured term loan transactions sized between $1 million and $50 million for borrowers throughout the United States and Canada. Industry verticals explicitly targeted are Construction, Manufacturing & Industrial, Industrial Forklifts, and Waste & Recycling, with secondary exposure to Marine and Mining. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of SLR Investment Corp (formerly Solar Capital Ltd) and operates within the broader SLR Capital Partners platform of affiliated lenders.

The company's product set is built around six structures: Capital Lease / Finance Lease, True Lease / Tax Lease, Sale and Leaseback, Equipment Revolver (a borrowing-base revolving facility), Term Loan / Equipment Loan, and TRAC or Split TRAC Lease (a tax-oriented residual-sharing vehicle for motor vehicles and trailers). Collateral coverage spans cranes and heavy-lifting equipment, CNC machining centers, refuse and recycling systems, marine vessels including tug boats and barges, aviation fuel tanks, motor coaches, and forklifts. Recent disclosed transactions illustrate this range, including a $7.7 million true lease for cranes over 84 months, $3.6 million for manufacturing equipment over 49 months, $29.7 million of marine vessel financing, and $15 million for motor coaches. The technology stack is described as an internal platform supporting multi-billion-dollar originated portfolios; no proprietary AI, automation, or external platform integrations are disclosed.

SLR Equipment Finance runs a direct, sales-led model with two SVPs of Direct Sales, dedicated risk leadership (CRO plus SVP Risk Portfolio Management and VP Risk), and supporting documentation and asset management teams — totaling 17 named team members. There are no third-party broker or reseller channels; pricing is quote-based and tied to creditworthiness, equipment type, and structure, with terms typically running 30 to 84 months. The company's competitive positioning rests on parent balance-sheet capacity ($1MM-$50MM per transaction), streamlined legal documentation, and management's collective decades of equipment leasing experience. No revenue, net spread, managed-asset balance, or portfolio-yield figures are publicly disclosed.

Name

SLR Equipment Finance

Legal name

SLR Equipment Finance

Website

https://slrequipmentfinance.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SLR Equipment Finance is a privately held, middle-market equipment lease and term loan provider serving U.S. and Canadian companies with $1MM-$50MM transactions across construction, manufacturing, waste & recycling, marine, aviation, and mining industries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Equipment Finance / Leasing

NAICS

Construction, Transportation, Mining, and Forestry Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing (53241), Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing (5324)

SIC

Finance Lessors (6172), Services-Equipment Rental & Leasing, Nec (7359)

akta.pro primary industry

Leasing & Lease Buyout Financing (FSAKADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Equipment Financing / Leasing (Venture-backed) (FSANAIAE), Earthmoving & Excavation Equipment Rental/Leasing (TLABAFAA)

Keywords

• Equipment leasing
• Commercial finance
• Term loan financing
• Sale leaseback
• Middle market lending

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Equipment Lease Revenue: Revenue generated from various types of equipment leases including Capital Leases, True/Tax Leases, Sale and Leasebacks, Equipment Revolvers, and TRAC or Split TRAC Leases. Transactions typically range from $1MM to $50MM.
2. Equipment Loan / Term Loan Revenue: Revenue from secured term loans where transactions are collateralized by equipment. Borrowers make monthly interest and principal payments, with principal typically repaid in full by the end of the term.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SLR Equipment Finance provides equipment lease and term loan financing to middle market companies in the U.S. and Canada, with six distinct structures: Capital Lease/Finance Lease, True Lease/Tax Lease, Sale and Leaseback, Equipment Revolver, Term Loan/Equipment Loan, and TRAC/Split TRAC Lease. Per-transaction funding capacity ranges from $1MM to $50MM, supported by the balance sheet of parent company SLR Investment Corp. The company serves industries including construction, manufacturing, marine, mining, waste & recycling, and industrial forklifts.

Product overview

SLR Equipment Finance is an independent equipment finance company offering six distinct lease and loan products: Capital Lease/Finance Lease, True Lease/Tax Lease, Sale and Leaseback, Equipment Revolver, Term Loan/Equipment Loan, and TRAC/Split TRAC Lease. The company focuses on middle-market companies throughout the U.S. and Canada, providing creative financing solutions ranging from $1MM to $50MM per transaction. Funding capacity is backed by parent company SLR Investment Corp. Industries served include Construction, Manufacturing, Marine, Mining, Waste & Recycling, and Industrial Forklifts. Transaction sizes range from $762,656 to $40 million across various equipment types including cranes, construction equipment, CNC machines, aircraft, marine vessels, and refuse trucks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Capital Lease / Finance Lease A Capital Lease / Finance Lease is a contract where the lessor gives the lessee exclusive right to use equipment for a specified period, typically with a $1 purchase option at end of lease. Qualifies as a Capital Lease if the lease life is 75%+ of asset's useful life, contains a below-market purchase agreement, the lessee gains ownership, or present value of payments exceeds 90% of market value. Targeted at middle market companies acquiring capital equipment.
• True Lease / Tax Lease A contract where the lessor gives the lessee exclusive right to use and possess equipment for a specified period with monthly rental payments. At end of term, the lessee can return, release, or purchase the equipment. The lessor is treated as the owner for federal tax purposes and takes related tax benefits. Targeted at middle market companies seeking tax-efficient equipment use without balance-sheet ownership.
• Sale and Leaseback Occurs when the owner of equipment sells the equipment to SLR Equipment Finance and then leases the same equipment back. The seller becomes the lessee and SLR becomes the lessor. Typically structured as True or Tax Leases where the lessor is treated as the owner for federal tax purposes. Enables middle market companies to unlock liquidity from owned equipment while continuing to use it.
• Equipment Revolver Similar to a revolving credit facility but uses a borrowing-base formula based on equipment value to determine maximum loan amount. The company can draw funds for working capital or capital expenditure needs. The borrowing base is recalculated monthly and at time of each advance. Designed for middle market companies needing flexible, ongoing equipment-backed liquidity.
• Term Loan / Equipment Loan Secured financing where the transaction is collateralized by equipment the company owns or plans to purchase. Requires monthly interest and principal payments with the principal balance repaid in full by end of term. The borrower retains ownership while the lender has a security interest in the equipment for the life of the transaction. Used by middle market companies purchasing or refinancing equipment.
• TRAC or Split TRAC Lease Tax-oriented lease of qualified motor vehicles and trailers permitting adjustment of rentals according to sale proceeds of leased equipment. The lessee and lessor agree on an estimated residual value (TRAC amount), which creates an inverse relationship with monthly payments. The lessee shares in residual sales value. Split-TRAC limits the lessee's potential lease-end exposure to a portion of the estimated residual. Targeted at transportation, trucking, and trailer/equipment operators.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $2 billion in equipment lease and secured term loan transactions originated since 2010
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• CFA InstituteminorOthersProfessional association membership displayed on the company's Memberships/Affiliations page.
• Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA)minorOthersIndustry association membership in the equipment leasing and finance industry's primary trade association.
• National Business Aviation Association (NBAA)minorOthersIndustry association membership relevant to aviation equipment financing services.
• American Association of Commercial Finance Brokers (AACFB)minorOthersIndustry association membership for commercial finance brokers.
• Associated Equipment Distributors (AED)minorOthersIndustry association membership for equipment distributors.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Wells Fargo Equipment Finance: Major U.S. bank equipment finance division offering leases, loans, and vendor financing across virtually every equipment category. Overlaps SLR on deal size and verticals but competes with the backing of a top-5 U.S. bank balance sheet.
• Farm Credit Leasing (CoBank): Equipment leasing arm of the Farm Credit System serving agriculture, rural infrastructure, and adjacent equipment-heavy industries. Overlaps with SLR in heavy equipment and middle-market transactions but benefits from GSE-like funding advantages.
• CIT Equipment Finance (First Citizens Bank): Large bank-owned equipment finance platform within First Citizens Bank offering equipment loans and leases across many verticals. Comparable product set and verticals, but operates at much larger scale as part of a diversified commercial bank.

Direct peers

• Marlin Leasing / Marlin Business Services: Middle-market equipment leasing platform offering leases and loans for commercial equipment. Directly comparable on transaction size, target customer (small-to-mid cap businesses), and equipment-focused business model.
• Currency Capital: Digital equipment financing marketplace offering leases and loans typically $5K-$5MM to small and mid-sized businesses. Comparable as an equipment-finance specialist targeting the lower end of the middle-market ticket spectrum.
• GreatAmerica Financial Services Corporation: Independent equipment finance company focused on middle-market commercial equipment leasing. Directly comparable to SLR in target market (middle-market U.S. businesses), product breadth (multiple lease structures), and vertical diversification (manufacturing, construction, technology).
• North Star Leasing: Independent equipment leasing company providing capital and FMV leases to mid-market businesses across multiple equipment types. Comparable product set and middle-market focus, although typically smaller ticket sizes.
• Balboa Capital: Direct lender offering equipment leasing and financing to small and middle-market businesses, including construction, manufacturing, and transportation equipment. Comparable customer segment, equipment focus, and product set (capital leases, TRAC leases, equipment loans).
• NFS Leasing: Independent equipment lessor focused on commercial equipment leases typically $250K-$5MM+. Directly comparable niche-focused, vendor-program-driven model serving middle-market equipment buyers with similar capital-lease and FMV-lease structures.

Regional players

• Hanmi Bank Equipment Finance: Equipment finance division of Hanmi Bank serving Korean-American and broader small/mid-market businesses with equipment loans and leases. Comparable product offering but with a regional customer concentration that differentiates it from SLR's broader U.S./Canada footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nationsef
• Facebookfacebook.com/SLREQF
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/slr-equipment-finance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SLR Equipment Finance