Grant Street Group at AGLF Spring Conference

Perhaps the last standing aggregate “funders” has entered the municipal

leasing field with Lehigh Municipal Leasing. They presented their website,

www.grantstreet.com and ”Muni Auction” to the Association of Equipment Leasing and Finance ( AGLF )Spring Conference in Las Vegas Wednesday,

May 14.

The company has been in the municipal bond business on the internet since

1997, completing $4 trillion dollars to date in business as a “transaction

medium” working with financial advisors and issuers of bonds, according to

William K.Haskins, Chief Financial Officer.

Many of the recent transaction have been as low as $90,000 for school districts

and upwards of $300 million for municipal projects. They bring the “financial

advisor” together with the issuer of bonds in an “on line” bidding basis. The

final aspects of the transactions are completed off line, he explained.

“For Lehigh, they can win a transaction, then go ‘on line’ to find

a group of investors who will fund at the best rate for Lehigh, “ he said. “ We

are bringing this platform to the leasing industry with auction hosting and

administration, marketing support, training, private labeling, plus if required,

clearance and settlement through Grant Street Securities ( a wholly owned subsidiary.)”

This is Grant Streets first venture into the leasing community. Their handout

includes many other services including CD’s, Flex Repos/debt exchange/securities/swaps, yield auction working with “broker-dealers/financial advisors” and government agencies plus financial institutions.

Their flyer lists major agencies such as Freddie Mac, TVA, FHLB, plus state and local treasurers, financial institutions such as Deutsche Bank, Mellon Financial, Wilmington Trust, Fleet, and many Financial Advisors.

Leasing News will write a more detailed story about this company in a future

issue. If you care to reach Mr. Haskins, please wait until next week and e-mail

him at: bill@grantstreet.com