Ability Capital Solutions (“ACS” formerly “Matrix”)
Long Beach, California –Bulletin Board Complaint

This concerns a $5,063.50 advance rental made on August 14, 2009 from Michael Lentine, EarthArtist Mountain Studio-Campus LLC, 1300 East South 6th Street, Seneca, South Carolina 29678 USA wrote to Brian Acosta on October 28th, 2009 that he wanted the money returned as the lease had not gone together as per the proposal:"... I have provided you with my consent for York chillers and/or our Schulte’s beam carousel as further collateral (with a minimal, combined, used value of $800,000). York chillers are very liquid collateral, substantial yet common equipment for hospitals, universities, airports, sports arenas, etc., across the United States of America.

“When you committed to our equipment lease/finance agreement three months ago, in order to secure our deposit, you stated that financing would take a ‘few days’ and a ‘few more documents.’

“We have provided multiple documents and collateral over three months, even though ten days elapsed before you or Jordan Lai would return my call(s). Because of our contractual agreement to provide mobile production technology to the independent film, Ruby’s Saturn Return, by November 9th, 2009, and their requirement of evidence of our ability to perform by October 30th, 2009, I hereby demand that you perform on your verbal and written agreement with me and my company for an equipment finance/lease minimum amount of seventy-five thousand dollars to be received in our Carolina First Bank EAMS account (053902197 7100463216) by October 30th, 2009, or return our deposit by wire transfer that day.” (1)

Since Mr. Acosta was a National Association of Equipment Leasing Best Practice Broker (2) and the National Association of Equipment Leasing Brokers (NAELB) attorney and board member are both Joseph Bonanno, who also is on the Certified Leasing Professional Foundation Board of Directors and assists in its legal capacity, the complaint was refer to NAELB (Leasing News spoke with the 2009 President Theresa Kabot, CLP, who explained the CLP complaint procedure, and since it was not fully in place that NAELB was the place to go.)

“December 14, 2009

“Joseph G. Bonanno, Esq., CLP
NAELB Legal Counsel
151 Mystic Avenue
Medford, MA 02155

“Dear Mr. Bonanno:
“I respectfully request that NAELB address ethical violations of Mr. Brian Acosta of Ability Capital Solutions (Matrix Business Capital, et. al.). I represent that there is no pending litigation between my company, EarthArtist Mountain Studio-Campus LLC and Ability Capital Solutions or Matrix Business Capital.

“In a recent telephone call to Mr. Acosta, I was told that if I reported his refusal to refund my company’s deposit for an equipment lease arrangement to your organization, I would not “see our money again.” He has stated that a refund would not occur before the end of January 2010, almost six months since we forwarded our deposit to his company on August 14th, 2009, three and a half months since our October 13th, 2009, request for refund (attached hereto) and three months since our final request, per certified mail, on October 28th, 2009. I am faxing these letters along with related documents and can transmit the email trail of our dealing with Mr. Acosta to you. In the event we commence litigation with Mr. Acosta’s company, then I acknowledge that NAELB shall suspend all investigation in this matter, pending the conclusion of said litigation.

“I look forward to discussing this situation with you.

“With kind regards,

Sincerely,
“Michael Lentine” (3)

Note: The requirement of no legal action.

January 5, 2010 M. Lentine informed Leasing News:

"Mr. Acosta has still not responded to Mr. Bonanno's letter.

“Therefore, I am attaching Mr. Bonanno's ‘follow-up letter’ extending Mr. Acosta's response deadline to January 8, 2009, including attachments in regard to the equipment lease and proof of our deposit nearly six months ago." (4)

“As you are aware, this office is legal counsel to the National Association of Equipment Leasing Brokers ("NAELB). In that capacity, this office administers the ethics program of the NAELB. An ethics complaint for improper retention of an advance deposit has been filed with this office against Ability Capital Solutions f/k/a Matrix Business Capital by a prior customer, EarthArtist Mountain Studio Campus. 1 had previously corresponded with you on December 15, 2009 via UPS and fax. I have enclosed herewith proof of delivery receipts for both UPS and the telefax that was sent to you along with the complaint material.

“As of this date, I have not received a response to the matter from you. However, in fairness I will acknowledge that the timing of the holidays may have made a response within the normal 10 day period impossible. Therefore, I will provide you with the opportunity to respond to this matter by the close of business on this Friday, January 8, 2010. In the event there is no response received by that time, then I will forward the matter to the NAELB Ethics Committee (and potentially the full board if the process goes that far) without the benefit of your response.” (4)

The complaint was reportedly forwarded to the NAELB Ethics Committee (three broker members, three funder members) who reportedly passed it then to the board for their January meeting. Since there was no response by January 8, 2010, it appears it was then held for the February board meeting to be held February 11th.

In communication with Mr. Brian Acosta, CLP, for a statement regarding this complaint, his response was a copy of a lawsuit filed by his company on February 9, 2010 against EarthArtist Mountain Studio-Campus and Mr. Michael Lentine as an individual for $5,063 plus damages, court and attorney costs (it is 14 pages to large to print; however it is available in PDF format). (5).

There were no comments from the past president of the CLP Foundation, Theresa Kabot, CLP, or the current president Chris Walker, CLP, or from Spencer Richman, CLP, NAELB President.

Ripoff Report--Two Complaints Matrix Business Capitalhttp://www.ripoffreport.com/Search/Matrix-Business-Capital.aspx

Ability Capital Solutions BBB Report: A- BBB Member

Matrix Business Capital BBB Report: A- BBB Member

Matrix Business Capital member in good standing at National Association of Equipment Leasing Brokers

Associate member through Matrix Business Capital at National Association of Equipment Leasing Brokers

Brian Acosta, CLP, President, Best Practice Broker
(one of eighteen)

Brian Acosta, CLP, member in good standing of Certified Leasing Professional Foundation

Brian Acosta California Dept. Real Estate License
#01373911 Expired 03/25/07

No California Lender's License for Matrix Business Capital found

No California Lender's License for Ability Capital Solutions found

(1)October 28th, 2009 letter
http://leasingnews.org/PDF/October_28_2009.pdf

(2) Best Practice Broker
http://leasingnews.org/PDF/NAELB_Best_Practices_Broker.pdf

(3) Copy of December 14, 2009 letter
http://leasingnews.org/PDF/Bonnano_letter.pdf

(4) Copy of January 5, 2010 letter Bonanno to Acosta
(plus proof of service letters from NAELB)
http://leasingnews.org/PDF/EthicsComplaintCoverLetterFollowUp.pdf

(5) 14 page copy of law suit (Response from Brian Acosta, CLP)
http://leasingnews.org/PDF/Law_Suit_to_Michael_Lentine.pdf

Matrix Business Capital, Long Beach, California
Bulletin Board Complaint

"My outpatient hospital is located in San Antonio, Texas. Our Gross Revenue stream is roughly $7 million. The firm below pre-approved me from two handicap buses I needed to purchase back in November 2009. To this date that have failed to fund the transaction. In December they requested the first and last month payments ($2644.00) as a security deposit pending final loan documentation. It appears that they have simply stolen my money and keep bantering me with e-mails requesting additional information and sighting various excuses why they need more time."

Basil P. Casteleyn, Jr.
Chief of Staff
La Paz Community Health Care Center, Inc.
530 San Pedro
San Antonio, Texas 78212

February 10, 2009 from Brian Acosta, CLP:

"We did not change the terms we worked very hard and secured two approvals.

"We originally encountered and issue with his pay net and some outstanding payments. We then offered to work with him and he cooperated with us. Last week the phone service provider we work with dropped our service for about 1 hour. I have emails from the provider. Basil and the vender became irate and accused us of being con artist and being out of business. He then refused to cooperate with anything we were trying to accomplish.

"He as apparently shopping at the same time we worked with him and so one of our banks was requiring us to get a letter of exclusivity to show that we were financing this truck and he was not working with anyone else. He refused to sign this letter as being coached against us.

"We have a second approval for the equipment but the bank is not willing to go 48 months because of the age of the equipment.

"We have secured funding as agreed and he is being coached by a competitor to use our approval to fund through another source."

There were many emails back and forth, including telephone calls.

"We have two approvals. I am suggesting that one of the approvals does not need the letter but will not go out as long. The other approval will meet the terms but we need the letter of exclusivity (see below)

"Read my other correspondence I have sent about the details of the two approvals. One of them will go 48 months but we need the exclusivity letter that he agreed to send and then changed his mind after talking to the vender."

There was no document in “(see below)”, but the main fact of the original proposal of November 19th not being met was not addressed.

From Mr. Acosta, CLP:

"Our agreement does state that if we get them approved at the terms and they walk on the approval then they forfeit the deposit. The guy is being dishonest.

"My attorney will deal with this from here.

"You are clearly on his side and do not seem to care about the facts or what has actually occurred."

It is Leasing News role to decide if the complaint is legitimate for the Leasing News Bulletin Board.

Mr. Acosta, CLP, was asked for a statement regarding the complaint:

"In this letter the carrier explains that the recording popping on stating ‘no longer in service’ that Basil heard that caused him to send his email exactly 23 minutes into the outage and 1 day after the approval where he accuses us of being con artists and vows to attack us with media because of this is. Please read this letter.

"Most importantly see the following emails:

"1. Email showing the day he sent his final item and in full cooperation with us just 4 days prior to this apparent cyber attack.

"2. Email showing Basils’ reaction to the cyber attack vowing to take us down with media.

"3. You can easily look at the date he signed his agreement and sent in his check and it was December and not Nov. He also references in his email.

"4. I have sent you multiple emails about him working on his ownership discrepancy in Dec. and also his pay net in late January if you go back and review.

"5. Lastly if you review any emails to basil from me and Alfredo. None of them ever reference a part approval. They all clearly state we can get the entire amount funded at terms. We do have some emails speaking about a secondary approval that we did not feel was going to work based on the equipment but that it the whole purpose of having two approvals. One of them does go out to 48 months as he requested.

"Has the phone lines not gone down and he became enraged by this thinking that we went out of business with his money he would have still been working with us and his deal would have funded. He was already a little upset by the negative reporting on his pay net and was unfamiliar with the report but furious with the company that had reported him as this caused him additional work and he felt it was unfair because it was a construction company he delays payment to. But he also spoke to the vender during the outage and the vender told him about another company and not to use us so at that point he became adamant about breaching his contract with us and he is now using you to attempt to gain leverage rather than just working with us directly. He in fact has stopped responding to our phone calls ever since he sent his con artist email on the day of the outage.

"If you are going to print a story I ask you print my side and all of my side. If you print one sided stories and leave out facts that is not a good thing. This is why we are willing to take people to court if needed to protect our rights because then all the facts will become present.

"I am going to be writing a story myself that all the banks and brokers are going to be very interested in about how lessees and greedy brokers try to use the media for personal gain and to breach contracts or steal business as well as commit fraud and attempt to undermined the purpose of getting a signed commitment. These commitment letters are very important to maintain the integrity of the business write now so that we can remain in business and honor our relationships. I spent a great deal of resources to have the language in my agreement stated reliance on commitment so that it is clear and spelled out so that lessee can read it and understand what the agreement is and we can operate fairly with one another. It is designed to protect my company and them and guarantees them a refund if we are not able to perform so that a person would never have to go to Leasing news or the BBB unless they are being dishonest in which case we will defend ourselves in the court of law."

From Mr. Casteleyn, Jr.:

"Here is my response and my final request that Matrix Business Capital return my deposit in the amount of $2644.06 and all proprietary documents including our financial information forwarded and accepted by or on behalf of La Paz Community Mental Health Center, Inc. by Matrix Business Capital.

"I have been in business a long time and I understand when people are hiding behind questionable business practices. Mr. Acosta assured me that they could arrange for a business lease based on my funding requirements in November of 2009. The time frame in which he had to accomplish this is easily verified referencing the attached contract. It became apparent to me that he could not fulfill this obligation in early January. What frustrates me is that he is still trying to find excuses why this contract was not honored and processed by Matrix Business Capital. Here are the following facts…not my perceived reality, but the actual facts as memorialized in the contract and supported therein.

"a. Matrix Business Capital, through its agent(s) Brian Acosta and Alfredo Moran offered us a Business lease for two handicap busses needed for our Hospital operations in the amount of $42,000.00. Arrangements were made with the Vendor immediately with regard to the assets being purchased/leased in late November 2009.

"b. This contract was executed by our CEO on December 1st 2009 and funds were transferred (due consideration) $2644.06 on December 2nd 2009 to Matrix Business Capital.

"c. The contract states the following exactly:

"In consideration of Lessor's time, effort and expense in considering and processing the lease transaction, Lessee agrees that Lessor shall have twenty (20) business days from the date of Lessor's receipt of all documentation and information required by Lessor from Lessee (which documentation and information Lessee shall provide to Lessor within seven (7) business days of Lessor's request) to provide final approval as noted above. If Lessor provides final approval and Lessee does not fulfill its commitment with respect to completing the lease transaction, then the Initial Deposit will be considered a processing fee earned by Lessor. The Initial Deposit shall be retained as liquidated damages by Lessor in the event Lessee does not supply the required documents and information required by Lessor or otherwise comply with the terms of this agreement, there is a material adverse change to the financial condition of the Lessee or any Guarantor, or if any material misrepresentation is made by Lessee in connection with the documents and information provided to Lessor. If Lessor does not provide final approval as noted above within the twenty (20) day limit referenced above, and Lessee revokes its acceptance in writing thereafter, Lessee's Initial Deposit, lessee processing and due diligence expenses incurred by Lessor in considering the transaction, will be returned to Lessee within thirty (30) days of Lessee's written request.

"Matrix Business Capital failed to finalize our lease agreement within the 20 days required by the contract. Again, it became evident that they did not have the ability to negotiate this lease. Therefore, if I was wrong I agreed to give Mr. Acosta until February 3, 2009 to execute a final lease document, and simply fund the transaction. It is worth noting that if approval was not obtained by Mr. Acosta by December 22, 2009, he violated the terms of the contract and should have returned the deposit based upon my initial written request. The time for excuses and on-going bantering is now over…period.

"Brian Acosta’s other allegations are neither worth my time nor effort in formulating a response. I actually had trouble reading his elusive style of pros. He is very talented at stretching the truth, however, I am more than confident that this organization will repeat this practice, and this time when the phone bill is not paid there will be no more excuses.

"I am highly upset with the time I personally wasted trying to close a relatively small leasing transaction with Matrix. We are a busy multi-million dollar outpatient hospital, and my goal was simple; I needed to purchase two (2) handicap vehicles. Matrix Business Capital’s integrity and character will be self-evident when and if I receive my deposit back. If they do not return the deposit I will let the industry be the judge."

Basil P. Casteleyn, Jr.
Chief of Staff
La Paz CHHC, Inc.

Ripoff Report--Two Complaints Matrix Business Capital
http://www.ripoffreport.com/Search/Matrix-Business-Capital.aspx

Ability Capital Solutions BBB Report: A- BBB Member

Matrix Business Capital BBB Report: A- BBB Member

Matrix Business Capital member in good standing at National Association of Equipment Leasing Brokers

Associate member through Matrix Business Capital at National Association of Equipment Leasing Brokers

Brian Acosta, CLP, President, Best Practice Broker
(one of eighteen)

Brian Acosta, CLP, member in good standing of Certified Leasing Professional Foundation

Brian Acosta California Dept. Real Estate License
#01373911 Expired 03/25/07

No California Lender's License for Matrix Business Capital found

No California Lender's License for Ability Capital Solutions found

(1) Copy of 11/19/2009 Proposal singed December 1, 2009
http://leasingnews.org/PDF/LaPaz_Community_Proposal.pdf

(A) Simple Single letter re: 23 minute telephone outage
http://leasingnews.org/PDF/Simple_Signal_Letter.pdf

Classified Ads---Senior Management

Europe 25+ yrs exper. management roles Chase, AT&T Capital, Heller Financial, SFS. Develop biz from “scratch to success”. Looking for challenging & pioneering job. Email: frans@alliedproperty.net

Philadelphia, PA 27 yrs. exp. sales, ops., credit, strategy, P&L mngmet. Most recently created & executed the biz plans for 2 highly successful Bank-owned small ticket leasing subsidiaries. email: mccarthy2020@comcast.net

Philadelphia Metro Area - 30 Years experience Healthcare sales/ management- 3 years experience newly create "small-ticket" healthcare division. Good success - Mitch Utz 215-460-4483 Email: mitutz@msn.com

 

Bank Beat---Evans Bank Ceases effort to sell lease portfolio

Once a player in the national leasing market place, Evans Bank, Hamburg, New York exited the industry. Their fourth quarter income was $1.4 million versus $0.5 million the previous quarter, recording a $0.7 million income for the year 2009 compared to a $4.9 million the year before.

John Gallo, who sold his company M&C Leasing to Evans in 2004, left after Evans management decided to get out of leasing, taking his son Brian with him, who was to form a new company, BlueBridge Financial, with Mark DeBacker, the former CFO of Evans Bank from 2001-2006.Veronica Wroblewski is the Senior Broker Representative: http://www.bluebridgefinancial.com/

According to the fourth quarter Evans Bank announcement press release:

“The national direct financing lease portfolio declined $4.7 million during the fourth quarter to $31.5 million at December 31, 2009 as the Company ceased lease originations in the second quarter of 2009 and is winding down the portfolio and exiting this business line. The 2008 year-end balance was $58.6 million. In the third quarter of 2009, Evans announced that it had ceased its marketing efforts to sell the portfolio and intends to service the portfolio until maturity. The weighted average life of the leases in the portfolio is approximately 15.1 months. The national direct financing lease portfolio currently comprises 6.4% of the Company's total loans and leases portfolio down from 7.6% at September 30, 2009 and 14.4% at December 31, 2008."

Gary Kajtoch, Executive Vice President and CFO of Evans Bank noted, "We continue to monitor the national economic conditions that may impact the lease portfolio with additional deterioration. Concurrently, we are making great efforts to collect the remaining direct financing lease portfolio as the balances pay down. We have $4.2 million or 11.67% of coverage for uncollectible leases from the mark-to-market adjustment made last June that may be utilized against future charge-offs. The reduction of the lease balances, which have typically earned higher yields, have negatively influenced overall net interest margin, but it's decreasing size relative to the total loan and lease portfolio has also reduced the level of overall risk on our balance sheet. We have offset some of the decline in yield by growing our loan base within our local market where we have a solid knowledge of our customers and their operating environments."

Mr. Kajtoch commented, "We have a solid balance sheet and capital that exceeds regulatory requirements. However, as we look to grow Evans through gaining greater market share in Western New York, establishing new branches and making acquisitions, we need to continue to expand our capital base to accommodate for this growth. The reduction in our cash dividend last year was one step in that direction."

Top Stories February 8--12

Here are the top ten stories opened by readers:

(1) US Bank Manifest to Require California License
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2010/2_08.htm#manifest

(2) Tygris to operate as division of EverBank
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2010/2_10.htm#tygris

(3) Grandview Financial added to “Broker/Lessor” List
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2010/2_12.htm#grandview

(4) The Secret of Our Success
by Ed Kaye, Advantage Funding
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2010/2_08.htm#kaye

(5) Behind that Leno-Letterman-Oprah Super Bowl promo
http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/07/how-the-letterman-oprah-leno-super-bowl-ad-came-together/?hp

(6) Leasing 102 by Mr. Terry Winders, CLP
Burden of Proof “True Lease Requirements”

(7) New Hires---Promotions
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2010/2_10.htm#hires

(8) Pictures from the Past
1983—Bob Jacobson
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2010/2_12.htm#pictures

(9) Commerce National Bank 2010 Economic Forecast
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2010/2_10.htm#forecast

(10) Exclusive: ZRG Group Hiring index shows meaningful upward movement for first time since October 2008
First Quarter 2010---Up-date
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2010/2_12.htm#zrg

Classified Ads---Help Wanted

Sales

Newport Beach, CA / New York, NY 20 openings CA/4 NY - Min. 1yr exp. Est. customer/vendor a plus. Base plus comm. Info@eaglebusinessfinance.com Eagle Business Finance is a national Leasing company offering brokered and internal funding services from $1,000 to $2,800,000 www.eaglebusinessfinance.com

5 Years+ Small Ticket or Middle Market Exp. with Established Customer/Vendor relationships. Remote Office or On Site/ Jobs@TEQlease.com Attn: Mike Lockwood or Russ Runnalls CLP TEQlease Provides Customized Equipment Leasing Solutions For Businesses Nationwide www.TEQlease.com

National Business Development Manager  With seven years experience including current existing book of business. Remote Office Okay. Click here for more info. Western Finance & Lease, a subsidiary of Western State Bank established in 1901, solicits originations throughout the US and provides funding solutions for a wide range of industries. .

 

Please see our Job Wanted section for possible new employees.

Leasing 102
by Mr. Terry Winders, CLP

Problem Lease: The Residual

I received a call this week from a lessee in Texas that was a few months away from his lease termination and had a few questions for me about his lease termination. His problem was that he has two lease agreements and had signed a personal guarantee. The first lease was signed with the broker and then he was asked to sign a second agreement with the funding source. The first lease agreement, with the broker in the squares that indicated his terms, including the equipment cost and the payments, it indicated a one dollar “residual” monthly. He said that his discussions with the California broker that was introduced to him by the vendor told him it was a $1 purchase option. In the second lease agreement with the funding source it only states a fair market purchase option and a statement that this is intended to be a finance lease for legal purposes. Which agreement does he use? I know that the word residual in leasing terms does not indicate a purchase option but to a lessee in could be interpreted as such.

In addition when he received the request to sign the second lease agreement the attached letter stated:

1. Please do not date the documents, as the bank will do this upon receipt.

2. Please do not write on the “Schedule A” except for your signature. The bank will complete the “schedule A” upon receiving these final documents. ( the equipment description was blank)

He never ever received any completed forms from the funding source.

In the body of the lease it requires the lessee to return the equipment: “to a location we specify at your expense, in retail condition, full working order and complete repair.” Not unreasonable in our business except in this case the “cost” to return the equipment to “any” location other than the lessee’s location will cost more than the equipment is worth. This makes even a FMV purchase option a bargain. In addition it brings into question two additional questions. Did the term of the lease equal the useful life of the equipment? and did the Lessor take a meaningful residual.

You may ask “so what” but the big issue here is that the payments required, based on the equipment cost and the term of the lease, is over 27%, without any residual. In Texas the usury rate is 16%. If convicted of usury the cost to the Lessor will be a complete loss of the payments made and a penalty usually equal to the equipment cost. If any of the facts or questions raised here compel the court to make this an Article 9 transaction instead of an Article 2A lease the broker and the Lessor are in a lot of trouble. This is a result of poor documentation and lack of knowledge on equipment values or its actual use.

The lessee has indicated that he is in the process of closing his business but morally wants to complete the lease to save his credit but is in a dilemma as to how to proceed. What advice would you give him?

Mr. Terry Winders, CLP, has been a teacher, consultant, expert witness for the leasing industry for thirty years and can be reached at leaseconsulting@msn.com or 502-327-8666.

He invites your questions and queries.

Previous #102 Columns:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/Leasing_102/Index.htm

(This ad is a “trade” for the writing of this column. Opinions
contained in the column are those of Mr. Terry Winders, CLP)

#### Press Release ############################

Arizona Equipment Leasing Association Winter Meeting

At the Arizona Equipment Leasing Association (AZELA) winter meeting held at the Star Fire Country Club in Scottsdale, Connie Kadansky, President of Exceptional Sales Performance, challenged the attendees to take action to make sales happen.

After introduction and comments on the attendees' view of the current state of equipment financing and the economy, tools were provided to make a change to our outlook when making the "cold calls."

She provided the tools and a new approach to identify and eliminate Sales Call Reluctance that attendees look forward to implement.

Bernice Truszkowski, CLP
"your equipment finance specialist"
Equipment Funding LTD
PO BOX 985
Scottsdale, AZ 85252
bernice@equipmentfundingltd.com
480-949-0710
480-949-7012 FAX

### Press Release ############################

Equipment Storage and Sales Co. Names Kevin Libert
to Direct Off Lease and Repossessed Equipment Management Company

Equipment Storage and Sales Co. (ESSCO) is pleased to announce the addition of Kevin Libert as our new Business Development Manager. Libert has extensive experience in the heavy equipment financing industry and will be on assignment to manage and facilitate the sale of the increasing amount of bank owned equipment to buyers worldwide.

ESSCO specializes in helping lenders get the best return on investment for their off lease and repossessed equipment by providing transportation, storage, appraisal and sales for otherwise distressed heavy equipment. The service is an alternative to getting less than full value for your equipment in an auction or quick sale.

For more information visit www.equipmentstorageco.com and contact Kevin Libert, Business Development Manager, Equipment Storage & Sales Co. at (510) 639-4081 or email info@equipmentstorageco.com.

#### Press Release #############################

Executive Solutions for Equipment Leasing and Finance Expands

In order to provide a more comprehensive suite of products Executive Solutions has added Capital Markets services to their Talent Search solutions. Executive Solutions has expanded its capabilities to include special advisory expertise to arrange financing for companies whose customers have need for capital, such as:

• Major US-based captive finance companies
• Manufacturers looking to provide internal financing for their equipment
• Finance and leasing companies looking to augment their funding lines
• Companies in need of financing solutions for unique or non-standard transactions or programs.
• Companies looking to buy or sell portfolios
• Finance or leasing companies looking to participate with other firms
• Private placement of debt and structured equity
• Monetization of special assets, such as residual positions and subordinated securitization tranches

Teri Gerson, President of Executive Solutions for Leasing and Finance, Inc. stated in her annual newsletter that those companies that have reinvented themselves to realize opportunities the recession has created are necessarily the ones that will flourish. “I am thrilled to add a service as vital as capital markets in keeping with our commitment to continually redefine the term ‘excellence’. Jon Gerson, head of Strategic Initiatives, has additional exciting products and services that will be announced in the near future.” According to Ms. Gerson.

About Executive Solutions for Leasing and Finance, Inc.

Executive Solutions is a search firm that began serving the leasing and finance industry in 1990. It conducts retained, contingency, and hybrid individually structured searches for all functional roles within the leasing and finance industry. Executive Solutions represents companies ranging from small regional firms to Fortune 50 companies with an extensive database consisting of professionals in the US and Canada.

In addition to conducting searches for single positions, Executive Solutions puts entire teams together with niche specialties designed to catapult clients into new markets with minimal ramp up time and rapid revenue production. No assignment is too small or too large. Each assignment is handled with discretion, thorough screening, and ongoing strategic partnering with clients and candidates to create win-win solutions.

Teri Gerson , President
Executive Solutions for Leasing & Finance, Inc.
181 New Providence Road
Mountainside, NJ 07092-2516
908.654.1550 (f) 908.847.0377
terigerson@exsolutions.com
http://www.exsolutions.com

### Press Release ###############################

National Leasing
Top 50 Best Small and Medium Employers in Canada!

Winnipeg, Manitoba, National Leasing, a recognized leader in equipment financing, is pleased to be named among the Top 50 Best Small and Medium Employers in Canada. The study, now in its sixth year, is published in the Globe and Mail and PROFIT Magazine.

"We are very excited to be named one of the Best Small and Medium Employers in Canada," said Nick Logan, President & CEO of National Leasing. "2009 was a year filled with change for National Leasing with the relocation to a new building and more recently, the Canadian Western Bank acquisition. It is the commitment demonstrated by employees and the way everyone embraced these changes that makes this company what it is."

"This is an awesome place to work," said Fenessa Parker, Sales Coordinator at National Leasing. "I've never worked for a company like this before and the longer I stay here the more I realize it's not just a honeymoon period, this is everyday."

"This year's joint Queen's/Hewitt Best Small-Medium Employers in Canada program profiled opinions representing more than 17,000 employees from across Canada," said Einar Westerlund, Director of Project Development for Queen's Centre for Business Venturing. "Despite the challenging economic climate facing many small-medium enterprises, competition for ranking as one of The Best 50' was especially keen in the current study. Once again in 2010, National Leasing has made this elite list, reflecting the company's continuing commitment to building and maintaining the kinds of people-focused programs, policies, and day-to-day practices which drive positive employee engagement, commitment, and ultimately business results."

Becoming a Best Small & Medium Employer is a very detailed and competitive process. This national awards program recognizes top employers with between 50 and 400 employees. This study mirrors the renowned Best Employers in Canada initiative run by partner, Hewitt Associates; however, caters to smaller businesses.

The rankings are primarily determined using the results from Employee Opinion Surveys. Here, 21 key engagement drivers are detailed and analyzed. The evaluation process also includes the assessment of organization practices and perspectives from the leadership team. This year, more than 200 companies across Canada registered to participate in the study.

Study partners include Queen's School of Business, Queen's Centre for Business Venturing and Hewitt Associates. More information about the Best Small & Medium Employers in Canada is available online at http://business.queensu.ca/qcbv/sme.

About National Leasing

National Leasing provides sound financial solutions to businesses across Canada. We are the leader in commercial equipment leasing and we're recognized as one of the largest Canadian lessors in small to mid-ticket transactions. Backed by professional service and an outstanding reputation, National Leasing is fast, easy and ever changing to meet our customers' needs. For more information please visit www.nationalleasing.com or call us at 1-800-665-1326.

##### Press Release ###########################

San Francisco, California --- Adopt-a-Dog

Misty
Breed: Terrier (Unknown Type, Small) Mix
Size: Small 25 lbs (11 kg) or less
Color: White
Sex: Female
Age: Adult
Misty is:
already spayed
housetrained
good with dogs
good with cats
up to date with shots

Misty's story...
"Those ears! Those large, soulful brown eyes! Misty is almost too cute to be believed. This shy, gentle terrier mix needs a quiet home with patient, gentle guardians to call her own. Misty seems to have some fear due to past abuse, but is very sweet and sensitive. This scruffy cutie is about 7 years old and approximately 20 pounds. Misty is a versatile gal: she loves to both go out for walks and cuddle at home. What a great combination! Misty is good with other dogs and probably with cats, too."

Contact this rescue group to adopt Misty ...
Rescue Group: Muttville
Phone: (415) 641-1331
- Let 'em know you saw "Misty" on Adopt-a-Pet.com!
E-mail: sherri@muttville.org

Address:
San Francisco , CA
94107

http://www.adoptapet.com/pet-search-display?clan_id=1& clan_name=dog&country_code=US&end_number=50&geo_range=35& geo_range_km=55&is_dog=1&postal_code=94108&start_number=1&state_code=CA

Adopt-a-Pet by Leasing Co. State/City
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/Adopt_Pet.htm

Adopt a Pet
http://www.adoptapet.com/

Cracchiolo, US Bank Fin. CEO, equipment investment “weak”
http://www.cfo.com/article.cfm/14475074/c_14475974?f=home_todayinfinance

Lakeland Bank cuts down Leasing Business
http://www.northjersey.com/news/business/84287917_Getting_back_on_track.html

China’s Central Bank Hits Brake on Hot Economy
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/13/business/global/13yuan.html?hpw

Sacramento Region's shuttered stores tell a thousand stories
http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/2536025.html

 

Take the Independent President Quiz:
http://games.toast.net/independence/

Sports Briefs----

McMurray hangs on to win pothole-marred Daytona 500
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor/nascar/2010-02-14-daytona-500_N.htm

Larry Ellison and crew win the America's Cup on
http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_14401226

Latest Olympic Coverage
http://www.nbcolympics.com/

 

“Gimme that Wine”

Nicole Marino joins V. Sattui Winery as Social Media Marketing Manager-in charge of Twitter, Facebook, all blogging
http://www.winebusiness.com/people/?go=getPeopleArticle&dataid=71345

Napa Valley Vintners Announce Cakebread Cellars' Bruce Cakebread Elected President of Board of Directors
http://www.winebusiness.com/people/?go=getPeopleArticle&dataid=71356

Calif. Winegrape Harvest Jumped 23 Percent in 2009
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=9812651

Wine Prices by vintage
http://www.winezap.com
http://www.wine-searcher.com/

US/International Wine Events
http://www.localwineevents.com/

Winery Atlas
http://www.carterhouse.com/atlas/

Leasing News Wine & Spirits Page
http://two.leasingnews.org/Recommendations/wnensprts.htm

The London International Vintners Exchange (Liv-ex) is an electronic exchange for fine wine.
http://www.liv-ex.com/

Winter Poem

 

Shortcut Through the Storm

by Robert Savino

There were too few roads.
There were too many motorists.
My choice was longer in distance,
but far less travelled.

I took a shortcut through the storm,
crawling over the black-iced asphalt,
too close behind Boyd’s black flower car,
in the dreary pitch of Ocean Parkway.

Storm clouds shifting and changing,
pass over, so low, engulf my presence.
I exit in an angel’s breath,
a winged spirit of the Great South Bay,

greeted by Moses at the foot of the bridge,
moments from home and the neon lights
of strip mall shops, that brighten the bus
stop at the corner of Oak Neck Road.

Minutes pass slowly within these hours.
Sounds of snow plows wake me from sleep