Leasing News

Leasing Association 2006 Member Up-Date

by Christopher Menkin

Association of Government Leasing and Finance	255 Members
Arizona Equipment Leasing Association	40 Members
Eastern Association of Equipment Lessors	180 Members
Equipment Leasing Association	780 Members
National Association of Equipment Leasing Brokers	751 Members
United Association of Equipment Leasing	297 Members

This is a synopsis of the top six, followed by their “page” up-dated on the Leasing News web site, including the full listing of all related non-profit leasing/financial organizations.

As reported in the previous story, one leasing association no longer exists, but another grows to 40 members, the brokers' association hits 751 with more joining every day, while four veteran associations hold their own. There are several other financial associations, but these are the key equipment leasing groups. They are all quite different.

Don't let the member count judge which is “best” or the one you should join. They serve a different membership. It should be noted that by our Leasing News count, over 100 funders belong to three or more of the associations. There are 25 “broker/lessors” who belong to two and twelve who belong to three or more by our count. Yet the personality and mission of the six may have similarities, but they are each quite distinctive.

The Equipment Leasing Association (ELA) is the largest, up-scale membership dues, with a full-time professional staff of 25. It is also the most influential in every aspect from representing the industry in Washington, DC, to state and local governments. They also produce more educational conferences, meetings, publications, plus excellent listserves in several categories, in addition, in our opinion, the best daily news in the equipment leasing industry: ELTnews.

In addition to having the full support of the major bank and financial industries who conduct business here and abroad, members also include smaller companies, one man offices, service and independent companies who are successful, have their own niche, and have the time, money, and desire to improve their profession.

Notably the organization is attempting to expand their “captive vendor” members, many who previously were not active in any of the other organizations. This group consists of manufacturer and distributor leasing entities. Another example of the diversity of ELA membership.

Their president, Michael J. Fleming, is retiring after 40 years of service in July. He joined the young association in 1966. (ELA started in 1961 as the American Association of Equipment Lessors .)

Michael J. Fleming, CAE

Contrast this with the second least expensive membership dues, the National Association of Equipment Brokers (NAELB), $295 for brokers, a relatively young organization who have no employees, but a very active board of directors and independent management company. They presently number 751, whose members are mostly independent equipment leasing brokers. Only brokers have a vote and sit on the board of directors, except for their legal counsel. This contribibution has been a main stay since the start of the organization, where both Joseph Bonanno, CLP, and Barry Marks, Esq., at one time alternatively served as “legal counsel" each year. Both should be credited for their involvement from the very beginning, one of the main reasons for the growth of this association of brokers.Marks is now retired from the NAELB position, saying, "Joe is the only legal counsel NAELB has or needs."

Funders are invited to join, in fact, the Bonanno question is “Is the funder a member of NAELB?” If they are, they abide by the ethics of the group or may be dispelled or censored for inappropriate action after a confidential hearing by the full board of directors. To the advantage of all parties, these confidential hearings have resulted in “settling” many disputes.

Joesph Bonanno, CLP, NAELB legal counsel.

NAELB have many members who have been involved for over ten years, yet strive to bring in those new to the broker business to help educate and up-grade the ethics of the industry. Their numbers have brought more programs, sponsored by funders, which have enabled the organization to do more for their members, keeping all costs down to enable everyone to join.

The United Association of Equipment Leasing (UAEL) began as a “West Coast” group in the late 1960's, got off to a rough start, was disbanded until In the fall of 1974, luncheon meetings were set up in Los Angeles and San Francisco to see if enough people would come forward to rejuvenate what was called the Western Association of Equipment Lessors. Brokers were not allowed to join until the 1980's.

The group grew into a national organization, changed its name, was up to over 500 members, then decided to “re-invent” itself back to the core purpose and has remained at 300 members for several years due to the work of past presidents who now are officers: Joe Woodley, CLP, executive director and Bill Grohe, director membership and marketing.

The group has an equal number of east coast and west coast members. They are primarily composed of funders and lessors, but also have many service and broker members. As with the demographics of all the associations, most have been members for more than ten years with many over twenty years or longer. Their two leasing conferences are well attended each year, always more than the total of their membership.

At the end of 2005, the Eastern Association of Equipment Lessors (EAEL) had 180 members, according its president Nancy Pistorio.

Nancy Pistorio

EAEL is primarily a regional association with 67% in the Northeast (NY, NJ, MA, CT), an additional 10% in PA and MD, and the remainder in 25 states.

One important distinction in EAEL membership recruitment is that they do not solicit Brokers/ Lessors west of the Mississippi River."

Members share information, have a close bond, and while it may not be as large as the others, the atmosphere is very "family" and being of as much help to each other.

There has been talk for years that this association would merge with another, but there is a closeness among members that would be lost, and as important, the membership dues overall are the lowest of the other three leasing organization who would be their suitors. The association is in a re-building phase under the leadership of President Nancy Pistorio, Madison Capital.

The Association for Government Leasing and Finance (AGLF) was founded in 1981 to serve municipal leasing industry. Publishes

Bi-monthly newsletter; sponsors two annual conferences; 50-state leasing survey; federal leasing survey; and conducts numerous industry projects.

Membership at the beginning of the year was 255.

The group was at more than 400, had a set-back, and several years ago brought in Graham Hauck as Executive Director. He has brought the numbers up, particularly in light that the group exclusively works on municipal and federal funding and many of their members are also members of ELA, who also has a very active municipal-federal funding group. Conferences bring funders, brokers, and lessors together and as with the other associations, many members have belonged for over ten years and longer.

The smallest, youngest, with the least expensive dues of $25 a year is the Arizona Equipment Leasing Association (AZELA). Membership is 40 today.

http://www.leasingnews.org/items/azela.gif

This state has grown tremendously, plus with the use of the World Wide Web and overnight delivery, leasing companies can work almost anywhere. Without sounding like the chamber of commerce, the area has also attracted larger leasing companies, such as CIT, which has an office in Tempe.

Evidently the group has felt left out of the other leasing association, although many of their members belong to one or more, and get-together often to network, have educational programs, share information, and to socialize with their colleagues.

Up-dated Leasing Association listings:

AZELA