Valepine Business Capital, a small-business funding broker in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, arranges equipment financing and leasing through lending partners for new and used machines, contractor vehicles, kitchen equipment and clinical chairs. In most deals the machine itself is the collateral. Partners decide, set rates and terms, and may ask for a down payment.
| Structures | Loan, lease or EFA |
|---|---|
| Collateral | The equipment itself |
| Used equipment | Financed, with closer checks |
| Decision by | The lending partner |
Loan, lease or EFA
| Equipment loan | Lease | Equipment finance agreement (EFA) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owner of record until the last payment | You, with a lien | The lessor | Title sits with the business; the partner records a security interest |
| At the end | Lien released | Hand back, extend or buy out, as the lease states | Lien released after final payment |
| Fits | Long-lived equipment you will keep | Equipment you upgrade often | Buyers who want loan-like ownership with simpler paperwork |
Financing used equipment
Used machines are financed every day, but partners look harder at them. Expect questions about age, hours or mileage, condition, and who is selling. A dealer with an invoice is simpler than a private seller; some partners ask for an inspection or an appraisal on private-party deals.
Age limits vary by partner and asset type. Bring the serial number, photos and any service records. To see how a down payment and a shorter term change the numbers, try the used equipment loan calculator. It shows the monthly payment and the total cost including the down payment.
Contractor vehicles and work trucks
Business vehicle financing covers pickups, service bodies, dump bodies and trailers used for the business. Valepine does not take trucking or freight-hauling requests; vehicles that carry a crew and its tools are a different matter.
Titles matter here. The lending partner is usually listed as lienholder on the title until the final payment.
Equipment common to Winnebago County, WI sectors
| Sector (Winnebago County, WI) | Employer establishments, 2023 | Typical equipment requests |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 348 | Skid steers, mini excavators, trailers, work trucks |
| Food services and drinking places | 384 | Walk-in coolers, ranges, hoods, POS systems |
| Ambulatory health care | 334 | Dental chairs, imaging, sterilization equipment |
| Retail trade | 453 | Display fixtures, refrigeration, POS systems |
Establishment counts: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023. Equipment examples are typical requests, not county data. More detail is on the sector pages and the Oshkosh, WI page.
Getting a machine financed, step by step
- Get a written quote or a listing with the serial number.
- Decide whether you want to own it, lease it or use an EFA.
- Decide how much you can put down; a larger down payment lowers what is financed.
- Gather recent bank statements and, for larger amounts, financial statements.
- Call Valepine; we route the request to partners that finance that type of equipment.
Practices planning a clinical fit-out can read our post on dental practice expansion in Winnebago County, WI. For a project with costs beyond the equipment, compare a term loan.
Questions to settle with the seller first
- Is the quoted price the delivered, installed price, or are freight, rigging and setup extra?
- For used equipment: hours or mileage, last service date, and whether any warranty transfers.
- Will the seller invoice the lending partner directly, and how long will the quote hold?
- Are attachments, software licenses or training bundled into the price being financed?
Partners finance what is on the invoice. Items left off it, such as installation or a trailer to move the machine, have to be paid some other way, so get them on paper before the request goes out.
Liens on equipment
Most equipment deals record a UCC filing describing the equipment. If an existing lender holds a blanket lien over all business assets, that can affect a new equipment deal. The Wisconsin UCC search guide shows how to check before you apply, and how it works covers the rest of the process.
By Valepine Business Capital · Updated
