BFS Capital Announces New CEO
November 28, 2018
BFS Capital announced today that it has appointed Mark Ruddock as CEO, effective immediately. Co-founder Marc Glazer, who has served as interim CEO since the departure of Michael Marrache earlier this year, will be Chairman.
“I sense there is tremendous potential in this firm,” Ruddock told AltFinanceDaily. “It has in its DNA an innate understanding of the needs of small business and I think the opportunity for it is to leverage significant increases in data science and technology to help scale and deliver on this potential.”
Most recently, Ruddock served as interim CEO for nearly two years at 4finance, one of the largest European consumer focused online lenders, with more than 3,000 employees and customers across 17 countries. Ruddock said that at 4finance, every day they would issue more than 16,500 loans and make about 22,500 risk decisions. And the entire process was automated.
“There is an opportunity to achieve real scale [in small business lending] through the use of leading edge technology,” Ruddock said, and that is what he intends to do at BFS Capital. Ruddock is relocating to Florida from Berlin, Germany.
Glazer will remain a key part of the operations at BFS Capital.
“One of the biggest assets this company has is Marc Glazer,” Ruddock said. “The two of us see this very much as a joint endeavor moving forward…and I’m going to hold him to remaining actively involved here.”
Their offices are right beside each other, Ruddock said.
“[Ruddock] has an outstanding track record of transforming financial services and technology companies by accelerating their innovation and business growth,” Glazer said. “His diversity of experience, from founder to growth stage executive, across a wide variety of industries and geographies makes him an exceptional choice for BFS Capital at such a pivotal stage in our evolution.”
Ruddock was the founder and CEO of INEA Corporation, an enterprise software firm focused on the financial services industry that was acquired in 2005. Following INEA, he became CEO of mobile software company Viigo, whose flagship app became one of BlackBerry’s most downloaded apps of all time by the time the company was acquired by RIM (Blackberry) in 2010. He held a number of other positions before becoming interim CEO at 4finance in 2017.
Headquartered in Coral Springs, FL, BFS Capital funds American and Canadian small businesses with merchant cash advances and business loans. Through its affiliate, Boost Capital, the company also provides funding to small businesses in the UK. Since 2002, BFS Capital has funded more than $1.9 billion. The company also has offices in New York, California and the UK.
BFS Capital is a Sponsor of AltFinanceDaily CONNECT – San Diego
September 4, 2018BFS Capital is a sponsor of AltFinanceDaily CONNECT San Diego. The half-day event for funders, lenders, brokers and industry professionals is being held at the Andaz on October 4th!
Check out photos from AltFinanceDaily’s past CONNECT event in Miami
BFS Co-founder Returns as Temporary CEO
May 23, 2018
Chairman and co-founder of BFS Capital Marc Glazer has assumed the role of Interim CEO. The former CEO, Michael Marrache, is no longer at the company.
“We’re on a nationwide search to find an individual that we feel will be an excellent candidate to continue BFS’s track record as a market leader and help grow the company,” Glazer said.
Founded in 2001, BFS is a veteran in the merchant cash advance industry. More than five years ago, the company began offering a business loan product, which now accounts for more than half of its revenue.
Glazer told AltFinanceDaily that when BFS started offering its loan product, it widened its customer base significantly such that a sizable percentage of its customers are now business to business companies. Glazer said that MCA funding would not work for these kinds of customers because many of them get paid by check or get paid in larger amounts, but not on a daily basis.
Glazer said that working with ISO partners has always been a critical part of the BFS business model. What does Glazer look for in an ISO?
“Ultimately, you want to work with ISOs that view the relationship with not only the funder, but the merchant, [in mind,]” he said. “We look at ourselves as a responsible funder and put out offers that we not only think help the merchant, but that have payment terms that the merchant can afford. And the ISOs that we look for are ones that do the same kind of matching with the merchant.”
BFS has funded 400 different types of merchants, from florists to nail salons. But Glazer said that a big portion of the company’s customer base comes from either the hospitality industry or parts of the construction industry, including plumbing. To date, BFS has delivered more than $1.75 billion in total financing to small and mid-sized businesses, including $300 million funded in 2017. Loans are typically offered through the company’s banking partner, Bank of the Internet, according to Glazer.
BFS is headquartered in Coral Springs, FL and has an office in New York and one in southern California. It also includes a wholly owned subsidiary in the UK called Boost Capital. Altogether, BFS employs about 200 people with the majority of employees at its Florida office.
BFS Capital Secures $175M Revolving Line
February 20, 2018
BFS Capital has secured a new $175 million revolving credit facility from funds managed by Ares Management, L.P. (NYSE:ARES), according to a company announcement. Stephens Inc. acted as financial advisor to the transaction.
ARES is one of the largest global alternative asset managers with $106.4 billion under management. They previously announced a $100 million line for LendingPoint, an online consumer lender.
BFS Capital also recently announced that 2017 was their biggest year yet. They generated more than $300 million in originations for the year.
BFS Capital plans to use the new facility to accelerate the growth of its lending business.
“The market continues to appreciate our small business customer focus,” said BFS Capital CEO Michael Marrache in a prepared statement. “Our strategic partners, such as ISOs, also commend us for our data and underwriting expertise—based on 15 years of financings across multiple economic cycles—which enables us to better anticipate the future performance of our financings.”
BFS Capital’s Marrache on Canadian Small Business Landscape
January 28, 2018It’s been about five months since Michael Marrache took the reins as CEO of BFS Capital. He spoke with us then about the company’s algorithmic solutions, ISO relationships and product pipeline. He recently took some time to talk with AltFinanceDaily about the key themes in the Canadian market in 2018 – from minimum wage, to the impact of US tax reform on the Canadian economy, to ISO opportunities — and BFS Capital’s role there.
AltFinanceDaily: When did BFS Capital begin operating in Canada?
Marrache: BFS Capital funded its first loan in Canada in 2012. Traditionally, we have approached Canada’s market via our partner channel, both US and Canada based. We plan on increasing that effort in 2018.
AltFinanceDaily: Is Canada a market that BFS Capital recognizes as growing?
Marrache: Canada is a growing market for BFS Capital, though our non-US markets, including Canada and the UK, currently represent less than 20% of our global $300 million in financings. We see significant upside in both Canada and the UK in the next 12 months.
AltFinanceDaily: What are the themes as you see them for Canadian small businesses and BFS Capital in 2018?
Marrache: There might be more insecurity among Canadian small businesses this year. The 2018 minimum wage increase to $14 an hour in Ontario, expected to rise again in 2019, for example, might cause some small businesses to have to cut hours or reduce staff to make up for the expense. They may have to raise their prices, which could impact demand.
Additionally, recent policy and legislative changes in the US could also impact Canada. For example, tax reform in the US, specifically a reduction in the US corporate rate, will put the US on par with Canada in terms of tax rates and similar burdens. At the same time, US regulations are being reduced while Canada’s appear to be increasing. All of this is part of the current US government’s initiative to drive domestic business growth and we are not sure how it will affect Canada’s economy, business confidence and consumer spending.
The Canadian dollar is also forecast to remain weak and might continue to fall for a while longer. With US tax reform potentially boosting the economy here, the US Fed is likely to raise interest rates, which might reduce demand for the Canadian dollar. The CAN$ could further slide if Bank of Canada cuts rates again. [Scotiabank]
At the core, however, Canada has 1.1 million small businesses. Not a small number. There were more than 350,000 small businesses created in Canada in 2016 and 42% of job creation in the country in the past decade stemmed from firms with fewer than 100 employees (CIBC Capital Markets). These businesses need working capital for a variety of needs related to their everyday business and, importantly for where we fit in, it has traditionally been difficult for small businesses to obtain financing from banks.
BFS Capital financing has come into the mainstream because it’s more accessible than a bank loan, less expensive than equity, and less risky than bootstrapping. Our financing solutions also require less commitment than taking on a partner or getting venture capital. Moreover, the few big banks in the market have tended to shy away from small businesses, so we have seen an opportunity with our ISO partner-base and directly, for our lending solutions.
Today small businesses in Canada can get the money in their account in just a day or two and there are a variety of products with different rates and payment options. As the market in Canada gets more competitive the rates will continue to go down.
AltFinanceDaily: The last time I spoke with you, you talked about automated solutions, transparency tied to ISOs and company culture. Are these at the forefront of the Canadian business as well? Explain.
Marrache: Yes. These initiatives are embedded in the company strategy at the top. We believe speed is required but not sufficient; the company must lead with a culture of service and transparency. We are also investing in data science to improve risk profiling and process efficiencies for every partnership and every financing, including in Canada. These initiatives have been instrumental to our strengthened partnerships in the US and we expect these to benefit our Canadian partners as well.
AltFinanceDaily: Can you provide any illustration of the number of Canadian merchants on the BFS Capital platform or the amount in loans or MCAs you’ve deployed in the country?
Marrache: Although at a more modest volume than our business in the US, since entering the Canadian market in 2012, BFS Capital has achieved originations growth of approximately 100 percent on a compounded annual growth basis.
Why BFS Capital’s Glazer Is Passing the Torch
August 22, 2017
Marc Glazer co-founded BFS Capital in the early 2000s and has remained at the helm all this time – until now. Glazer has passed the torch over to Michael Marrache, effective last week. He isn’t going too far, as the former chief executive will remain chairman of the board working alongside Marrache on the next chapter for the MCA and small business lending company. Meanwhile the executive pair points to a future not only where there is sustainability but where there is growth.
“We’ve obviously grown the company year after year over the last 15 years, and as with every other type of business and industry there were ebbs and flows. Over the last couple of years with a significant amount of challenges going on, we as a company decided we want to continue to grow but we want to grow in a way that benefits the company from a profitability standpoint as well as serves our customers,” said Glazer.
In April 2017, BFS Capital surpassed $1.5 billion in financings since inception. The company expects to fund more than $300 million in new financings in this calendar year.
“We’ll increase our reliance on algorithmic solutions, transparency in the ISO and customer experience and we will increase the number of financing solutions. Culture is significant for us and we will continue to build on the legacy Marc created,” said Marrache.
Marrache takes the reigns at a time when the industry is at a crossroads that will leave some alt lenders in the dust while other rise to the occasion.
“The stories that were challenging in 2016 look good in 2017,” said Marrache, pointing to OnDeck’s forthcoming profitability, Kabbage’s lofty valuation, CAN Capital’s return to funding, PayPal’s acquisition of Swift Financial and Prosper looking good.
“We think alternative and non-bank lending are in a good place. And yes, some of the folks that are no longer operating in this space were overextended or may have exhibited irrational behavior for pricing or customer acquisition costs. We think what we’re witnessing is the normal lifecycle of the industry. There were lots of participants earlier. Now to participate the industry must show a bit more control and sophistication. If you execute well, the tomorrows will be better than 2016,” said Marrache.
And according to Glazer, because of the changes in the business environment over the last couple of years, it’s going to require a different skillset to take BFS Capital to the next level.
“There are clear differences between starting a company, growing a company and becoming a billion-dollar small business financing platform. We’ve needed to evolve at each stage and now again with Michael’s leadership,” he said.
For Glazer, Marrache was almost always the succession plan.
“To be fair, hiring Michael four years ago, maybe succession planning was in the back of my mind somewhat. But as our relationship developed and as he was COO for three-plus years and then president, it became apparent that Michael’s skill set, passion, desire and how he looked at culture were all similar to myself. Let’s grow, but let’s watch our numbers. Make sure we treat people fairly. And for the businesses we are financing — provide thoughtful capital to help them versus creating problems for them,” said Glazer.
More Funding
BFS Capital’s business model is comprised both of MCAs and small business loans. Alternative funding company CAN Capital does both MCAs and loans and had to pause lending until recently. For BFS, however, it’s all systems go. And that means unequivocally continuing to fund small businesses.
“Absolutely, yes. And there’s no quizzicality in mind. I would say we are going to continue funding small businesses and fund more of them this year than we did last year. And we will fund even more the year after. So absolutely,” Marrache said.
BFS Capital sells through both ISOs and directly to merchants, the former of which is where most originations derive. “There are a number of solutions we are putting together to benefit that network,” said Marrache, adding he doesn’t believe algorithmic solutions will replace underwriters.
“We have a strong legacy of customer underwriting. We believe lower level transactions can be significantly more automated. Above a certain level and certain amounts of origination, we think algorithms and data solutions at that point are a facilitator, not a replacement of our underwriting,” Marrache said.
The Legacy
There was a time when BFS Capital’s growth plans included debuting in the public markets. Those plans have since been sidelined amid a chilly investor reception for alternative lender stocks.
“We spent a lot of effort in our filing,” said Glazer. “But at the end of the day, the market for the space had softened. Going forward I think it’s really going to be a question of what the markets look like and what makes sense for our company. We will evaluate that as the situation warrants.”
IPO or not, it appears Glazer’s legacy is still being written.
“I co-founded the company 15-plus years ago. Before finance and accounting, at heart, I’m an entrepreneur. That’s what I do, what I enjoy. I love starting companies, having the vision and creating things,” he said.
As chairman of the board and a major stakeholder, Glazer will continue to be active in BFS Capital.
BFS Capital Appoints Michael Marrache as CEO
August 17, 2017Coral Springs, Fla.—August 17, 2017—BFS Capital Inc., a leading small business financing company, announced that it has appointed Michael Marrache as Chief Executive Officer to succeed outgoing CEO and co-founder Marc Glazer. Named President in September 2016, Marrache previously served for more than three years as the company’s Chief Operating Officer. He also will join the company’s Board of Directors. Marc Glazer will continue to serve as Chairman of the BFS Capital Board.
“Michael has been invaluable in enhancing operations and driving sales. As CEO, he will lead our strategic direction both domestically and internationally, and spearhead initiatives that will continue to improve our loan portfolio metrics and strengthen our reputation among customers and partners as a premier small business lending organization,” said Glazer.
Over recent months, Marrache has built a management team that will execute on a long-term strategic plan to guide the company’s future and reach new milestones in the areas of origination, ISO partnerships and customer experience.
“I began work with BFS Capital nearly four years ago because I thought the company had enormous potential, and I’m even more certain of this today. I’m honored to have been asked by Marc and the Board to lead the company’s next phase of growth,” said Marrache.
“Our business has experienced great momentum over the last year and we’re setting a course for continued growth and leadership. We have a strong, committed management team and together, along with our employees, we’re primed to execute on our priorities, including upgrading the customer experience, investing in our product offerings and leveraging our data science to drive insights for our customers and partners,” Marrache added.
In April, BFS Capital reached a milestone of $1.5 billion in financing—a 50% increase over the $1 billion the company generated from inception through July 2015, led by loan portfolio growth in both new and repeat customers.
About BFS Capital
BFS Capital champions the long-term growth and prosperity of small businesses by providing timely, flexible financing solutions. BFS Capital’s leading small business financing platform leverages customized underwriting and proprietary algorithms to fund businesses in all 50 states and Canada, and through its affiliate, Boost Capital, in the United Kingdom. Since 2002, BFS Capital has provided more than $1.5 billion in total financing to more than 18,000 small businesses across more than 400 industries. Headquartered in South Florida with offices in New York, California and the United Kingdom, BFS Capital is an accredited BBB company with an A+ rating. To learn more, please visit: www.bfscapital.com.
Did BFS Capital Trade Going Public for a Bigger Credit Line?
February 4, 2016
BFS Capital secured a $165 million credit line through Wells Fargo Capital Finance with an additional increase of up to $250 million. This agreement extends the former line of $135 million and will help the Florida based small business lender to service merchants in North America.
The company had an eventful 2015 — In July last year, it funded $1 billion worth of deals and acquired New York-based financial services firm Entrust Merchant Solutions in August. It also rebranded itself from Business Financial Services Inc.
Interestingly enough, as AltFinanceDaily reported in September last year, the company filed for an IPO and submitted a draft registration statement on Form S-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) relating to the proposed initial public offering of its common stock.
