By partnering with Sentry, you will:

• Close sales faster
• Increase the size of the sale
• Overcome sticker shock and CapEx objections
  
• Protect your margins
  
• Build customer loyalty and repeat business
  

And, you will be providing the following benefits to your customers:

• Total Solution – technical and financial
  
• 100% financing – bundle design, installation and equipment
  
• Convenient – one-stop shopping from trusted sources
  
• Supplemental capital – preserve cash and bank facilities
  
• Overcome sticker shock – payments over time
  
• Control over the system – ability to own or upgrade
  

Our financing products are extensive and we will work with you to deliver the best lease or finance solution for you and your customers.  The bottom line is that, by teaming with Sentry, you will beat your competition and sell more equipment and services.

Sentry is actively seeking additional equipment manufacturers, distributors, dealers, resellers, and integrators who understand the power of strategic customer financing programs.

Qualified manufacturer/vendor candidates will typically meet the following criteria:

• Gross revenues of at least $20 million
• Sales are primarily (but not necessarily exclusively) within the U.S. or to U.S.-based companies abroad
• Most sales are made primarily directly to end users
  
• Equipment is sold to/used by companies within the following industries:
  
• Telecommunications
• Healthcare/Medical
• Clean Energy/Energy Efficiency
• Most other industries
• Equipment is sold to/used by companies within the following industries:
  
• Telecom
  
• Healthcare
  
• Clean Energy
  
• Computer/High Technology
  
• Manufacturing
• Machine Tools
  
• Materials Handling
  
• Corporate Aircraft
  
• Furniture and Fixtures
  
• Software and Services
  
• Other
• Sales price per transaction (not per item) is at least $250,000.
  
• Equipment is suitable for lease terms of 12 to 84 months.
  
• End customers of manufacturer/vendor are creditworthy.
  

Each Sentry vendor program is tailored to meet the specific requirements of our manufacturer/vendor client and its customers, and can be provided on a private label basis.  The essence of Sentry’s vendor programs is for the manufacturer/vendor to focus on what it knows best—its equipment and other products—and for Sentry to focus on what we know best—equipment leasing and finance. Our primary goal is to help you sell more equipment—more quickly and more profitably.

Our role is to manage the entire leasing and financing process and to assist your sales team in making sales, all in a seamless manner.

Your role is to manage the overall relationship and sales process with your customers and, with Sentry’s help, to integrate Sentry’s financing solutions into the sales process with your customers.

For more than three decades, Sentry has provided equipment financing both domestically and internationally.  With Sentry’s internal funding capacity and its access to the capital markets, Sentry is able to provide virtually unlimited financing almost anywhere in the world (if the financing customer is creditworthy).

Sentry’s list of finance products is extensive, including:

• Operating Leases
  
• Capital Leases
  
• Lease Lines of Credit
  
• Structured Leases
  
• Sale-leasebacks
  
• Full Service Leases
  
• Software and Services Financing
  
• Rentals
  
• First Amendment Leases
  
• Municipal Leases and Loans
  
• Fully amortizing and partially amortizing loans
  

Sentry will provide financial products and services under your brand (a private label program) or under Sentry’s brand, depending on your objectives and preferences. Under either approach, Sentry respects and protects the relationship that you have fostered with your customers. You remain the primary and direct contact with your customers and Sentry is your strategic partner.

In a private label program:

• The financing program will be operated under a name approved by you that is similar to your name, e.g., ABC Capital.
• All customer contact and materials are under the private label name, and include:
  
• Marketing and Collateral Materials,
  
• Communications (written, verbal, electronic), and
  
• Documents.
  

As a full service commercial finance company, Sentry has developed the complete infrastructure to take financing transactions from inception through completion.

Sentry’s Primary Roles:

• Marketing and sales support for your equipment;
  
• Training and education of your sales team on equipment leasing and finance;
  
• Technical structuring, pricing, and negotiations of lease/finance proposals;
  
• Credit underwriting;
  
• Preparation of proposals and lease documentation;
  
• Closing and payment to you;
  
• Servicing (including invoicing, collections, and tax collection, filing and remittance);
  
• Accounting and reporting; and
  
• Equipment management and re-marketing (jointly with you).
  

Your Primary Roles:

• Marketing and sales for your products and services;
  
• Introducing and promoting financing to your customers;
  
• Managing your customer relationships; and
  
• Equipment management and re-marketing (jointly with Sentry).
  

Your customers must meet Sentry’s applicable credit underwriting requirements:

‍Investment Grade

‍Companies that are Investment Grade have a relatively low risk profile with respect to compliance with their financial and other obligations under their financing transactions. For companies that have publicly-rated debt, the rating is at least BBB- (Standard and Poor’s) or Baa3 (Moody’s).

Investment grade companies that are not publicly rated will have financial ratios in line with the financial ratios of investment grade companies in their industry that are rated (but will typically be somewhat smaller in size than their rated counterparts), and

• Will have audited financial statements available for at least the past three years, which will demonstrate a strong capacity to meet their financial obligations; and
  
• Will have a demonstrated history of timely meeting their financial obligations.
  

Near-Investment Grade
‍
‍Companies that are Near-Investment Grade have a moderately higher risk profile than Investment Grade companies (they are more affected by the vicissitudes of the economy). For companies that have publicly rated debt, the rating is normally between B+ and BB+ (Standard and Poor’s) or B1 and Ba1 (Moody’s).

‍Near-Investment Grade companies that are not publicly rated will have financial ratios in line with the financial ratios of Near-Investment Grade companies in their industry that are rated (but will typically be somewhat smaller in size than their rated counterparts), and

• Will have audited financial statements available for at least the past three years, which will demonstrate a reasonable capacity to meet their financial obligations; and
  
• Will have a demonstrated history of generally meeting their financial obligations.
  

Creditworthy Middle Market Companies

‍Middle Market companies that are creditworthy are generally not rated and are ordinarily significantly smaller than rated companies.  Nevertheless, they will have:

• Financial ratios that are equivalent to companies that are B or higher (using an S&P equivalent rating system);
  
• At least three years of audited financial statements with a history of steady and improving earnings, positive cash flows from operations, and a pattern of growth;
  
• Stable or increasing operating income margins;
  
• A demonstrated history of timely meeting their financial obligations;
  
• Past and current compliance with any bank covenants to which they are subject; and
  
• A management team that is competent, knowledgeable and has a demonstrably successful track record.
  

To team up with Sentry and expand your sales by providing financing to your customers, simply review whether we are a fit.  If your company meets the guidelines, simply contact us, and we will begin our journey together.

Sentry’s thorough understanding of each client’s needs and objectives is the key to matching appropriate financing/leasing solutions to each client’s specific requirements. We listen, evaluate, and recommend flexible financing solutions at competitive rates. There are many reasons to work with Sentry for your next financing. Here are a few of the best:

‍One Convenient Source. Sentry is your single source for all of your equipment financing needs.

‍Simplicity. Equipment financing does not have to be complicated. We keep the process simple—even when the transaction is not.

‍Competitive Pricing. Competitive pricing and creative structures.

‍Flexibility. Tailored financing products to meet your specific needs.

‍Array of Equipment Types. The capacity to finance virtually any equipment type, as well as software and services.

‍Manage Technology Obsolescence. Maximize the useful life of your equipment and shift the equipment disposal hassles and risks to Sentry.

Our clients’ needs vary depending on the nature of their businesses and their particular objectives for the equipment to be financed. Sentry crafts its equipment financing solutions to meet those specific needs and objectives.

Our finance product offering is extensive. By teaming with Sentry, you will achieve an array of benefits. We’re better together—contact us today.

Sentry is actively seeking additional client lessees/borrowers who value long-term, mutually beneficial relationships. Our equipment user clients typically are investment grade, near-investment grade, middle market, and smaller but established creditworthy companies.

Sentry is also able to provide financing to some more challenging credits with appropriate credit enhancements, e.g., guarantees, letters of credit, security deposits, additional collateral, and the like.

Sentry’s typical financing transaction involves equipment with an installed cost of at least $250,000.00 (although there is no unequivocal minimum or maximum). For international transactions, the installed cost is generally at least $5 million.

Cash Preservation. Pay only for the use of the asset, not for the ownership; avoid tying up capital in assets, keep capital to build your business.

‍Liquidity Maintenance. No down payment necessary—Sentry can provide up to 100% financing.

‍Cash Flow/Budgeting. Receive longer-term, fixed-payments and potentially lower payments; the equipment pays for itself.

‍Alternate Source of Capital. Existing bank lines of credit are not impacted.

‍Off-balance Sheet Source of Funds. Improve ROE, ROA and many other financial ratios by utilizing lease financing instead of borrowing.
‍
‍Tax Advantages. Lease payments may be expensed depending on the structure of the specific financing. Leasing helps avoid Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT).

‍Equipment Obsolescence. Avoid the risk of owning and disposing of equipment that is no longer technologically useful or valuable. Upgrade, trade-in and return provisions provide maximum flexibility.

‍Flexibility and Convenience. Many services such as insurance, maintenance, and taxes can be included in the lease payment.

‍Capital Budgeting Constraints Relief. Acquire needed equipment outside of the capital budget, as lease payments are usually paid out of the operating budget.

‍Managed Services Agreement. As many companies move to an outsourced model for critical services, Sentry is able to structure equipment, software, and services relationships under a Managed Services Agreement, which can also avoid limitations imposed by capital budgets and operating leases.

As a full-service, independent commercial leasing company, Sentry has developed the complete infrastructure to meet and exceed your equipment financing and leasing needs, including:

• The capability to provide the full spectrum of financing and leasing solutions, from the basic to the extremely complex; and
  
• The ability to finance a broad range of equipment types.
  

Each Sentry financing transaction is tailored to meet your specific needs and objectives. We take a very collaborative approach to our customer and business relationships. Our professionals will work together with yours to accomplish your objectives and to solve the problems and issues that arise along the way.

Give us the opportunity to prove ourselves; the result will be a long term, win-win relationship between our two companies.

For more than three decades, Sentry has provided equipment financing both domestically and internationally. With Sentry’s internal funding capacity and its access to the capital markets, Sentry is able to provide virtually unlimited financing almost anywhere in the world (if the financing customer is creditworthy), but most of our business originates in the United States.

Sentry’s list of finance products is extensive, including:

• Operating Leases
  
• Capital Leases
  
• Lease Lines of Credit
  
• Structured Leases
  
• Sale-leasebacks
  
• Full Service Leases
  
• Software and Services Financing
  
• Rentals
  
• First Amendment Leases
  
• Municipal Leases and Loans
  
• Fully amortizing and partially amortizing loans
  

Since 1986, Sentry has financed a broad variety of equipment types, including the following equipment types:

• Agriculture
  
• Airlines
  
• Alternative energy
  
• Automotive
  
• Banking
  
• Broadcast
  
• Communications
  
• Construction
  
• Corporate Aircraft
  
• Food Production and Distribution
  
• Furniture and Fixtures
  
• Healthcare/Medical
  
• Machine Tools
  
• Manufacturing
  
• Materials Handling
  
• Point-of-sale
  
• Software
  
• Telecommunications
  

There are almost no restrictions on the type of equipment Sentry can finance if the overall transaction makes sense. However, due to the effect of the fossil fuel industry on the global warming crisis, Sentry does not provide financing to companies involved in fossil fuel exploration, production, or distribution.

For companies with rated debt, the rating should be at least B2 Stable (Moody’s) or B Stable (Standard & Poor’s). For companies without rated debt, Sentry will utilize its internal rating system, which is similar to the Moody’s and S&P ratings models. Therefore, the Sentry rating should be at least B Stable based on audited financial statements. If a company does not meet that rating threshold, Sentry may be willing to pursue the financing transaction if, with appropriate structuring, the transaction, as opposed to the company, is rated at least B Stable.

To obtain leasing or financing solutions for your equipment needs, please review whether we’re a fit. If your company meets the guidelines, simply contact us, or complete a financing application and we will begin our journey together.

In short, to be more profitable and more competitive!

By partnering with Sentry, your bank will:

• Enter the leasing market with ease, with little cost, and almost immediately;
• Offer the full spectrum of leasing products to your customers and prospects;
  
• Add limited, if any, personnel and systems (platforms) to your existing infrastructure;
  
• Control your operating costs;
  
• Generate instant leasing expertise and credibility at all levels;
  
• Obtain the benefit of best practices in lease structuring, documentation, and marketing and sales management;
  
• Receive access to equipment management and re-marketing capabilities, capital investment, and other financial resources;
  
• Improve your profitability, and add on- and off-balance sheet value; and
  
• Avoid assuming the equipment residual risk—Sentry takes it!
  

Sentry is actively seeking additional regional banks and larger community banks who understand the power of offering their customers and prospects the full spectrum of equipment leasing and financing products. Qualified bank partners will typically meet the following criteria:

• Have total assets of at least $1 billion,
  
• Have significant focus on commercial banking, and
  
• Have creditworthy customers with significant capital equipment needs, or
  
• Have customers that are manufacturers or vendors of suitable equipment for a vendor financing program.
  

Each Sentry Bank Program is tailored to meet the specific requirements of our bank clients and their customers, and can be provided on a private label basis or by Sentry as a strategic bank partner. Sentry Bank Programs are also designed for banks that already offer some leasing products. We also offer programs that enable our bank partners to offer vendor finance programs to their manufacturer/vendor customers.

The essence of a Sentry Bank Program is for you to focus on what you know best (your customers and their banking needs) and for Sentry to focus on what we know best (equipment leasing and finance).  Our primary goal is to:

• Support your commercial bankers’ efforts to establish new customer relationships,
  
• Enhance existing relationships, and
  
• Cross-sell bank products,
  

all in a manner that builds your bankers’ loan portfolios.

Let us show you how!

‍Our role is to manage the entire leasing and financing process and to assist your commercial bankers in meeting the equipment financing needs of your customers and prospects, all in a seamless manner.

‍Your role (and that of your commercial bankers) is to promote equipment leasing and financing to your customers and prospects and to manage the overall banking relationship with your customers and prospects.

For more than three decades, Sentry has provided equipment financing both domestically and internationally. The list of finance products that Sentry is able to offer through a bank program to your bank’s customers is extensive and includes:

• Operating Leases
  
• Capital Leases
  
• Lease Lines of Credit
  
• Structured Leases
  
• Sale-leasebacks
  
• Full Service Leases
  
• Software and Services Financing
  
• Rentals
  
• First Amendment Leases
  
• Municipal Leases and Loans
  
• Fully amortizing and partially amortizing loans
  

Benefits to You, the Bank

• Offer your customers and prospects the full spectrum of equipment leasing and financing products;
  
• Use leasing to create new relationships and attract new customers (it is much easier to establish a new customer relationship via a leasing transaction than it is to persuade a prospective customer to move its banking relationship from its existing bank to yours);
  
• Retain customers that may be, or are, already leasing elsewhere. Your competition is providing leasing—keep them out of your customers’ wallets;
  
• Maintain relationships that outgrow the Bank’s lending limits by Sentry funding the lease in whole or part and the Bank retaining servicing and the customer relationship;
  
• Compete more effectively for quality credit relationships;
  
• Book loans in the commercial bankers’ portfolios for each lease written; and
  
• Maintain or improve asset yields without incurring incremental costs.
  

Benefits to Your Customers

• All of your customers’ equipment leasing and financing needs are served by you, their bank; and
  
• Your customers avoid the hassle of dealing with an unknown leasing company.
  

As banks seek opportunities to retain customers and to grow market share by attracting new customers, the popularity of equipment leasing and financing is rapidly growing as a core product offering within banks.

Bank leasing volume has increased three times faster than commercial and industrial loans.

Bank lessors provided the largest share of new lease volume within the entire leasing industry.

The top 50 bank lessors have well over $100 billion in leased equipment on their books.

Your competition is providing leasing!

Absolutely. Sentry will provide financial services and products under your brand (a private label program) or under Sentry’s brand, depending on your objectives. Under either approach, Sentry protects the relationship that you have fostered with your customers. You remain the primary and direct contact with your customers and Sentry is your equipment leasing and financing strategic partner.

Key features of our Private Label Program include:

• The financing program is operated under your brand: a name approved by you that is similar to your name (e.g., Bank Leasing Company);
  
• All customer contact and materials are under the private label name, including:
  
• Marketing and Collateral Materials,
  
• Communications (written, verbal, electronic), and
  
• Financing Documents.
  

In cases where a bank client already offers some equipment leasing products, Sentry develops a leasing program that supplements and dovetails with the bank’s existing products. The benefits to your bank include:

• The ability to supplement your leasing products using a menu approach that enables the bank to select the supplemental products it desires to offer to its customers, including:
  
• Operating leases,
  
• Manufacturer/Vendor leasing programs,
  
• Sale-leasebacks,
  
• Capital leases,
  
• Municipal leases, and
  
• Government leases;
  
• Bank books loans (not leases);
  
• Bank manages customer relationships; and
  
• Sentry manages everything else.
  

As a full-service finance company, Sentry has developed the complete infrastructure to take financing transactions from inception through completion.

Sentry’s Primary Roles:

• Coordinating with you to develop a sales/marketing plan for the leasing division;
  
• Training your commercial bankers and other personnel;
  
• Marketing and sales support (in-market and remote), including developing sales materials;
  
• Lease proposal structuring and pricing;
  
• Funding the equity portion of operating leases (in an operating lease, the present value of the lease payments is less than the equipment’s purchase price. The difference between the purchase price and the present value is the “equity.” The return of and on equity is derived from the residual value of the equipment at the expiration of the initial lease term. Sentry takes the residual value risk!);
  
• Funding the payment stream portion of leases in whole or in part if you are at your comfort level or legal lending limit with a particular customer;
  
• Preparing lease documentation;
  
• Equipment evaluation, management, and re-marketing;
  
• Servicing (including lease payment invoicing and collections, and sales/use/property tax registration, billing, collection and remittance); and
  
• Accounting and reporting.
  

Your Primary Roles:

• Designating a primary contact at the Bank for the Leasing Program;
  
• Promoting equipment leasing and financing to your bankers and your customers;
  
• Underwriting the credit risk on each transaction;
  
• Funding the lease transactions through a term loan equal to the present value of the lease payment stream at your funding rate. This loan is booked in your commercial banker’s portfolio, thereby creating the proper incentives to provide your customer with the financing product that best meets its needs;
  
• Maintaining the customer relationship; and
  
• At your option, investing in part of the equity portion of operating leases.
  

Because your commercial banker will book a loan in his/her portfolio for each equipment leasing or financing transaction written, the creditworthiness of the Bank’s customer or prospect must meet the applicable credit underwriting requirements of your Bank.

On those equipment leasing or financing transactions where the Bank decides not to book a loan in the commercial banker’s portfolio (e.g., where the Bank is at its credit limit with a particular customer), the Bank’s customer or prospect must meet Sentry’s applicable credit underwriting requirements.

To begin your Bank Leasing Program with Sentry, simply review whether we’re a fit. If your bank meets the guidelines, simply contact us, and we will begin our journey together.

Teaming up with Sentry expands your capabilities.

By partnering with Sentry, you will:

• Grow your business more rapidly;
  
• Expand your funding capacity;
• Reduce your overall risk and exposure through diversification of your lease portfolio;
  
• Offer your customers a broader range of financing structures and services;
  
• Create true leverage in investing your equity capital;
  
• Generate a disproportionate share of upside on your equity investments;
  
• Retain tax benefits on certain transactions;
  
• Add the knowledge base and skills of Sentry to your team:
  
• Obtain the benefit of best practices in lease structuring, documentation, and marketing and sales management; and
  
• Receive access to equipment management and re-marketing capabilities, capital investment and other financial resources.
  

Our finance product offering is extensive and we will work with you to deliver the best lease or finance structures for your customers.

Sentry is actively seeking additional JV Partners who desire to better serve their customers, to grow their companies, and to diversify and leverage their own portfolios.  Qualified JV Partners will typically:

• Have direct relationships with creditworthy customers;
  
• Desire to maintain and safeguard their relationships with their customers;
  
• Want a partner who can provide debt and equity financing, and (where desired) other services and support; and
  
• Want to diversify and leverage their own equity portfolios.
  

Sentry is also willing to simply purchase lease and finance transactions from leasing companies and brokers.

Sentry also collaborates with larger leasing companies, bank leasing companies, captive finance companies, and other institutional partners seeking investors or buyers of their lease transactions or portfolios for one reason or another (e.g., credit limits, asset concentrations, restrictions on equity investments in certain asset types).

Each Sentry JV Program is tailored to meet the specific requirements of our JV Partner and its customers. The essence of Sentry’s JV Program is for you to focus on what you do best (originating financing transactions and managing your customer relationships), and for Sentry to focus on what we do best (transaction pricing and structuring, documentation, funding, servicing and re-marketing).

Our primary goal is to enhance your structuring and funding capabilities so that you are able to increase the volume of leasing and financing to your customers and to diversify and leverage your equity dollars.

‍Our role is to assist you in meeting the equipment financing needs of your customers, including assisting with transaction pricing and structuring, preparing or reviewing the lease documentation, and providing the debt and equity financing.

‍Your role is to originate equipment leasing and financing transactions and to manage the relationships with your customers.

For more than three decades, Sentry has provided equipment financing both domestically and internationally. The list of finance products that Sentry is able to offer through a JV Program is extensive and includes:

• Operating Leases
  
• Capital Leases
  
• Lease Lines of Credit
  
• Structured Leases
  
• Sale-leasebacks
  
• Full Service Leases
  
• Software and Services Financing
  
• Rentals
  
• First Amendment Leases
  
• Municipal Leases and Loans
  
• Fully amortizing and partially amortizing loans
  

Since 1986, Sentry has financed a broad variety of equipment types, including the following equipment types:

• Agriculture
  
• Airlines
  
• Alternative energy
  
• Automotive
  
• Banking
  
• Broadcast
  
• Communications
  
• Construction
  
• Corporate Aircraft
  
• Food Production and Distribution
  
• Furniture and Fixtures
  
• Healthcare/Medical
  
• Machine Tools
  
• Manufacturing
  
• Materials Handling
  
• Point-of-sale
  
• Software
  
• Telecommunications
  

There is no restriction on the type of equipment Sentry can finance, although Sentry does not finance equipment for use in the fossil fuel industries.

• Offer your customers the full spectrum of equipment leasing and financing products;
  
• Compete more effectively for quality relationships;
  
• Increase your transaction volume;
  
• Protect your customer relationships;
  
• Expand your financing capabilities;
  
• Leverage your equity investment dollars;
  
• Obtain the benefit of best practices in lease structuring, documentation, and marketing and sales management;
  
• Receive access to equipment management and re-marketing capabilities, capital investment and other financial resources; and
  
• Select from a menu of services provided by Sentry.
  

Our roles in a lease company/broker finance program can include:

• Proposal structuring and pricing,
  
• Preparation of proposals and lease documentation,
  
• Funding the debt portion and some or all of the equity portion of true lease transactions (also known as FMV, “equity,” operating, and tax leases, among other names),
  
• Equipment evaluation, management, and re-marketing,
  
• Servicing (including lease payment invoicing and collections, and sales/use/property tax registration, billing, collection and remittance), and
  
• Accounting and reporting.
  

Your roles can include:

• Originating equipment lease and financing transactions;
  
• Maintaining customer relationships;
  
• Providing your portion, if any, of the “equity” investment; and
  
• Collaborating with Sentry on re-marketing the equipment at the end of the initial lease term.
  

In addition to Sentry’s expansive funding capabilities, Sentry has developed a flexible, comprehensive suite of services that adds value to our JV Partner’s organization.  Each program is tailored to the unique requirements and objectives of each JV Partner.  Sentry provides these services in a discrete and professional way that is seamless to your customers and protects and supports the relationship between you and your customer.

Sentry’s menu of services includes the following:

• Funding the debt portion of transactions;
  
• Funding some or all of the equity portion of transactions;
  
• Transaction structuring and pricing;
  
• Credit underwriting;
  
• Residual value analysis;
  
• Documentation;
  
• Invoicing and collections;
  
• Sales, use and property tax processing; and
  
• End-of-term re-marketing.
  

Under our JV Program, Sentry will typically fund the payment stream or “debt” side of a lease transaction at a market rate on a non-recourse basis and will fund between 50% and 90% of the total “equity” required in the transaction. The remaining portion of the required equity is funded by our JV Partner.

Through Sentry’s JV Program, our JV Partners can participate in two to ten times as many true lease transactions as they otherwise could with the same “equity” dollars. Occasionally, transactions are too large or are outside of the comfort zone of our JV Partner, in which case Sentry may fund the entire transaction.

On transactions where we co-invest on the “equity,” the net residual value is shared commensurate with the risks and rewards, generally on a pro rata basis.

Depending on the overall structure of the particular JV Program and how the responsibilities are shared between Sentry and our JV Partner, our JV Partner is often paid an upfront lease origination fee.

Sentry has been offering its JV Program for over 30 years. We consciously protect the relationship that our JV Partners foster with their customers. You remain the primary and direct contact with your customers, which allows you to manage the sales and origination processes with Sentry assisting in the background.

This arrangement, combined with the ability to participate in a greater number of transactions as well as transactions of greater size and complexity, means that you may expand the number and depth of your customer relationships.

Your customers must meet Sentry’s applicable credit underwriting requirements:

‍Investment Grade

‍Companies that are Investment Grade have a relatively low risk profile with respect to compliance with their financial and other obligations under their financing transactions. For companies that have publicly-rated debt, the rating is at least BBB- (Standard and Poor’s) or Baa3 (Moody’s).

Investment grade companies that are not publicly rated will have financial ratios in line with the financial ratios of investment grade companies in their industry that are rated (but will typically be somewhat smaller in size than their rated counterparts), and

• Will have audited financial statements available for at least the past three years, which will demonstrate a strong capacity to meet their financial obligations; and
  
• Will have a demonstrated history of timely meeting their financial obligations.
  

Near-Investment Grade
‍
‍Companies that are Near-Investment Grade have a moderately higher risk profile than Investment Grade companies (they are more affected by the vicissitudes of the economy). For companies that have publicly rated debt, the rating is normally between B+ and BB+ (Standard and Poor’s) or B1 and Ba1 (Moody’s).

‍Near-Investment Grade companies that are not publicly rated will have financial ratios in line with the financial ratios of Near-Investment Grade companies in their industry that are rated (but will typically be somewhat smaller in size than their rated counterparts), and

• Will have audited financial statements available for at least the past three years, which will demonstrate a reasonable capacity to meet their financial obligations; and
  
• Will have a demonstrated history of generally meeting their financial obligations.
  

Creditworthy Middle Market Companies

‍Middle Market companies that are creditworthy are generally not rated and are ordinarily significantly smaller than rated companies.  Nevertheless, they will have:

• Financial ratios that are equivalent to companies that are B or higher (using an S&P equivalent rating system);
  
• At least three years of audited financial statements with a history of steady and improving earnings, positive cash flows from operations, and a pattern of growth;
  
• Stable or increasing operating income margins;
  
• A demonstrated history of timely meeting their financial obligations;
  
• Past and current compliance with any bank covenants to which they are subject; and
  
• A management team that is competent, knowledgeable and has a demonstrably successful track record.
  

To begin your JV Program with Sentry, simply review whether we’re a fit.  If your company meets the guidelines, simply contact us, and we will begin our journey together.