Alliance Partners, the asset manager for the pioneering BancAlliance network which has grown to include 56 banks across the country, announced today the addition of an established equipment finance lending team to complement the existing corporate finance lending platform. This news follows the successful completion of a $150 million capital raise last week, which is already enabling the delivery of a broader range of commercial loans and other products to BancAlliance member banks.
 
The equipment finance team will help BancAlliance members serve American companies that are investing significantly in the capital equipment required for their growth and success. The team will focus on loans ranging in size from $5 to $100 million, and is led by Managing Director Jay Squiers, and Directors Jim Lyons and Drew Hayes. Together, this leadership team brings a wealth of commercial origination and management experience to BancAlliance, comprising a combined 65 years of commercial lending experience. All three individuals were previously employed by CSG Investments, an affiliate of Beal Bank in Plano, TX.
 
"We are proud to be joined by this respected and experienced equipment finance lending team," said Brian Graham, President of Alliance Partners. "The rapid growth of BancAlliance - in terms of both member banks and diversity of borrowers - demonstrates the important value the network delivers to banks and American businesses. We will continue to add market-leading lending platforms in service to the BancAlliance member banks."

"We believe that our experience with equipment finance loans, commercial asset origination and loan portfolio management will afford our member banks the diversification and incremental returns they desire to compete with their larger  competitors," said Mr. Squiers. "BancAlliance members will have access to loans backed by durable, value-added equipment with an initial focus on the transportation, construction, manufacturing, energy, healthcare and agriculture sectors."
 
BancAlliance is a consortium of leading community and regional banks organized to evaluate and fund corporate commercial and industrial (C&I) loans and related services designed to improve the safety, profitability, and competitiveness of community banks. The BancAlliance platform allows members to access high quality loans, deploy excess liquidity, and increase profitability. BancAlliance's governance and credit management standards promote prudent diversification in a manner consistent with the highest regulatory standards - without changing the nature or mission of the community bank.
 
BancAlliance was founded by John Delaney, a financial services entrepreneur who founded and led two successful NYSE-listed financial services firms and Lee Sachs, former Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, in December 2010. Member institutions represent many of the nation's strongest banks, and typically range in size from $200 million to $10 billion in assets. The collective lending capacity of the membership makes BancAlliance equivalent to one of the 50 largest banks in the country.

BancAlliance is governed by a Board of Directors composed of nine member banks, elected annually by the members of BancAlliance, and two representatives from Alliance Partners. Loan opportunities are identified, underwritten and serviced by Alliance Partners in accordance with the underwriting and credit policies and procedures adopted by the BancAlliance Board of Directors.

The BancAlliance network is a shared commercial and industrial (C&I) loan platform that identifies, evaluates, and refers loan opportunities to its community and regional bank members. The network enables members, the banks that direct the network's activities, to both acquire high-quality commercial and industrial loans and develop relationships with larger borrowers in their market. BancAlliance has more than 50 member banks, located in 26 states, with over $2 billion allocated to the program. For more information, visit www.bancalliance.com.