WS Capital Series Fund LLC (WS Capital), which invests in high growth, private corporate entities and Owner Tom Signorelli are rolling out an equipment leasing division that will focus on alternative assets, including aircraft and marine assets. The new initiative will add to the company's existing leasing activities.
Signorelli explains that the fractionalized aircraft ownership space is growing at a rate the company has not seen before. "There is a real niche for smaller operators offering flexible plans to their customer base. These smaller operators need financing for their fleet," he said. "We are focusing on high quality assets that have limited hours with updated avionics. The non-owner flier is an underserved market as it relates to financing assets in the $3 million to $9 million range."
WS Capital also funded a $14 million manufacturing contract in the food service industry. The company's primary initiative is to provide liquidity and fixed asset finance to the consumer product space, so this announcement was significant for WS Capital, whose team was especially happy to finance a company in their heritage space.
WS Capital is building on its momentum from 2022, including its recent funding of two healthcare properties: the Pathways Family Medical Center in Oakdale, CA, and a holistic treatment center's real estate acquisition in Lake Worth, Florida. The two closings added an additional $12 million to WS Capital's portfolio and represented the first stage of the company's plans for investing in medical centers through its healthcare finance group. WS Capital is now focused on closing on a large group of surgery centers. Its ultimate goal is to offer its potential investors assets that are diverse and flexible.
In 2023, WS Capital will also be working in the Marcellus Basin to lay approximately 18 wells in the ground. The company has taken a $15 million position in oil and natural gas and is partnering with an operator to develop the wells in the Eastern United States. Additionally, WS Capital will continue to assist its middle-market borrowers and investors with the $100 million in corporate financings it placed with Qenta Bank.
"We are excited about our plans for 2023 and WS Capital, including our new equipment leasing division," said Signorelli. "We hope that by diversifying and growing our own portfolio, we will be able to serve our valued customers even better."