GE Capital, Franchise Finance (GEFF) announced that it has expanded its team of account executives to focus on developing relationships with the next generation of restaurant operators nationwide.

To lead this initiative, Allen Johnson has been promoted to managing director of new relationship development in the U.S. He oversees a team of account executives who are responsible for establishing connections with operators who need financing beyond what may be available from the Small Business Administration and local banks.

“There’s tremendous potential among entrepreneurial franchisees that are actively planning to grow, and we want to be available to help them over the long term,” said Trey Brown, GEFF’s sales leader. “They can capitalize on the benefits of working with a financial institution that has more than 30 years’ experience serving this industry. I couldn’t be more excited about this team and the opportunity it represents for our business and our industry.”

In addition to working with a stable and financially secure lender that brings a disciplined approach to the business, operators receive access to GEFF’s proprietary industry research and cutting-edge digital tools such as SmartChart™, which helps them manage and build their businesses by allowing comparisons of various metrics, such as cost of goods sold (COGS) and labor, among others. Like the Chain Restaurant Industry Review, its annual in-depth restaurant industry analysis, SmartChart is only available to GEFF customers.

“The U.S. economy continues to strengthen, and the public’s interest in dining away from home shows no signs of abating,” said Todd S. Jones, senior managing director of brand management at GEFF. “We’ve analyzed the current market dynamics and we’re excited to provide financing to more operators.”

Prior to his new role, Johnson was a vice president and account executive responsible for originating new transactions in the western U.S. Prior to that, Johnson held roles of increasing responsibility within GEFF. He joined the business in June 2001 as a risk professional.