Wall Panel Technology Prequel: Birth of the Component Industry Joe Kannapell Prefabricated wall panels made their first big impact under a government program in World War II. In 1942, the federal government began contracting with 50 existing prefab housing plants to deliver dwellings for 42,000 wartime workers. Since this work was highly repetitive and required rapid... Read More March 2024 Issue #16296 Page 10
A Closer Look into 2024 Carl Villella Over the last few months, we have seen rates drop for those seeking to finance new or used equipment. Economists are pointing to even lower rates as the year goes on, but of course that will depend on whether the economy continues its downward inflation trend or not, on its way to the 2%... Read More March 2024 Issue #16296 Page 59
Deals Report 2023: Tracking the Openings, Closings, and Acquisitions Craig Webb The construction supply industry saw high lending rates and a relative lack of big transactions result in 22% fewer deals involving 2.6% fewer locations in 2023 vs. 2022. There also were 10% fewer buyers, with several big players barely present. But greenfield openings, while down 5% from 2022,... Read More March 2024 Issue #16296 Page 98
What’s the Difference Between a Lease and a Loan? Carl Villella The question of what’s the difference between a lease and a loan comes up often, and there are some clear differences that can affect how a client decides to finance their commercial equipment. When a client decides to lease equipment, they make regular lease payments for the right to... Read More February 2024 Issue #16295 Page 59
A Mixed Start to 2024 Lesko Financial Services Team Beginnings always feed the temptation to look ahead and make predictions, and recent economic news, podcasts, and websites have featured their fill. 2024 went out on a fairly positive note and it was tempting to try to extend that optimism beyond the first few weeks of January. But despite... Read More February 2024 Issue #16295 Page 64
What You Can Expect in 2024 Carl Villella According to the research team at Goldman Sachs, we can expect healthy growth in 2024, with the economy growing by 2.1%. Most of the problems that would lead to higher inflation, such as an overheated labor market, are gone. And as a result, the probability of a recession in 2024 is much... Read More January 2024 Issue #16294 Page 59
Taking a Look at the Section 179 Deduction Carl Villella As the fiscal year draws to a close, it may be worth considering Section 179 to lower your tax burden for 2023. To refresh your memory, Section 179 allows a business to deduct the full purchase price of certain equipment for the year it was put in service. By deducting the full purchase... Read More December 2023 Issue #15293 Page 57
Are Current Interest Rates Affecting Business? Carl Villella Over the last few months, we’ve been adjusting the rates on our factor sheet upwards as the Fed continued to raise interest rates. The Fed has now raised its target rate to the highest level in 22 years, to 5.50%. Despite the higher rates, we have not seen the demand for funding slowing... Read More November 2023 Issue #15292 Page 61
Surprising Resilience Tempered By Lingering Pressures in Quarter 4 Lesko Financial Services Team As the Fourth Quarter got underway, there were strong signs that the U.S. economy remains resilient, despite stock market volatility and consumers beginning to express some wobbles in confidence. But the crisis in the Middle East, political divisiveness in the U.S., and chaotic developments... Read More November 2023 Issue #15292 Page 78
Why Your Local Bank May Not Be Your Best Option Carl Villella It’s easy to consider the bank down the block for your financing needs. After all, it’s close and you know the bank manager; it seems like you’re at the branch a lot dealing with the in’s and out’s of everyday business. But, is that bank always your best option for... Read More October 2023 Issue #15291 Page 77