This article is part of our series, Lessons From Over 20 Years of Equipment Financing, where Commercial Credit Group (CCG) leadership shares insights on building resilient businesses. Drawing from decades of experience, we explore the principles that help equipment owners thrive through market cycles and industry change.
This article draws on insights from industry leaders, including Executive Vice President Don Pokorny, Senior Vice President Kevin McGinn, Vice President of Collections Rob Hart, and Documentation Training Specialist Donnette Allen. Their decades of experience in equipment financing provide a unique perspective on sustainable growth strategies.
When we asked industry leaders what separates successful financing relationships from those that fail, one theme stood out: trust and transparency. In a world driven by automation and algorithms, it’s easy to forget the value of a human connection. Over the last 20+ years of financing equipment, we’ve learned an important lesson—relationships matter. Financing isn’t just a transaction; it’s a partnership built between the business owner and the financing team. This partnership helps companies weather market cycles, economic shifts, and unexpected challenges.
In equipment financing, where capital-intensive assets and long-term commitments are at stake, trust is more than a virtue; it’s a prerequisite. The speed and cost of financing may influence decisions, but character ultimately determines whether a partnership thrives or collapses under pressure. As Senior Vice President Kevin McGinn explains:
“If you are not comfortable the character of a potential customer, you shouldn’t be doing business with them.”
The real return on investment for both parties lies in relationships anchored in integrity that build over time, rather than fracture under strain.
Executive Vice President Don Pokorny echoes this principle when asked what insight he feels equipment owners should know:
“Integrity—maintain it in your relationships, even when times are tough. That’s the key.”
In other words, trust isn’t a soft skill; it’s the foundation of sustainable success.
Trust and transparency are inseparable. When businesses ignore problems or offer half-truths, minor issues can escalate into crises.
Vice President of Collections Robert Hart deals with customers on a daily basis and stresses that honesty is essential:
“Don’t tell me what you think I want to hear. Be honest, and we can work with you.”
His advice reflects a practical reality—early disclosure and discussion of potential payment challenges or operational hurdles enables lenders to craft solutions, whether by offering restructuring terms or devising creative strategies to keep a customer’s operations moving. Silence, by contrast, erodes confidence. Transparency extends beyond financial statements; it encompasses clarity in every interaction, from equipment specifications to insurance coverage. Accuracy matters because surprises during documentation or closing can derail or delay transactions that should have proceeded seamlessly.
Even in a fast-paced, technology-driven world, proactive communication remains the cornerstone of successful financing relationships.
Communication is not merely reactive; it is anticipatory. It involves establishing a cadence of updates, asking questions, and sharing information before a problem manifests itself.
As Documentation Training Specialist Donnette Allen advises:
“Ask questions—don’t be afraid to communicate. The way people do business is changing.”
Digital tools, such as portals, e-signatures, and automated reminders, enhance efficiency, but they should never supplant human dialogue. A brief phone call or video conference often resolves complexities that a dozen emails cannot. Automation can process data. Algorithms can calculate risk. But neither can cultivate trust. In equipment financing and in business in general, trust and transparency remain the ultimate differentiators.
Now is the time to audit your partnerships. Are they grounded in these principles? If not, reconsider who you entrust with your business. Sustainable success depends on more than numbers; it depends on relationships forged in integrity, strengthened by transparency, and sustained through communication.
Executive Vice President
Don joined CCG in 2005. He began his career in equipment finance with Orix Credit Alliance Inc. in 1984, holding various positions. In 1994, Don joined Financial Federal Credit Inc. as Vice President of Credit and Operations of the Chicago Business Center and was later given the responsibility of starting and managing the large-ticket syndication group, as well as developing the company’s internet business. Don earned his BS in finance, his MBA from the University of Missouri, and a Master’s Degree in accounting from Keller College. He is also a licensed CPA in Illinois.
Senior Vice President – National Accounts & National Waste Division
Kevin McGinn co-founded the company in 2004 and now serves as Senior Vice President – National Accounts & National Waste Division. Prior to co-founding the company, Kevin began his career in 1992 as a Credit Analyst with the Chicago office of Financial Federal Credit Inc. and relocated to Charlotte, NC, in 1994, where he acted as Operations Manager for the Southeast construction and transportation equipment financing segments and the nationwide waste equipment financing division. He was later promoted to manage the entire waste equipment finance division for the company. Kevin earned his BS in Finance and Marketing degree from the University of Iowa and his MBA from Queens University.
Rob Hart
Vice President of Collections