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CLN: What kinds of brands and operators are you looking to work with? We work with both the larger players as well as the smaller high-growth companies in the Canadian market. In fact, some of our most successful client relationships are with clients who started from a small base, and worked with us to develop their portfolios and brands. We’re seeking companies with high growth potential. The first step we take in establishing a financing program is to sit with the franchisors and make sure we know
all we can about the system, performance, and development goals and needs so that we can align financing structures accordingly. We do not take a cookie-cutter approach to lending within a brand, which is a key differentiator; and can be limiting to a multi-unit franchisee with embedded equity that wants to grow faster. We take the time to assess each brand and the specific operator needs within them.
About Ed Khediguian, Senior Vice President Well known on the conference circuit and on social media sites, Ed has more than 20 years of experience in the lodging, hospitality and restaurant industry. Prior to joining CWB, Ed led GE Capital’s Franchise Finance division for more than 12 years. He has both a Master’s of Management in Hospitality from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Management and a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance from McGill University.
CLN: So once you have vetted the brands, what kind of transactions do you look to do? We provide term lending for recapitalization, acquisition, or shareholder buyouts of assets and businesses, development lines for new store and hotel development, and for remodels and construction financing. In the restaurant sector, we also provide corporate lending for small to large regional and national high growth franchisors and
corporate store system companies, focused on providing the growth capital to the up and coming concepts. Now that we’re part of CWB, we are able to offer clients even more in terms of a complete banking relationship with cash management, deposits, and wealth management as well.
CLN: Where do you see the business in five years’ time? Our goal is to establish a brand equity and awareness centered around specialization to the hotel and restaurant sectors, a high level of capability in execution, and consistency throughout the cycle. We want to be the lender that takes the right swings with a value-creating product for the right operators, and brands that are growing. We expect to grow our book rapidly in a prudent and diligent manner over
the next few years. Solid credit quality comes from taking the time and effort to understand what is going on in the industry, from both a micro and macro perspective. We’ve got the right team, the right alignment under CWB, and we’re ready to provide accretive financing structures and products for restaurant and hotel operators across the country.
CWB’S CORE VALUES “Joining forces with the CWB Franchise Finance team was a big win for CWB in 2016 as we continue to deliver on our established commercial banking growth and geographic diversification strategy,” says Chris Fowler, CWB’s president and chief executive officer. “Our competitive strength has always been based on specialized industry knowledge and a targeted approach to niche markets, so it’s a great fit that allows us to expand our client offering. We’re also proud of our unique, award-winning culture that is based on putting people first, something that we also share with Ed and his team.”
www.cwbfranchise.com