“We have been collaborating with ECS Debt Advisory for over six years now. ECS earns its reputation as a trusted partner with each financing. We appreciate them, our lenders respect them, and our portfolio companies’ management teams enjoy having ECS’s corporate finance team serving them. Everybody wins.”
— Aaron Garcia, Partner Main Post Partners - www.mainpostpartners.com
“I am thrilled with the outcome and the speed of execution. ECS Debt Advisory executed our financing in an expert turn-key fashion in 40 days.”
— Mark Moses, Founder and CEO CEO Coaching International www.ceocoachinginternational.com
“AV Capital has worked with ECS Advisory on several middle-market debt financings, including our recently closed transaction for American Insulated Glass. I particularly appreciate and value their efforts to fully understand our portfolio companies’ strategic, capital, and operating dynamics; they think like the business’s equity owners, which is quite refreshing. Their seamless process from underwriting to assistance with post-close compliance reporting, allows our management teams to focus on running their business with limited distractions. In every case, ECS has exceeded our high expectations for best-in-market execution.”
— Vernon Bryant, Managing Partner AV Capital av.capital/
“We have historically completed our financings internally, but chose in this case to partner with ECS so we could allocate our resources to high value strategy and operational initiatives. The financing was a great outcome for us and our portfolio company. ECS has closed billions in financings, and we benefited from their “significant purchasing power” through their long-term house lending relationships.”
— Carter Harned Infinedi Partners
“Our introduction to the ECS team this year marked a turning point in our capital formation strategy. ECS utilized it’s superior knowledge of the debt capital markets to source unique financing we had previously never utilized and closed on a facility in record time, accelerating our ability to hit our growth plans. Working with ECS has provided our team with a unique competitive advantage in an otherwise challenging financing environment.”
— Dr. Bharat Sangani, Chairman Encore Enterprises encore.bz/
“The ECS team worked extensively to put in place the appropriate facility to service our operating and financial needs. ECS took full charge with the lenders to triangulate the right structure, leading the way through closing and final funding – all during a challenging market environment (e.g., COVID-19).”
— Michael Wilson, CEO Healthcare Highways www.healthcarehighways.com
“The ECS value proposition is squarely focused on delivering a superior debt financing not readily available to most borrowers. Our portfolio company realized a transformative financing few thought possible and importantly, the transaction offered us significant tactical flexibility to optimize growth and execute against strategic opportunities. From start to finish, the ECS process was handled with great precision, integrity and flawless execution.”
— Joe Aragona, General Partner Austin Ventures av.capital/
“Pete is an energetic, creative, and talented debt capital professional. Pete sees it from both sides and understands what creative concepts are possible. For our acquisition financing, he was highly efficient in getting the deal closed and funded.
Pete’s efforts allowed us to focus our energy towards high value creation opportunities with our management team while he handled the financing in a turn-key fashion. I appreciate Pete’s insight regarding creative financing in our lower middle market space.”
— Sean Honey, Managing Partner & Founder Main Post Partners www.mainpostpartners.com
“I’m very happy that we hired Pete— he always kept us a few moves ahead of the process. In a short couple of months, Pete structured three different financing solutions to support our needs. Initially, we engaged Pete to structure an acquisition facility to compete with the PE-owned operators in our space. As we began to consider partnering with a PE firm, Pete put together a dividend recap option as a back-up in case we didn’t consummate the transaction. And ultimately, when we partnered with Main Post Partners, Pete led the financing process and delivered a best in class acquisition facility.
I would recommend Pete to any operator looking to improve their financing situation. Pete was able to get us financing terms (pricing and covenant flexibility) as if we were a PE-owned company well before we considered doing a deal with a PE partner.”
— John Wynne, CEO & Founder Fortis Solutions Group www.fortissolutionsgroup.com
“We have always been an operations-focused company, and we needed a runway for our accelerated growth without having to divert our attention from what we do best. Using Pete and his team at ECS allowed us to do just that. Petes background and experience allow for an unmatched process to find a win-win solution for all parties involved. Not only was ECS able to secure funding for our growth at better rates and terms than we’ve had in the past, but they were able to do it in record time. Now it’s time to grow!”
— Cory Brightwell, CEO Chuze Fitness www.chuzefitness.com
“ECS Debt Advisory took a thoughtful approach in helping us arrange our recently closed credit facility, achieving a better than anticipated outcome in a quick timeframe. ECS ensured that we found the right capital partner with the financial capacity to support our long-term vision and continued growth. I highly recommend ECS for borrowers who are looking for an experienced advisor and true partner in evaluating their financing options.”
— Lawrence Writer, CFO KUIU www.kuiu.com
“I have personally raised over $3 billion in debt capital and know many tricks of the trade. Pete is a true finance PRO—he is masterful at his craft. Engaging a debt capital expert with a singular focus—getting us a best in class debt facility—was a great move as it enabled me and my team to stay focused on mission-critical operating priorities.
While this is my first deal working with Pete, it is his 3rd overall financing for EagleRider—we keep coming back to him because he delivers and we enjoy working with him. I would recommend Pete to all CFO’s looking to obtain best in class debt facilities while you still want to stay focused on running your business. Pete is a super financing partner.”
— Richard Wolff, COO & CFO EagleRider, Inc. www.eaglerider.com
“I should have hired Pete two years ago! I didn’t know this expert service and outcome was possible. To continue our nationwide expansion, ECS has increased our long-term committed credit facilities and leverage capacity all the while reducing our interest expense from what we were previously paying.”
— David Danglard, CEO & Founder K1 Speed, Inc. www.k1speed.com
“Pete is a creative problem solver that brings decades of deep finance experience to bear for middle market borrowers that might not otherwise even appreciate how much they need him, while also maintaining great relationships with middle market lenders. Pete is incredibly fun to work with. He has a great passion and joy for the work that he does, which comes through from the moment you meet him, and he always maintains a sense of calm and poise, no matter what the situation. He genuinely loves helping middle market borrowers achieve optimal debt solutions, and the early mornings and late nights he spends providing top-tier service to his clients, with good nature and quick wit, are a testament to that.”
“Our deal was very tricky—not only did Pete provide great insight and education, but the deal points he negotiated helped us avoid some potentially painful pitfalls. For the UK based bank we selected, it was their first time in the game industry using an innovative debt structure with lots of complex areas; ultimately we came out the other end with a nicely crafted deal.”
— Matt Scott, CEO & Founder Little Orbit, LLC www.littleorbit.com
“Several of my colleagues and I have collectively known Pete Connoy for two decades. Initially, we negotiated credit agreements across from Pete when he was at Union Bank and provided financing to our clients. We then served as his counsel when he was an executive at PAETEC Communications doing sizeable bank and bond deals. Currently, we serve as borrowers’ counsel for many of his clients at ECS.
Pete is expert at his craft. He has an extensive network of lending relationships and an in depth understanding of what can be done in the middle market financing arena, and how to get things done. In our experience, Pete has provided significant value and assistance to middle market companies and particularly those that do not regularly access the debt finance markets. We have very much enjoyed working collaboratively with Pete. He is an innovative and creative problem solver.”
— Thomas W. Baxter, Partner O’Melveny & Myers LLP www.omm.com
“Having been both a lender and borrower, Pete has unique insights into the concerns and opportunities of each side. I continue to value his counsel as I contemplate various financing decisions for my company.”
— Lenard Liberman, CEO & Founder Liberman Broadcasting, Inc. www.lbimedia.com
“Pete represented to us that he would be able to completely make over our debt facilities by materially improving our borrowing structure and flexibility while significantly reducing our borrowing costs. He did everything he said he would and much more. Engaging ECS was an excellent choice for our company.”
— Jeff Brown, COO & Founder EagleRider www.eaglerider.com
“Hiring ECS was an excellent decision for us and our private equity partner, Main Post Partners. The entire process was smooth and easy. ECS handled everything in a turn-key fashion, which allowed our team to continue running our rapidly growing business. In just 75 days start to finish, ECS got us a much better deal—more flexibility and less cost. I am recommending ECS to my fellow CFOs as they helped us prepare for our future needs and enabled us to operate like a larger (staffed) Fortune 1000 company.”
— Dave Carr, CFO Chuze Fitness www.chuzefitness.com
“Historically, we executed our financings internally. However, given the short timeline, and choppy financing markets, we partnered with ECS Debt Advisory, which empowered us to focus on high-value strategy and critical operational initiatives. The attractive financing was a great outcome for our portfolio company and us.”
