Equipment financing covers the purchase or lease of business equipment, with the equipment itself serving as collateral. Kitehill Commercial Capital, a small-business funding broker in Greenville, South Carolina, helps Greenville County owners compare equipment loans, leases and equipment finance agreements and connects them with lending partners, which make credit decisions and set terms.
| Built for | Specific machines, vehicles, kitchen and clinical systems |
|---|---|
| Structures | Equipment loans, leases and equipment finance agreements |
| Collateral | The equipment itself, usually recorded with a UCC filing |
| Partners usually review | The quote or invoice, the business's cash flow and credit, the asset's age and condition |
| Greenville County context | 1,460 construction and 1,161 restaurant employer establishments in 2023 (Census CBP 2023) |
| Decision and pricing | The lending partner, not Kitehill Commercial Capital |
| Office | 101 W Court St, Greenville, SC 29601 · (864) 302-0567 |
Three structures, one goal
Equipment funding usually takes one of three forms. The names get used loosely in sales conversations, so ask which one an offer actually is.
| Structure | Who owns the equipment | At the end | Often chosen for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equipment loan | You, with the lender holding a lien | The lien is released when the loan is paid | Long-lived equipment you plan to keep |
| Lease | The lessor, during the lease | Return it, renew, or buy it on the lease's terms | Equipment that ages fast or that you may upgrade |
| Equipment finance agreement (EFA) | You, with the funder holding a security interest | You keep the equipment once payments finish | A loan-like structure written as a finance contract |
For leases, the purchase option at the end matters a great deal. Some leases set a nominal buyout; others let you buy at fair market value, which is unknown until the lease ends. Ask for the end-of-term options in writing before comparing payments.
How equipment financing works, step by step
- Get a quote or invoice from the dealer or seller, including model, year, condition and serial number for used equipment.
- The partner reviews the business and the asset. Equipment that holds its value well is easier to finance than specialised items with a thin resale market.
- Documents and down payment. Some structures ask for a down payment or the first and last payments up front.
- The partner pays the seller, and you take delivery. The partner records its interest, usually with a UCC filing.
- Payments run on the agreed schedule until the term ends.
How to finance construction equipment
Excavators, skid steers, compact track loaders, trailers and similar job-site equipment are some of the most commonly financed assets. Greenville County had 1,460 construction employer establishments in 2023, including 458 builders and 942 specialty trade contractors (U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023), and another 5,966 construction businesses with no paid employees in 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau, Nonemployer Statistics 2024). For a crew that size, the choice is often between financing a machine and renting it by the job.
Financing makes more sense when the machine will be used steadily across many jobs. If it is needed for one contract, renting may cost less overall. The construction financing page goes further into contractor cash flow.
Kitchens, clinics and storefronts
Restaurant hood systems, walk-in coolers, ovens and point-of-sale systems; dental chairs, imaging and sterilisation equipment; display fixtures and shelving. Greenville County counted 1,161 restaurant employer establishments, 266 physician offices and 235 dental offices with employees in 2023 (U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023). Each has its own equipment cycle, covered on the restaurant financing and medical and dental practice financing pages.
Used equipment and soft costs
Used equipment can be financed, but partners look harder at age, hours, condition and who is selling it. A dealer sale with an invoice is usually simpler than a private sale. Expect a shorter term on older equipment, since the funding should not outlast the machine.
Soft costs such as delivery, installation, training and software are sometimes included and sometimes not. If they matter to you, list them on the quote and ask whether the partner will finance them.
Equipment loan or line of credit?
An equipment loan or EFA is tied to one asset, which secures it, and runs on a schedule matched to the asset's life. A line of credit is flexible but usually shorter and not built around a single purchase. For a major machine, matching the term to the asset generally keeps the payment manageable. For small tools bought now and then, a line may be simpler. Larger projects that mix equipment with build-out costs may fit a term loan better.
Liens and what a partner records
Most equipment funding is secured by the equipment, and the partner normally files a UCC financing statement describing it. When the obligation is paid, that filing should be terminated. Searching and clearing UCC filings in South Carolina explains how to check that it has been.
How Kitehill handles an equipment request
Send the quote or invoice and tell us how the equipment earns its keep. We will discuss whether a loan, lease or EFA fits and take the request to partners that finance that kind of asset.
Call (864) 302-0567, visit 101 W Court St, or send a request online. The four stages cover what happens next, and the Greenville, SC page has local context.
By Kitehill Commercial Capital · Updated
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