De Lage Landen Public Finance LLC has hired Jeffrey K. Ray as senior vice president responsible for sales and marketing throughout the United States.
De Lage Landen is a Netherlands-based international provider of vendor finance and asset finance programs. The firm offers financing programs for equipment, real estate, and other projects for state and local governments as well as for federal agencies.
Its lease financing options provide a less cumbersome alternative to bond financing for projects up to about $20 million, since they entail fewer disclosure and other legal requirements, said De Lage president Bob Neptune. The market for these services has been growing for the past 15 to 20 years, Neptune said.
“In general, municipalities are under constantly expanding pressure to provide services and the ability to raise taxes to provide services doesn’t always correspond to demand,” Neptune said.
De Lage often works with sellers of things ranging from information technology and communications equipment to fire trucks to arrange financing terms for interested government buyers. The firm does not buy the equipment, but instead retains a security interest in it by investing in the financing instrument for its own portfolio.
Formerly of Koch Financial Corp., Ray brings to De Lage 23 years of experience in the leasing and financing industry. Based in Overland Park, Kan., Ray will cover the entire country with a focus on sales and marketing in the Midwest.
De Lage is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Rabobank Group. The firm’s public finance group is based in Kansas City, Mo.
