Episode #293 Fireside Chat with Buddy Zarbock- Founder/CEO of Commercial Funding Partners

Buddy Zarbock, Founder and CEO of Commercial Funding Partners, joins Jesse Johnson on this week’s Fireside Chats with Jesse. Buddy’s path into equipment finance is a little different than most. He grew up around his family’s plumbing supply business, helped grow and ultimately sell that company, and eventually found his way into equipment finance before founding Commercial Funding Partners in 2012. Buddy started CFP essentially on his own and didn’t pay himself for more than two years. Fourteen years later, the company has grown into a national equipment finance platform funding transactions across manufacturing, power, data centers, construction, equipment rental and other capital-intensive industries. In this episode, Buddy and Jesse discuss: Buddy’s journey from the family plumbing business into equipment finance Starting Commercial Funding Partners from a blank sheet of paper CFP’s three founding principles: happy customers, honoring commitments to funding partners, and encouraging innovation The company’s significant growth over the past several years Why CFP’s core transactions typically range from $500,000 to $5 million Manufacturing, onshoring, power and data center opportunities Building strategic partnerships to generate deal flow Investing in technology and implementing LTi ASPIRE to support continued growth How AI can improve productivity without replacing experienced dealmakers Why the human element and the art of structuring a deal still matter Buddy’s outlook on the equipment finance industry and why he remains bullish on the next several years His passion for heli-skiing and his upcoming one-million-foot milestone One of the strongest themes throughout the conversation was Buddy’s long-term approach to customers. Roughly 40% to 50% of CFP’s business is repeat business, and the goal is not simply to complete one transaction. It is to build relationships that last for decades. Fireside Chats with Jesse features conversations with leaders throughout the equipment finance industry discussing leadership, technology, operations, sales, innovation and the future of equipment finance. Thank you to our Fireside Chat series sponsors: Consult Disrupt, Liventus, Inc. and Equipment Finance Cares. #EquipmentFinance #EquipmentLeasing #CommercialFinance #Leadership #Technology #AI #Manufacturing #FiresideChatswithJesse