Tokyo Century (USA) Inc. is pleased to announce that it has acquired 100% of the capital stock of Allegiant Partners Incorporated DBA AP Equipment Financing, an independent specialty finance and leasing company based in Bend, Oregon.
Allegiant has a strong presence in the western U.S. with a market focus on light and medium-duty trucks, tree and arbor equipment, and other niche industries. Founded in 1998, Allegiant’s team has in-depth knowledge of the industries it serves and the special-purpose vehicles and equipment used by its customers. Combining an effective marketing platform with an extensive customer database, a digital platform, and industry expertise, Allegiant provides quick-turn, high value-added financial services to its 3,000+ customers across the United States.
Tokyo Century, based in Purchase, NY, has core strengths in small and medium-ticket lending for vocational vehicles and material handling equipment. Tokyo Century and Allegiant have been working collaboratively since 2002.
“I am very excited about our partnership with Tokyo Century. I did my first transaction with them in the early 1990s, and have always admired their culture and work ethic. Allegiant will be able to leverage the resources of a much larger company, and Tokyo Century will gain a high-technology, small-ticket platform in the United States that complements its businesses,” stated Chris Enbom, founder and CEO of Allegiant. “Allegiant will continue to operate independently as a separate subsidiary of Tokyo Century, keeping the same high level of service to its customers.”
One of the many opportunities foreseen by management of the combined companies is “last-mile” package delivery in the U.S., a sector whose growth is expected to continue in line with the expanding E-commerce market. The formalized alliance announced today will drive expansion of these companies in this and other segments. Tokyo Century’s relationships with Japanese manufacturers will seed growth of vendor-finance opportunities across the expanded organization, and Allegiant’s expertise in the area of service standards and marketing/sales capabilities will be key to enabling and enhancing growth. Together, Tokyo Century/Allegiant will focus on continued enhancement of U.S. operations, doing so with a focus on growing their unique market presences by leveraging the respective strengths and business know-how of each organization.
Tiger Ogawa, President of Tokyo Century expressed delight with the combination. “Both culturally and synergistically, this combination is a home run. Chris Enbom and I have done business together for many years. We know the passion that his team brings to the office day in and day out. I could not be more pleased with this acquisition and the prospect of working together with the Allegiant team on a daily basis. Our headquarters in Tokyo is equally pleased with this development, and we look forward to making the most of this fantastic growth opportunity.”