Q1 2019

SME NEWS / Q1 2019 5 NEWS , Motion Envelope was established in 1984 and is a family-owned envelope manufactur- ing business in Dallas. The company specializes in high- end direct mail, and its product of- ferings include specialized finishes, hot and cold foil, and embossing, as well as other unique print tech- niques that have proven to get re- sults. “We are pleased to enter into this relationship with Motion Envelope,” said Bill Berkley, president and CEO of Tension Corporation. “John Searfoss, Sr. and his son, Johnnie, have built an impressive business that will not only complement Ten- sion’s product portfolio and provide our customers additional creative options, but also aligns well with Tension’s culture and commitment to quality.” As the second largest envelope manufacturer in the U.S., Tension now has an even greater reach with specialty products from Mo- tion Envelope. Tension Vice Presi- dent of Sales and Marketing, Toby Reed, said, “Further expansion into the high-end direct mail space illus- trates our commitment to our cus- tomers to provide creative formats that get results, and our continued confidence in the effectiveness of direct mail as part of the marketing mix.” “Motion Envelope has worked with Tension for years,” said John Sear- foss, Sr. “Tension has been a valu- able partner, and we are excited to join their team.” Tension Corporation Acquires Motion Envelope Funding Circle, the leading small busi- ness loans plat- form in the UK, US, Germany and the Netherlands, has announced its plans to enter the Canadi- an market and expand access to fast, affordable and trans- parent financing for Canadian small businesses. Funding Circle will establish op- erations in Canada in the sec- ond half of 2019 with an office located in Toronto. The business will be led by Tom Eilon, who previously led the commercial strategy for Funding Circle in the United Kingdom. Since launching in 2010, Fund- ing Circle has connected more than 60,000 small businesses around the world with financ- ing through its online platform. Funding Circle’s platform model provides businesses with fast and flexible access to compet- itively priced financing and al- lows investors to earn attractive, stable returns. In the United States, Funding Circle now has $1 billion small business loans outstanding, more than almost 98% of FDIC-insured banks[1]. Canadian SMEs are the engine of the economy and employ 90 percent of the private sector workforce.[2] Despite this, many still report difficulties obtaining finance. While bank lending to large businesses in Canada has recovered since the global recession, lending to small busi- nesses has not kept pace — to the point that small business loans as a percentage of total outstanding business lending has fallen to its lowest point in 10 years.[3], [4] Funding Cir- cle’s platform addresses this by directly connecting businesses that want to borrow with inves- tors looking for returns, creating a superior experience for both. “We have been evaluating op- tions for expansion over the last year. Canada’s stable, growing economy coupled with good access to credit data and pro- gressive regulatory environment made it the obvious choice,” said Tom Eilon, Managing Director, Funding Circle Canada. “The most important factor though was the clear need for additional funding options among Canadi- an SMEs. We are looking for- ward to officially launching later this year and supporting Cana- dian SMEs to access the finance they need to grow, create new jobs and fuel their local econo- mies.” “Funding Circle’s entry into the Canadian market is a fantastic addition to the thriving Fintech sector in Toronto, and a welcome added option for small business to access finance,” said Jennifer Reynolds, President and CEO, Toronto Finance International. Tension Corporation andMotion Envelope, Inc. today announced that they have entered into an agreement under which Tensionwill acquireMotion Envelope. Funding Circle Announces Expansion to Canada