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Vision, Mission & Values

Our Vision

Help Our Entrepreneurs Achieve Their Hopes and Dreams.
Together We Grow.

Our Mission

Our Experienced Team Will Deliver a Compelling Tailored Cashflow Solution to Drive Growth and Value for Our Entrepreneurs.  Together We Grow to Achieve Our Business Hopes and Dreams.

Our Cultural Values are

Honesty, Integrity, Respect, Opportunity, Value

ABOUT US

Sallyport Commercial Finance is an independently owned and operated, national leader in specialty finance. Sallyport works with entrepreneurial business owners to help them get access to the capital they need to grow. Offering a wide range of programs based on Accounts Receivable capabilities, Sallyport creates custom-tailored solutions that are as unique as the clients and businesses they work with.

As entrepreneurs ourselves, we have a deep appreciation of the day to day stresses of a growing business so we take time to build relationships with a consultative approach based on a thorough understanding of each of our client’s business operations, opportunities and challenges.

Sallyport’s mission is to provide funding to create growth opportunities and fuel business hopes and dreams for entrepreneurs that may remain unfulfilled without Sallyport’s access to capital and creative custom-tailored funding solutions.

Our experienced group of lending professionals have worked in all major energy centric locations, such as East and West Texas, North Dakota, Central Canada, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Northeast US and Western US. Our expertise comes from major trading and commerce hubs in the US and Internationally.

History

Sallyport Holdings, LLC was founded by Douglas Foshee, former CEO of El Paso Corporation, the former chair of the board of directors of The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Houston Branch, and former independent Trustee of the AIG Credit Facility Trust formed by the U.S. Treasury. He was also a commercial banker to the energy sector for many years.

Kyle Bethancourt, co-founder of Sallyport Holdings, and Drew Carden both worked for GSO Capital Partners, ~$70 billion credit division of The Blackstone Group, with a focus on energy credit.

Sallyport Holdings, LLC evaluated over 300 investment opportunities across the capital structure and in a number of industries. A majority of these opportunities were in good and growing small-and-medium sized companies that were unable to receive traditional financial support for their working capital. This scarcity of working capital was leading such companies to get expensive growth (debt and equity) capital. The investors and managers of Sallyport Holdings found it difficult to see good companies unable to realize their true potential because they lacked access to proper working capital solutions.

Sallyport Holdings, LLC was eager to help these entrepreneurs realize their true potential by providing them with financial and business support. Sallyport Holdings partnered with Nick and Emma Hart, a husband and wife team, with a combined experience in the industry of 46 years to form Sallyport Commercial Finance, LLC in July 2014. Nick and Emma previously led the US West Coast office of Bibby Financial Services.

What is a Sallyport?
  • Sallyport is a combination of two Latin words. A “sally,” derived from the Latin “salire”(to jump), and “port,” derived from the Latin “porta” (a door or passage way).
  • Thus a Sallyport was the gate in the castle walls that troops rode out to do battle against their assailants.
  • Sallyport Gate is also a famous gate at Rice University, attended by Sallyport Holdings Founder, Doug Foshee.
  • At Sallyport Commercial Finance we see ourselves as the “troops” standing behind You, Our Entrepreneur client, and your business, as you compete and win customers in your industry and marketplace.

Meet The Team

nick-hart-president (2)

Nick Hart

President

Nick was previously the Chief Executive Officer of Bibby Financial Services USA, California from 2008 to 2014 where he grew the business approximately fourfold.

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He moved to California after serving as the Managing Director of Bibby Factors Yorkshire Limited UK from 2002 to 2008. In this role, he led the launch of and established the office in Yorkshire and took over the management for the North East of England (Sunderland).

Prior to Bibby, Nick worked for Alex Lawrie Factors (part of Lloyds Bank) where he managed an approximately $65 million portfolio of 1,000 clients and a staff of 45 employees.

Before joining Lloyds Bank, Nick spent five years at Deloitte & Touche in Leeds, London, Luxembourg, and Abu Dhabi.

Nick received a Bachelors in Science (with Honors) in Business Studies from the Bradford University Business School.

He is currently a Board Member of the California Fashion Association and Fundraising Committee Member of City of Hope.

Nick is married and has four children. He likes to play and collect guitars. He is an avid motorist and has owned several collectible sports cars and holds a National B race license.

EmmaHart

Emma Hart

EVP and Senior Credit Officer

Emma was previously the EVP of Operations with Bibby Financial Services USA, California from 2009 to 2014, where she managed a portfolio of clients across many industry sectors.

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In addition, she led a staff of 20+ operations, risk and underwriting personnel. She joined Bibby Financial Services USA, California in 2008 as VP of Risk Management (West Coast). As a recognition of her excellent performance, Emma was awarded a place in the Executive Leadership Program which was Bibby Financial Services’ global initiative to drive the business forward.

Prior to joining Bibby, Emma was a Client Manager at Lloyds TSB Commercial Finance from 1998 to 2008. In this role, she managed a $100 million portfolio of high risk ABL clients comprised of confidential AR Financing, Inventory, Cash Flow loans, Equipment, Leveraged Buy-outs/Buy-ins.

Emma spent the previous ten years (1988 – 1998) as the Credit Control Executive, at Lloyds TSB where she managed a factoring portfolio of $35 million and team of 10 credit controllers on a 40:1 ratio of client to staff. During this time, she also setup and launched Lloyds’ first internet division.

Emma is married and has four children. Her athletic and energetic children keep her busy. She also enjoys interior design (including finding new homes for Nick’s guitar collection!)

Calum Williamson - MD Canada and North America Sales Manager

Calum Williamson

Managing Director, Canada & North America Sales Manager

Calum's remit is dual focused as leader of the Canadian organization and Sales Manager of our team of sales consultants across North America. 

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Prior to joining Sallyport in 2019, Calum was Managing Director for both the Scottish and Canadian businesses for Bibby Financial Services, growing both significantly (the Canadian business by around 40%). His experience across Europe and North America  has allowed him to build the international expertise he uses to support his team and service  clients today. 

Calum has over 25 years experience in financial services and holds a BA, Business Studies from Edinburgh Napier University. 

Calum is married with two children. 

damon dickens executive vice president

Damon Dickens

Executive Vice President

Damon leads the Underwriting and Finance departments at Sallyport Commercial FInance. His team oversees all new factoring and ABL facilities closed across the United States and Canada.

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Prior to joining Sallyport in 2017, Damon was the Risk Officer for the Large Business Unit of Bibby Financial Services (USA), he has held various audit, risk and underwriting roles within Bibby Financial Services both in the U.S. and UK. Before entering the commercial finance industry, Damon worked at Bank of America in a credit risk analytics role on their graduate training program.

 Damon holds a BSc in Mathematics, Operational Research, Statistics & Economics from the University of Warwick; a BSc in Accounting & Finance from the London School of Economics; and an MSc in International Banking & Finance from Liverpool John Moores University. He is also a CFA® Charterholder and a Certified Account Executive in Factoring (CAEF). Damon was a recipient of the Secured Finance Network 40 under 40 award in 2022, and he is a member of the SFNet National Education Committee.

Damon is married and has 3 children which keep him busy outside of the office!

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