Pathward’s Vice President of Commercial Finance Business Development Rick Pierman joined Equipment Finance News’ Deputy Editor Johnnie Martinez for an episode of The Dig podcast to discuss the evolving equipment finance landscape, from shifting capital dynamics and rate pressures to borrower behavior and strategic positioning in 2026.
In the episode, Pierman discussed how new private credit entrants are reshaping the competitive landscape, creating additional liquidity in the market. He also highlighted two areas of growth emerging in equipment finance.
“We’re seeing a lot of automation, with end users investing capital to modernize legacy processes,” said Pierman. “We’re also seeing significant refinance opportunities … companies that financed acquisitions two or three years ago in a higher-rate environment are looking to improve cash flow by refinancing and re-amortizing their debt. Those are the two primary areas of growth we’re seeing in our portfolio.”
Pierman also reinforced Pathward’s treasury-led approach to managing risk, structuring deals, and maintaining return targets while continuing to support businesses navigating a competitive and evolving market.
Listen to the full episode on EquipmentFinanceNews.com.
Learn more about Pathward’s Equipment Finance Solutions at https://www.pathward.com/commercial/equipment-finance/.
