Each quarter, Barry and his team meet to assess whether their equipment stock is suitable to meet the changing needs of their clients. “Having the latest equipment is an absolute necessity for VMI and our clients. We need to enable them to shoot using the latest techniques to get the best results. Without it, they’d choose someone else.”
The business elected to increase their stock of vintage lenses, resulting in the purchase of a set of Blackwing T-Tuned primes, as well as a RED V-Raptor VV cinema camera and accessories to meet customer demand. This top-of-the-range camera equipment can be incredibly expensive, so it is usually bought using asset finance.
“Lenses alone can sometimes cost up to £50,000. We need to work with people that understand why you might need such a piece of equipment and its lifetime value to us. Our industry is quite unique in that respect.”
VMI reached out to their broker, Medialease, who connected them with Allica Bank. “We work with a few specialist brokers to help us fund these purchases. Without that sector knowledge, it can be very difficult to find a lender to work with.
“Our relationship with Medialease is incredibly important to us. We have an open dialogue with them to highlight early-on when we might need support, meaning they’re always ready with solutions when that need arises. Their collaborative approach and belief in a shared, long-term interest has been key in getting that right. And this is exactly what happened this time around with Allica Bank.”