Barrett Trade & Finance Group (BTFG) was founded in February 1993 as a partnership and later evolved into a Limited Liability Corporation chartered in Illinois. Joseph T. Barrett is the President and CEO of both BTFG and a sister company, Barrett Financial Corporation.

BTFG was originally created as a domestic leasing company focused on small ticket equipment for local businesses. While leasing is still a large aspect of the business and the sizes and structures of leases now cover a much larger range, Barrett Trade and Finance Group has now expanded beyond the borders of the United States. After recognizing the need for international financing options to facilitate U.S. manufacturers’ sales, BTFG turned its attention to the foreign markets.

A customer who needed to finance an equipment purchase for his factory in Mexico started BTFG on the path to cross- border financing. This loan request brought into focus a growing need for financing overseas and the inherent difficulties in accomplishing cross-border transactions.

The principal challenge for U.S. lenders is to perfect a security interest in the underlying collateral once it has moved outside U.S. territory. U.S. Export/Import Bank ‘Loan Guarantee’ programs, private sector insurance policies, Letter of Credit financing for forfaiting and many other techniques now encompass BTFG’s services.

By analyzing each individual transaction, BTFG provides U.S. manufacturers with the best financing alternative available today to secure the foreign sale. BTFG’s marketing oriented approach has led it to become a reliable financing source for cross-border transactions.