Biggest and/or Best Leasing Association?

There is a lot more than just numbers, as mission and personality as well as cost have a factor.

(Source: NAELB)

The National Association of Equipment Leasing Brokers (NAELB) is for brokers; funders and others who belong do not get a vote. Their membership dues have not changed in four years:

Broker $295
Associate $600
Funding Source $750

In addition to a management association that runs the operation and events, they have a very strong balance sheet. They even return $50 for use by a member at the next convention of membership. The conventions are always one of the most inexpensive, if not the most economical, and they have many financial benefits for the members, including education seminars, meet the funder every Wednesday, plus protect their members from those who don’t pay their members. There is a lot more, but this should not be an advertisement; although, if you were a broker or discounter, this is the group you want to belong and get involved. Very friendly and welcome new members into the fraternity (if you ladies will allow me to use that expression, as there are many active women in NAELB. They
were the first association to have a female president, and more than once. editor)

(Source: NAELB)

The second group in membership numbers, the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) represents the largest leasing companies, the big money, who turn out at their conventions, support their legislative lobby efforts, education and legal programs, and has a paid staff of 25, many whom have been there for quite some time and are recognized experts in their field by all standards.

In addition, ELFA and their members are often quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, American Banker, Barrons, Newsweek, Dow Jones, Bloomberg and Reuters, as well as Google and Yahoo business news, as well as their hosted web seminars. Their president is a former congressman from Texas who is on a first name basis on both sides of “who’s who” in Washington, DC.

It is interesting to note in a non-scientific study of 138 companies who qualified with Leasing News as “funders,” 70 only belong to one association. Most of them are banks or large financial institutions and they belong to ELFA.

35 belong to two associations.
12 belong to three associations
11 belong to four associations
10 belong to five associations

In the study regarding the possible merger of the Eastern Association of Equipment Lessors (EAEL) and the United Association of Equipment Lessors, Bruce Winter, CLP, representing EAEL, told Leasing News it was an exploratory committee between the two associations. He also said of the 181 EAEL members, 60 also belong to UAEL.

Veteran Donald Ethier, CAE, Vice President, Membership and Marketing for ELFA, gave us permission to quote him on how ELFA arrived at their membership numbers:

“In our terminology, year end means the number we billed for the coming year. In November 2007 we billed 741 members for 2008 renewal, so that is the figure I sent you - I am saying we ended the 2007 membership year when the 2008 renewal process started. The comparable figure for the prior year was 761, so we were down twenty members. The biggest factor is probably industry consolidation (mergers/acquisitions). What number are you showing for the prior year - I may have sent the number at a different time or tried for a December 31 number - I don't remember what I sent.

“The renewal rate for 2008 (so far) is 86%, which is the same as 2007. We expect a few more to come in. We have not had any added attrition because of the dues increase.

“The 685 count today is after dropping the ones that did not renew - around 14% of the 741. The 685 will go up for the rest of the year as additional renewals come in and new members join. I expect the 2008 year end figure will be about the same as the 2007 figure of 741.”

It should also be noted that the Association of Government Leasing and Finance had 277 members representing 118 companies, which would change their rating in the group, especially compared to ELFA whose member GE Capital, among some other top companies, belong only to ELFA and is counted as one member (although many from the company are active at ELFA.)

The following count comes from the leasing associations from previous years asking for year-end membership counts (note: information for 2004 was not complete):

Association of Government Leasing
Eastern Association of Equipment Lessors
Equipment Leasing and Finance Association
National Association of Equipment Leasing Brokers
United Association of Equipment Leasing

Last count: Arizona Equipment Leasing Association had 40.
Did not receive a response from several of their members for a year-end count for 2007.
National Vehicle Leasing Association: no official number was obtained,
guesses were from 200 to 250 members.

Note: There are two leasing foundations.

The Equipment Leasing and Finance Foundation has no members, as it is supported by the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association. They do have 188 donors, according to Lisa Levine,
Executive Director.

The Certified Lease Professional Foundation is primarily supported by those who have become “CLP’s.” There are presently 204 on their website: http://www.clpfoundation.org/clps.php

Many of the associations related to leasing (main page is in the process of being up-dated):
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/December%202005/12-21-05.htm#mael