We make credit decisions in Hamilton. Not in a centralized adjudication centre three provinces away. That means faster answers, facility visits, and lending structures built around how your business actually converts cash. Since 2005, we've funded working capital, commercial mortgages, and asset-based facilities for 340+ SMEs across southern Ontario — and 97% of those clients are still with us.
Working Capital That Matches Your Cash Conversion Cycle
A logistics company running at 2.5% net margins might be perfectly healthy and growing fast. But traditional underwriting algorithms don't see that — they flag the margin, auto-decline the application, and move on. We don't work that way. Our credit team sits in the same office at 326 Hunter Street West, reviews every application manually, and looks at the full picture: growth trajectory, receivable quality, customer concentration, and operating leverage.
Revolving lines of credit, term loans, and asset-based lending from $50K to $2M — structured around your receivable terms, inventory turnover, and payable schedules. Collateral can include receivables, inventory, equipment, or commercial real estate. We handle accounts receivable factoring, borrowing base calculations, draw terms aligned to production cycles, and commercial loan pricing tailored to your risk profile. Every facility is reviewed quarterly so your credit grows as your business grows — no annual re-application circus.
So if your cash conversion cycle runs 70+ days and your suppliers want payment in 30, we don't blink. We build around it. We've structured facilities for manufacturers with 90-day receivable cycles, seasonal distributors who need draw flexibility in Q1 and Q3, and service businesses with retainer-based billing that doesn't fit a bank's standard template. If your cash flow pattern is predictable but unconventional, that's exactly where Saltic excels.
Our working capital facilities integrate directly with your operating accounts — automatic sweeps between your operating balance, reserve account, and credit line keep idle cash productive and borrowing costs low. No manual transfers. No juggling between platforms.
S
"Sara at Saltic looked at the same financials and saw a company growing 35% a year with strong receivables. She structured a facility that gave us room to take on two new major clients. That was the difference between stalling and scaling."
Commercial Mortgages Built on Site Visits, Not Satellite Photos
Term mortgages and construction financing for warehouses, retail units, industrial buildings, and mixed-use properties across southern Ontario. Amortization from 15 to 25 years, fixed or variable, with transparent pricing published on our rates page. We finance acquisitions, expansions, refinances, and tenant-improvement build-outs — from $250K to $5M.
Marcus or Tom will walk the property before any credit decision is made. That's not a policy footnote — it's how we underwrite. They'll assess the physical condition of the building, review capital expenditure needs, evaluate the local market trajectory, and talk to you face-to-face about your plans for the property. They've personally inspected warehouses in Stoney Creek, retail plazas in Burlington, mixed-use conversions in the Barton Street corridor, and industrial buildings in Grimsby. That first-hand knowledge informs every mortgage we write.
Every application includes a facility inspection, a borrowing base assessment, review of commercial loan closing packages, and transparent commercial loan pricing with no hidden origination fees. We look at the property, the tenants, the neighbourhood trajectory, and your operating history. Then we build a mortgage that actually fits — not a cookie-cutter product that forces you to restructure your entire capital stack.
Already banking with us for operating accounts or treasury management? Your existing relationship history accelerates the underwriting process. We already know your cash flow. We already know your business. That means fewer documents requested, faster turnaround, and better pricing.
Real Clients. Real Facilities. Real Results.
Two lending engagements that show how we think about credit — and why growing businesses choose Saltic over national banks.
Steeltown Logistics Inc.
The situation: $9.8M third-party logistics firm, 35% year-over-year growth. Previous bank declined a credit increase because net margins were "below threshold." The algorithm couldn't distinguish between a low-margin business in distress and a low-margin business in hypergrowth mode. The owner was funding growth from personal reserves — a credit card here, a HELOC draw there — and running out of runway.
What we did: Sara Khoury structured a $650K asset-based facility using receivables and equipment as collateral. Borrowing base tied directly to the firm's production cycle, with draw terms that let them access capital when freight volumes spiked — not when the calendar said they could. We also set up a payroll trust account through our business banking platform to ring-fence compensation and eliminate the monthly pay-run scramble.
What happened: Revenue grew to $13.1M within 18 months. The payroll trust eliminated monthly pay-run anxiety. The owner stopped using personal credit entirely. The company is now positioning for a second facility expansion, funded through the same credit relationship.
Vanguard Precision Machining Ltd.
The situation: $6.2M aerospace machining shop with Tier 1 contracts. 74-day receivable cycle vs. 30-day supplier terms on specialty aluminum and titanium stock. Recurring cash crunches every six to eight weeks. The owner was using a personal line of credit for payroll — a $22K bridge every other month — and the stress was unsustainable. Their national bank offered a generic operating line with a quarterly borrowing base review that didn't match the business cadence at all.
What we did: $400K revolving facility secured against receivables, with draw terms aligned to Vanguard's production cycle — not arbitrary calendar quarters. The borrowing base recalculates monthly based on receivable aging, giving the facility room to flex with order volume. We added tiered deposit accounts with automatic sweep to maximize idle cash yield during the weeks when receivables are strong. Marcus visited the shop floor, reviewed the CNC equipment schedule, and talked through their contract pipeline before the term sheet was drafted.
What happened: Eliminated personal credit usage within 60 days. Cash reserves grew $185K in 14 months. The sweep structure earned an additional $6,200 in interest during the first year — money that was previously sitting in a zero-yield chequing account. The owner took his first two-week vacation in nine years. He told us that was the real milestone.
From First Conversation to Funded Facility in 3–4 Weeks
Typical timeline: 3–4 weeks from first call to funded facility. No application fees. One point of contact the entire way.
Step 1 — Initial Consultation
Call us at (226) 972-3482 or fill out the contact form. We respond the same day — usually within a few hours. We'll ask about your business, your cash flow patterns, what's working, what's not, and what you're trying to accomplish. No application fees. No commitment. No credit pull at this stage. This conversation typically takes 20–30 minutes and gives both sides enough information to know if there's a fit.
Step 2 — Facility Visit & Financial Review
Marcus or Tom visits your facility in week one — whether that's a warehouse in Stoney Creek, a machine shop in the industrial corridor, or an office in downtown Hamilton. We review your financials, receivables aging, payables structure, inventory cycles, and customer concentration. We talk to you about your three biggest operational headaches. We look at the business — not just the spreadsheet. This step is why our default rates are a fraction of the industry average: we know what we're lending into.
Step 3 — Credit Structuring & Term Sheet
By weeks two and three, Sara's team delivers a term sheet. Borrowing base, collateral requirements, commercial loan pricing, draw mechanics, covenants, and reporting requirements — all spelled out in plain language with no boilerplate ambiguity. If something doesn't work for your business, we'll tell you before the term sheet is issued, not after you've spent $8,000 on legal fees. You'll know exactly what the facility costs, what's required, and what flexibility you have.
Step 4 — Documentation & Funding
Commercial loan closing packages are prepared in-house by our team — not outsourced to a third-party document mill. We coordinate with your legal counsel to finalize security registration, personal guarantees (if applicable), and account setup. Funds land in weeks three to four, deposited directly into your Saltic operating account. One person manages the whole process from start to finish. You'll have their direct phone number and email — no 1-800 queue, no ticket system, no "your file has been escalated."
What We Won't Do — And Why That Matters
Knowing what a lender won't do tells you more than knowing what they will.
No Hidden Origination Fees
You won't find a 1.5% "commitment fee" buried in paragraph 14 of the term sheet. Our rates page publishes every cost upfront. The term sheet matches the rates page. The closing documents match the term sheet. No surprises at signing.
No Algorithmic Auto-Declines
Every application is reviewed by a human being who understands your industry. If your net margin is low because you're in distribution, we know that. If your receivables are concentrated because you have two anchor clients, we evaluate the quality of those clients — not just the concentration ratio.
No Relationship Manager Carousel
The person who visits your facility is the same person who manages your account next year. Our five-person team has been together since 2019. You won't introduce your business to a new face every 14 months because someone got promoted to a different region.
No Cross-Sell Pressure
We won't condition your credit approval on opening a merchant account or moving your payroll. If our business banking services make sense for you, we'll mention them. If they don't, we won't. Your credit facility stands on its own merits.
Industries We Know Inside and Out
We lend into industries where we have direct operating knowledge. That means faster underwriting, better structuring, and fewer covenants that don't make sense for your sector.
Manufacturing & Machining
CNC shops, metal fabricators, food processors, packaging manufacturers. We understand long receivable cycles, equipment-heavy balance sheets, and the capital intensity of winning new contracts. Facilities from $100K to $2M secured against receivables and equipment.
Logistics & Distribution
3PLs, freight brokers, cold-chain distributors, last-mile operators. Low-margin, high-volume businesses that need revolving credit tied to production cycles — not quarterly reviews. We've funded facilities for companies running margins from 2% to 8% and growing fast.
Construction & Skilled Trades
General contractors, electrical and mechanical subcontractors, specialty trades. Progress billing creates lumpy cash flow that confuses standard underwriting models. We structure facilities around milestone draws and holdback release schedules.
Professional Services
Engineering firms, IT consultancies, staffing agencies, marketing groups. Receivable-heavy balance sheets with minimal hard collateral. We lend against the quality of your client contracts and the consistency of your billing history — not your fixed asset register.
Don't see your industry? Call us at (226) 972-3482 — if we can't help, we'll tell you who can. Check our resources page for guides on cash management and credit structuring for specific sectors.
Ready to Talk Credit? We'll Call You Back Today.
Most of our lending clients came to us after being told "no" — or "maybe, in six months" — by a national bank. We move faster. We visit your facility. And we give you an answer you can actually work with. Fill out the form or call (226) 972-3482 directly. Same-day callbacks. 48-hour credit responses. No application fee to get started.