Briar Capital, now focused exclusively on providing owner-occupied, commercial real estate financing solutions for asset-based borrowers, has promoted Jeff Van Sickle to President and Jeff Appleton to Executive Vice President.

“Both Jeff Van Sickle and Jeff Appleton are experienced professionals who understand how to partner with working capital asset-based lenders and traditional banks to solve the most challenging credit solutions,” said Frank Goldberg, founder of Briar Capital.

Goldberg, who founded Briar Capital in 2003, will maintain his current role as Chairman.

Van Sickle joined Briar Capital in 2005 after a successful tenure with Ford Motor Company. Since then, he has closed in excess of $100 million in loan commitments. He has served as President of the Commercial Finance Association, Houston Chapter, and is a member of the Turnaround Management Association. Van Sickle is a graduate of the University of Michigan’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business in Ann Arbor, MI.

Appleton has 30 years in asset-based lending for Siemens, Wells Fargo, FINOVA, TD Bank and JP Morgan Chase & Co. where he served in senior-level capacities working with accounts receivable, inventory, real estate and equipment. He began his career at Ernst & Whinney and later held asset-based lending audit positions at GE Capital.  Appleton is Past President of the Turnaround Management Association, Atlanta Chapter, and a Past Board Member of the Commercial Finance Association, Atlanta Chapter.

Now operating as Briar Capital Real Estate Fund, the nationwide asset-based lender’s primary product offering consists of long-term amortization and covenant-free real estate term loans to credit-challenged borrowers. In addition to term loan offerings, Briar Capital provides interest-only, revolving lines of credit, all secured by owner-occupied commercial real estate.

Van Sickle says Briar Capital will consider deal sizes from $1 million to $10 million with property types such as manufacturing facilities, office/warehouse buildings and distribution centers.

With offices in Houston and Atlanta, Briar Capital is staffed by senior-level banking professionals with decades of lending experience.  Information on Briar Capital’s new focus on owner-occupied, commercial real estate financing solutions can be found on its revamped website, www.briarcapital.com.