Houlihan Lokey announced that AmeriFactors Financial Group, LLC has been acquired by Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Company.

AmeriFactors provides accounts receivable financing primarily on a non-recourse, full-notification basis to small and medium-sized businesses in various industries, including manufacturing, communications, and other services businesses. The company finances its clients through the purchase of accounts receivable owed to its clients from their customers or other third-party debtors. Founded in 1990 by Florida entrepreneur Kevin Gowen, the company has purchased approximately $3 billion in accounts receivable since 2007. The company is headquartered in Celebration, Fla., outside of Orlando, and has 25 full-time employees.

Selling shareholders include Boyne Capital Partners, the Florida-based lower middle-market private equity firm, Midtown Capital Advisors LLC, an Atlanta-based investment firm, and Gowen Family Holdings.

Gulf Coast, a New Orleans-based community bank, has approximately $1.3 billion in assets and 18 branch offices in Louisiana providing personal and business banking services. Gulf Coast was founded in 1883.

Houlihan Lokey served as the exclusive financial advisor and assisted in initiating, structuring, and negotiating the transaction on behalf of AmeriFactors.

Houlihan Lokey is a global investment bank with expertise in mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, valuation, financial restructuring, and strategic consulting. The firm serves corporations, institutions, and governments worldwide with offices in the United States, Europe, and the Asia Pacific region. Independent advice and intellectual rigor are hallmarks of our commitment to client success across our advisory services. Houlihan Lokey is ranked as the No. 1 M&A advisor for U.S. transactions under $5 billion, the No. 1 M&A fairness opinion advisor for U.S. transactions over the past 10 years, and the No. 1 global restructuring advisor, according to Thomson Reuters.