Industries · manufacturing
Finance for businesses that make things.
Manufacturers carry significant working capital in equipment, raw materials, and B2B receivables. Many are export-active and run cross-border supply chains. Lender appetite varies sharply by sector (food, metals, chemicals, advanced manufacturing) and by export exposure.
How manufacturing financing actually works
Cashflow patterns and lender appetite.
Manufacturers carry significant working capital in equipment, raw materials, and B2B receivables. Many are export-active and run cross-border supply chains. Lender appetite varies sharply by sector (food, metals, chemicals, advanced manufacturing) and by export exposure.
We work with specialist asset financiers for equipment, ABL providers for inventory-and-receivables structures, bank trade desks for import and export, and commercial property lenders for owner-occupier factory premises. Most manufacturers benefit from a coordinated banking relationship rather than scattered single-product facilities.
Common products for this industry
Where the money tends to come from.
Sub-product · live
Chattel mortgage
Funding production equipment, CNC, industrial machinery.
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Asset-based lending
Inventory plus receivables, larger facility limits than pure invoice finance.
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Invoice discounting
For B2B manufacturers on 30 to 60 day customer terms.
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Import finance
For raw materials imports.
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Export finance
For manufacturers exporting finished goods.
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Owner-occupier purchase
Buying the factory rather than leasing.
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Industry lender programs
Specialist appetite for manufacturing.
- Pepper Asset Finance
- Macquarie Leasing
- Scottish Pacific
- NAB Business
- CommBank Business
- Westpac Business
- NAB Trade
These lenders run programs or have specialist teams for this industry. Specific deal fit still depends on your business profile.
Anonymised case studies
Recent manufacturing situations.
Anonymised to protect client identity. Real shapes of deals we've helped place.
Case study
Mid-sized food manufacturer scaling
Situation$15M turnover food manufacturer, expanding into new product line, equipment + working capital + raw-materials import.
What fitCombined: $1.2M chattel mortgage on equipment, $3M ABL on inventory and receivables, $800K import finance facility.
OutcomeCoordinated through one bank trade desk; reduced rate compared to scattered facilities; supports 18-month growth plan.
Case study
Specialist metals fabricator equipment refresh
SituationLong-tenured fabricator buying $340K CNC machine plus secondary equipment.
What fitChattel mortgage via specialist asset financier, 5-year term, no balloon.
OutcomeSettled in 7 working days, equipment installed on schedule, GST claimed in next BAS.
Industry questions
Common questions from manufacturing operators.
Equipment vs asset-based lending decisions?
Equipment finance funds specific machines; ABL is a revolving line against inventory and receivables. Most growing manufacturers need both. We model the combined cost vs running them separately to find the right structure.
Raw materials and inventory financing?
ABL is the typical structure once inventory exceeds $5M+. Below that, invoice finance plus import finance usually covers most needs. Pure inventory loans (without receivables) are rare in Australia.
Export integration with manufacturing finance?
For export-active manufacturers, the bank trade desk often becomes the central banking relationship. Combined trade finance, working capital, and equipment facilities through one bank usually price better than scattered single-product lenders.
R&D and tax incentive financing?
R&D Tax Incentive refunds can be financed in advance through specialist providers (Radium Capital, Fundsquire). For research-intensive manufacturers, this can be a meaningful capital source.
Industry-specific lender programs?
NAB Manufacturing and CommBank Industrial run dedicated programs. Specialist non-banks like Multipli and Flexi Commercial focus on smaller mid-market industrial. We match deal profile to program.
Industry brief
Twenty minutes on the manufacturing situation.
Tell us where the business is at and what's on the table. We'll come back with a lender shortlist tuned to your industry, or an honest signal that this isn't the right product yet.