Leader Trade & Finance offers innovative financial solutions. (Focus On).

IN TODAY'S DIFFICULT ECONOMIC climate, mid-size Latin American companies often need innovative financial solutions to achieve their goals.

"When lenders have a feeling of uncertainty, it's often the medium-size companies in Latin America that suffer the most," says Walter A. Gonzalez, president of Leader Trade & Finance Inc. "But there are still many opportunities for companies to access credit at lower rates and continue to grow their businesses."

A Miami-based firm specializing in arranging financing through innovative credit programs, Leader Trade & Finance has been helping small to mid-size companies in the U.S. and Latin America for nearly 14 years. One of Leader's specialties is applying special cross-border risk mitigation techniques to obtain funding at rates that benefit U.S. exporters as well as Latin American buyers.

"Our role is to facilitate the financing of transactions that are too difficult, too costly, or too special to be handled by regular channels," says Gonzalez. "Our experience and constant travel throughout the region give us an unmatched perspective and in-depth understanding of the fast-changing economic scene."

To take one recent example, Leader assisted a small Brazilian company in increasing its trading volume from $5 million to $80 million and raising its international credit lines from $100,000 to $8 million in just five years. Another Leader client is a U.S. fresh food distributor that is now building purchasing and financing channels with sellers throughout Latin America.

Gonzalez founded Leader Trade & Finance in 1988 following a successful career in international banking that included serving as an economist and bank president. "We started helping small exporters obtain financing by re-introducing credit insurance as a tool to enhance the acceptability of their receivables," he recalls. "At the time, this was a highly innovative solution."

More than a decade later, Leader now handles financing and insurance for more than $100 million in transactions annually. The company's senior management includes Gonzalez's two sons: waiter Jr., vice president and corporate counsel, and Jose Antonio, vice president of credit insurance programs.

Leader specializes in obtaining short, medium and long-term financing and credit lines for its clients at the lowest prevailing interest rates. The firm uses traditional credit enhancement and export insurance programs, such as the ones offered by the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM Bank), and special purposed insurance programs (SPIP) designed to cover specific credit risk profiles.

"Our programs normally avoid mortgages or liens, and rely on risksharing techniques like insurance captives and leasing arrangements that many lenders overlook," Gonzalez says. "All we require is that the transaction be legal and make economic sense, and that the borrower make a full disclosure. We don't touch speculative deals."

Leader Trade & Finance strives to be several steps ahead of the marketplace. For instance, Leader is developing techniques to help Latin exporting companies find U.S. "seed capital" that allows them to improve productivity, lower their costs and turn out higher quality products, permitting them to become potential suppliers for major multinationals.

Leader assists Latin companies in analyzing their financial reporting practices and credit application procedures to accommodate international lenders, as well as helping companies with debt problems renegotiate with their banks and suppliers.

"In many Latin companies, management does not have the internal resources to develop and implement a sound international financial strategy," Gonzalez says. "In these cases, Leader can play a vital role in arranging lower-cost financing or securing working capital to grow the business."

Leader Trade & Finance Inc.

7740 SW 104 Street, Suite 202

Miami, FL 33156

305-666-0616

Fax: [phone]

E-mail: [e-mail]