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ACCESS POINT FINANCIAL POISED FOR GROWTH
by robert green
On October 5th, Atlanta based hotel lender Access Point
Financial, Inc. (APF) announced the recapitalization of
the company in a transaction led by WPC Investments
(WCPI). The recap saw the successful exit of Stone Point
Capital from the business in a $350 million transaction.
The new investor has also committed to facilitate further
expansion of the company. “We are excited to gain
exposure to this unique asset class,” said WCPI’s Chief
Investment Officer Michael Gontar, “and are looking
forward to continuing the tremendous growth that APF
has achieved since its founding.”
Commenting on the transaction, Jon S. Wright, APF’s
chairman and CEO, said, “We are delighted with the
success we have achieved since our initial capitalization
in 2011 and will now move to grow the platform to even
greater heights with WCPI as our financial partner.
The APF management team will be forever grateful
to Chuck Davis and his investment team at Stone
Point for their forward-looking and pioneering rational
when earmarking the initial 2011 investment. Our new
partners at WCPI share our passion for integrity as well
as verifiable results driven by operating partners with a
25 year track record of risk adjusted returns.”
The successful transaction was another in a series of
wins for Wright and his team - the result of hard work
that began attracting notice some time ago. Last year,
when Wright first learned his company had been named
the 17th fastest growing private company in the country
for 2015, by Inc. magazine, he was both humbled and
gratified for the honor. “It’s extremely important to me
that the management team receives the recognition that
they deserve when such well-regarded counterparty
assessment as Inc. Magazine determines such results,”
he said.
Born and raised in the college town of Fayetteville,
Arkansas, Wright was one of two sons of post grad
educators (Library Science and Musician). “My mother
earned a Masters in Library Science, after herding my
brother and me to lower school, and my father was a
brilliant musician who taught music in the high school,
church and University of Arkansas,” he said “Growing
up, my entire existence consisted of sports, music and
church.” His father handed him a guitar at age fifteen,
informing him that, “the gals will be able to see you
better without that helmet on your head,” (after suffering
a spinal injury, which ended his football aspirations). He
now likes to live vicariously through his son, Luke, who
is currently a quarterback for the University of Kentucky
and his daughter, Kate, “who sings like an angel and
is academically light-years ahead of my GPA down the
road at the University of Alabama.”
As a pre-teen, Wright worked as a vendor at Razorback
Stadium on game days selling Cokes and kept a steady
lawn care business which was his means to pay for his
first car. During high school and college he worked at
the local mall from 5:00pm – 9:00pm. “I knew one day
I wanted to run my own business, and in order to get
ahead, I would have to work harder than others to
The break up actually inspired him to write a country
song, “Going through the Big D” (Don’t Mean Dallas).”
Wright’s brother, Mark, co-wrote the song and produced
it with Mark Chestnutt recording it. The song went to
number two on the Billboard Country chart and number
one on Radio and Records Charting Service. “While it
was very satisfying to write a hit song, it also helped
me impress my future wife, Paige.” Now married for 23
years, Wright shared, “We met at a hotel convention.
She was similarly employed by a specialty lender
based in Dallas. She knew the business and the key
players very well. And although Paige hung her ‘cleats”
up to raise our children, I still continue to lean on her
expertise daily to provide HR feedback, which as any
businessman understands can clearly benefit mental
well-being as a sounding board.
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