Colebrook Financial’s Subsidiary is “South Florida’s 2024 Fast 50” Honoree
Colebrook Financial Company, a leading lender to the timeshare and travel club industries, announced that its subsidiary, Vacation Club Loans (VCL) has been recognized as one of south Florida’s 50 fastest growing private companies. VCL ranked in the top eight of South Florida Business Journal’s 2024 Fast 50. VCL specializes in financing Disney Vacation Club© resales, as well as resales of other high end timeshare resorts .
South Florida Business Journal’s criteria for the coveted award include:
- Must be privately held
- Headquarters must be located in Miami-Dade, Broward or Palm Beach County
- Have a minimum of $1 million dollars in annual revenues
- Be at least three years old
- Provide appropriate documentation for revenue verification
The Awards ceremony was held in August. According to the Journal, Fast 50 companies are champions of growth in South Florida –translating into jobs and newly injected cash into the community. The Fast 50 is a compilation of two Top 25 lists: one for companies with more than $25 million in annual revenue, and one for companies with less than $25 million in annual revenue. VCL falls into the second category.
VCL has been a client of Colebrook since 2016. Bert Blicher, and Colebrook founding partner, Bill Ryczek have known each other since 1979 when Bert was with a finance and real estate company, of which he eventually became CEO. In 1992 Bert became Chair of ARDA, the association serving the timeshare industry. He was instrumental in creating the ARDA Resale Task Force and later became the only third-party provider to join the Responsible Exit Coalition alliance.
For more than eight years, Bert Blicher led VCL as CEO; Debbie Ely was its President and spearheaded daily operations and development. In April, while maintaining a minority share, Blicher sold his majority interest to Colebrook Financial. Vacation Club Loans was founded on the principle of helping the resale market nationally by providing financing directly to the buyers on the secondary market. This secondary market had not had any lending, whereas Debbie saw an opportunity to jump in and assist since Bert owned one of the largest resale agencies in Orlando.
Bill Ryczek, Partner/Colebrook Financial, said that “Under the leadership of President Debbie Ely, VCL’s financing of Disney Vacation Club© resales is at a record pace. Debbie’s personal attention to customer service is the key to the company’s growth.”
“An award like this clearly demonstrates how having the right partners such as Colebrook Financial can positively affect the growth of our business. Their financial resources along with a deep understanding of the timeshare industry as well as our unique niche paved the way to such success,” said Ely. “In eight short years we have helped over 5,000 families become new owners.”
In addition to Disney Vacation Club, Vacation Club Loans provides financing for all high-end brands like Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, and Westin. Its focus in 2025 will be to add more single site resorts to its financing portfolio to offer direct financing to their house sales as well.
Colebrook is a pioneer in many forms of financing, which led them to VCL and resale financing. Few competitors can match their longevity in the industry. They enjoy a reputation for adapting to new situations more quickly than larger institutions.
About Colebrook Financial Company
Colebrook Financial Company, based in Middletown, Connecticut, specializes in providing financing for the timeshare industry, and can offer a variety of facilities in amounts ranging from $100,000 to $30 million or more. We have an innovative approach to financing and pride ourselves on rapid turnaround and personal service. Colebrook has no committees, and our most important policy is common sense. You’ll get straight answers, and you can always talk to a principal. For a complete list of product offerings and information on Colebrook and its principals, visit www.colebrookfinancial.com
About Vacation Club Loans
Vacation Club Loans located in Delray Beach, FL, serves United States and Canada consumers who purchase vacation ownership points in the resale market. The company was founded in 2016 out of a desire to provide financing to families who would love to travel more and save money by owning, while providing affordable monthly payment options that make it all possible. Its easy loan approval process and flexible payment plans for up to ten years have made it a pioneer lender in DVC financing and other timeshare resales across all brands. For further information, email Debbie@vacationclubloans.com or visit www.vacationclubloans.com
