For contractors and specialty trades, financing usually means one of two things: paying for machines and work vehicles, or covering crews and materials until draws and invoices are paid. Ivyview Lenders, a small-business funding broker in Greenville, North Carolina, introduces Pitt County contractors to lending partners for equipment financing, lines of credit or working capital; partners approve requests and set terms.
| Typical needs | Equipment and work vehicles, materials, payroll between draws |
|---|---|
| Options discussed | Equipment financing, lines of credit, working capital, term loans |
| Pitt County construction | 377 employer establishments in 2023, 62.9 percent with fewer than five employees (Census CBP 2023) |
| No paid employees | 1,166 construction businesses in 2024 (Census Nonemployer Statistics 2024) |
| Who decides | The lending partner, not Ivyview Lenders |
| Office | 623 S Pitt St #24, Greenville, NC 27834 · (252) 318-3595 |
Pitt County construction in the numbers
| Measure | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Construction employer establishments, 2023 | 377 | Census County Business Patterns 2023 |
| Building construction (NAICS 236), 2023 | 126 | Census County Business Patterns 2023 |
| Specialty trade contractors (NAICS 238), 2023 | 237 | Census County Business Patterns 2023 |
| Construction businesses with no paid employees, 2024 | 1,166 | Census Nonemployer Statistics 2024 |
| New housing units authorized, Pitt County, 2025 | 1,285 | Census Building Permits Survey 2025 |
| New housing units authorized, Greenville, 2025 | 855 | Census Building Permits Survey 2025 |
Two things stand out. Construction here is a small-firm business: 62.9 percent of employer establishments had fewer than five employees, and construction businesses without employees outnumber employer firms roughly three to one (CBP 2023 and NES 2024, two different programs and years). And residential permitting has held steady, at 1,374 units authorized countywide in 2023, 1,300 in 2024 and 1,285 in 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey). Those permit counts cover new privately owned housing units only, not commercial jobs or remodels.
Draws, retainage and the cash gap
On most jobs a contractor pays for labor and materials first and collects later, through progress draws or a final invoice. Retainage, the part of each payment held back until the job is finished, stretches the gap further. A business can be busy and profitable and still run short of cash in the middle of a job.
Two tools handle this. A business line of credit suits contractors with several jobs at different stages: draw for materials, repay when the draw clears, draw again. Working capital financing suits a single large gap, such as staffing up for a big contract. Either way, partners will want to see the contract, the draw schedule and how reliably you have collected on similar jobs.
Seasonal staffing in the trades
Construction employment in Pitt County moves through the year. In 2025, building construction employment ran from 1,159 jobs in January to 1,283 in September, and specialty trade employment from 2,410 in January to 2,705 in December (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages 2025).
A line of credit sized for the busy months, then paid down in quieter ones, is a common way to handle that swing. The point is to borrow for the stretch, not to carry a balance all year.
Equipment, trailers and work vehicles
Excavators, skid steers, compact track loaders, trailers, service vans, pickups and specialty tools make up most contractor equipment requests. Equipment financing ties the payment to the machine, and the machine secures it. Used equipment is commonly financed, though partners look closely at hours, condition and resale value.
The trades bring their own lists. Pitt County had 57 plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors and 40 electrical contractors with paid employees in 2023 (U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023); service vehicles, lifts, diagnostic and testing equipment are typical requests for firms like these.
For titled vehicles and trailers, the lender is usually recorded on the title. For other equipment it typically files a UCC financing statement, which shows up when another lender searches your business's records.
Paperwork partners commonly ask contractors for
- signed contracts and the draw schedule for the jobs in question;
- a receivables list showing who owes you, how much and since when, including retainage held;
- equipment quotes with make, model, year and condition;
- recent business bank statements and tax returns;
- a list of existing equipment loans, leases and lines, with payments;
- license information, where the work requires a state license. Check what applies to your work with the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors; Ivyview Lenders does not advise on licensing.
Having these together does not change a partner's criteria, but it makes the review faster to start and easier to follow.
Before you sign for a machine or a line
Contractor financing offers are easy to compare badly. Line them up on the same points:
- Total cost: every payment added together, plus any charges, not just the monthly figure.
- Timing: whether payment dates fall before or after your draws usually clear.
- Early payoff: what it costs to retire the balance when a big job pays out.
- Liens: whether the new lender files a blanket lien that could complicate your next equipment purchase.
- Guarantees: who signs personally, and for how much of the debt.
How Ivyview Lenders works with contractors
Ivyview Lenders connects you with lending partners; partners make credit decisions and set rates and terms. The first question we ask a contractor: is this about a machine or about a job? A machine points toward equipment financing. A job points toward a line of credit or working capital, sized to the gap between paying crews and getting paid.
Call (252) 318-3595, visit 623 S Pitt St #24 in Greenville, or start a request online. More on how financing lines up with other Pitt County sectors is on the industries page.
By Ivyview Lenders · Updated