Capital planning
Capital Planning for Manufacturers: Fund Your Next Big Idea
Bring your vision to life with our capital planning services for manufacturing companies.
- Led by Nauman Poonja, CPA
- Manufacturing finance only
- A partner in every big decision
- Dallas–Fort Worth and nationwide
What's included
The support you need for any capital improvement
It starts with the right strategy
Our fractional manufacturing CFOs assess planned capital improvements against your long-term profitability goals before you commit.
Plans backed by data
Our fractional controllers compile the data you need to make an informed choice and confirm the project helps you reach your manufacturing KPIs.
An eye on your cash flow
We monitor your cash flow and keep your books in order, which makes it easier to get the funding your capital improvements need.
Specialized financial modeling
Knowledge of industry trends, financial modeling and regulatory requirements, so the plan lines up with your goals and keeps your exposure down.
Your team stays on daily work
Capital planning is labor-intensive. Outsourcing it lets your in-house team keep their focus on the daily work that drives the business.
An objective view of the risks
We give you an outside, objective read on the project and identify the risks early, so the capital plan holds up.
Is this a fit?
Which manufacturers need capital planning
It fits manufacturers with a significant investment ahead. The common situations:
- Upgrading outdated equipment, adding new technology or improving worker safety.
- Expanding a product line or adding capacity.
- Buying more commercial property or expanding a facility.
- Deciding whether to buy or lease equipment.
- Not sure the business can afford the purchase and still meet its debt payments.
How we work
Our capital planning process
- 1
Assess your project
We start by assessing your planned project and whether it will help you reach your manufacturing objectives.
- 2
Determine funding
Once we know it's a solid investment, we review potential funding sources and the resources you have to complete the project.
- 3
Break ground
With funding secured, you start executing the capital upgrade, and we keep watching cash flow against the plan.
The short answer
Capital planning for manufacturers means deciding whether an investment is worth making, how to fund it and what it does to your cash before you commit. Capital planning is a core part of our fractional CFO for manufacturers services, helping manufacturers invest and grow with confidence.
Fund capital improvements, new infrastructure and more
New opportunities keep coming up in manufacturing, and you want your company in a position to take them. We help you get there.
We've put together a team of fractional manufacturing CFOs, controllers and accounting professionals who bring industry experience to every engagement. Together we build a strategic capital plan that makes the most of your current assets and improves profitability.
Upgrade your equipment, invest in new technology, improve worker safety, expand your product line or invest in more commercial property. Whatever capital improvement you have in mind, we help you work out whether it makes sense and how to fund it.
Industry-leading talent on a small business budget
What often sets successful businesses apart is the people making the big decisions. A small or mid-sized manufacturer may not have the resources to hire a finance executive with experience in your field, or an entire in-house planning team.
Our fractional manufacturing CFOs, controllers and accounting professionals bring that industry experience for a fraction of the cost. Outsourcing capital planning keeps your overhead down and lets you put your resources where they matter most.
Get ready to drive your business forward
Scale your business, reach your manufacturing KPIs and keep investing in what moves you forward. If you have a capital project in mind, talk to us before you commit.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if we can afford new equipment?
Model the purchase three ways: the return it generates through capacity, labor savings or new work; the cash it needs up front and over time; and the effect on your debt service and covenants. If the forecast still holds a healthy cash cushion in a downside scenario, the purchase is usually affordable.
Should a manufacturer buy or lease equipment?
Buying usually costs less over the life of the asset and may bring accelerated depreciation; leasing preserves cash and borrowing capacity and can suit technology that ages quickly. Compare total cost, cash flow timing, tax treatment with your CPA, and how each option affects your covenants before deciding.
What is a good payback period for a manufacturing equipment investment?
Many manufacturers look for payback within two to four years on productivity equipment, but the right threshold depends on the asset's life, your cost of capital and how certain the savings are. Use net present value alongside payback, and stress-test the volume assumptions that drive the return.
How should we finance a facility expansion?
Match the financing to the asset: long-term debt or real-estate financing for buildings, equipment loans or leases for machinery, and working-capital lines for the inventory and receivables the expansion will create. Build a forecast first so you know the true cash requirement, including the ramp-up period before new capacity pays off.
Does capital planning include tax planning?
It should consider tax, but we coordinate with your CPA on the tax side. Timing of purchases, depreciation elections and credits can materially change an investment's return. We model the scenarios and the cash; your CPA confirms the current rules and files the returns.
Client results
What working together looks like
"With three operations, we needed to see how each one was really performing. Accounovation gave us location-level financials, a clear plan for the cash our growth requires, and an ERP that connects the office to the plant floor — all while building on the team we already had."
— Matt Fodge, President, Gleco Plating
Read the case study →
Gleco Plating, Inc.
Three Locations, Three Clear Pictures: How Gleco Plating Sees Every Plant's Performance
Now plans for the cash cost of growth before it arrives.
Tessaline Devices
Several-Fold Growth. Line of Credit Untouched. A Finance Team Built to Last.
Funded growth through customer prepayments instead of debt.
Some client names and identifying details have been changed at the client’s request. Results are unchanged.
Further reading
Get a finance partner in your corner
Book a free 30-minute call. We'll talk through your cash, your margins and the decisions ahead, as a partner, not just your accountant.