BT,You ask the questionWhy would a smelter co lend a LOT of cash...

BT,
You ask the question

Why would a smelter co lend a LOT of cash to set up a customer? It would be like a garage lending cars on the proviso it had the cars derived at the lending garage.

I don't think that is the analogy at all. We would be talking about a garage lending money to a company who had its own fleet of cars to have them serviced at the garage. Doesn't seem outrageous to me if the garage has run its numbers and likes the look of them.
I've got to say that while others have been tipping the bucket on TP as being a moron (my word, but it does capture the essence) I'm a little surprised at you.