- It’s been a year since OakNorth Bank set up a debt finance team in Manchester with just two team members, but since then, the team has grown to six people;
- The latest additions to the team are Paul Atherton who joins from Ballard Evans Corporate Finance Boutique, and Gareth Bennett who joins from Allied Irish Bank;
- Since March, OakNorth Bank has approved c.£800m in new loans including over £300m through the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) and the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS);
- This year, the Bank has completed several transactions with businesses in the North, including: Dow Schofield Watts, Aptus Utilities, Security Plus and Casa Italia.
OakNorth Bank – the UK bank powered by OakNorth – today announces the expansion of its Manchester team with two new hires, as demand for loans from businesses across the North continues to grow.
Paul Atherton joins as an Associate of Debt Finance having spent the past 10 years supporting SMEs at Ballard Evans Corporate Finance Boutique. Gareth Bennett joins as an Associate Director and has almost 15 years’ experience in the industry with the last eight being spent at Allied Irish Bank.
Ben Barbanel, Head of Debt Finance at OakNorth Bank said: “Despite the economic challenges being caused by COVID-19, OakNorth Bank has continued to lend to viable British businesses and support strong management teams through these unprecedented times. Since March, the bank has approved c.£800m in new loans including over £300m in CBILS and CLBILS loans. To date, we have lent c.£175m to businesses across the North and have a very strong pipeline. We have therefore continued to grow our team and expand our capabilities in Manchester so we can keep up with this demand. With the help of Paul Atherton and Gareth Bennett, we’ll be able to further support SMEs in this region.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
About CBILS
The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) is managed by the British Business Bank on behalf of, and with the financial backing of the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and industrial Strategy (BEIS).
About CLBILS
The Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS) is managed by the British Business Bank on behalf of, and with the financial backing of the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and industrial Strategy (BEIS).
About OakNorth Bank plc
OakNorth Bank provides fast, flexible and accessible debt finance (from £500k to £50m) to fast-growth businesses and established property developers / investors. It has debt finance teams in London, Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham, Leeds and East Anglia.
Since its launch, the bank has:
• Lent over £4.6bn, directly helping with the creation of almost 16,000 new homes and more than 20,000 new jobs in the UK;
• Raised deposits from c.160,000 savers;
• Supported over 750 businesses across the UK with the debt finance to pursue their growth ambitions.
It is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.
Visit wordpress-test-website.oaknorth-it.com for more information.
Contact
Stephanie Kendall, Associate Director – Growth & Communications: [email protected] / [email protected] / 07752 429643