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Meet Richard and Will, Partner and Managing Partner at Cottons Group
With ambitious acquisitions goals and a desire to keep their borrowing simple, Cottons’s turned to us to get their funding sorted in one simple place. We sat down with Richard Wilch, Partner at Cottons Group, and Will Smart, Managing Partner at Cotton’s Group who chatted through their experience of working with OakNorth. Richard says they chose us as their long term funding partner because we ‘stood out’ and ‘understood them straight away’.
Hospitality
Meet Charlie Gilkes, Co-Founder of Inception Group
Inception Group are leading the way in London’s immersive and experiential bar scene, so when new site opportunities become available, they need a lending partner that can act fast to help them take advantage.
Co-founder Charlie Gilkes shared how partnering with OakNorth meant that they didn’t have to choose between opportunities but could do them all, resulting in their largest and most prestigious project to date – the iconic Control Room B bar in Battersea Power Station refurbishment.
Hospitality
Meet Tom Henry, CFO of Simmons Bars
For CFO Tom Henry, Simmons Bars are all about giving great hospitality experiences, and that starts by creating the right environment where people can have a good time. So, when they come across a new site opportunity, they need a funding partner that can move as quickly as them.
Here Tom shares how OakNorth stood out to them because we support growth and don’t draw out the process of making their money available, meaning they’re able to take advantage of opportunities when they arise.
Hospitality
Meet Sean and Paul, MD & CFO of The Inn Collection Group
With funding from OakNorth, they’ve grown their cosy hotel chain from a small collection of inns to dozens of sites across the North of England and into Wales.
When they wanted to refurbish a large part of their existing portfolio and push on to acquire new properties, a recommendation from a private equity partner led them to us. Our direct access to the credit committee and willingness to look at things differently to see their potential was a huge bonus for them as they took their business to new heights.
Other
Meet Mark Errington, Company Director of Clavis IDS
Company Director Mark Etherington worked his way up to a senior management position at Clavis IDS having worked for them since leaving school. So, when the opportunity came up to buyout the previous managers and make his own stamp, he took it.
Mark shared with us how the partnership with OakNorth helped them to finance the last payment of their original buyout and to start developing new production methods.
Senior living
Meet Graeme Lee, Founder and CEO of Springfield Healthcare
Springfield Healthcare CEO Graeme Lee grew up with his family’s care home business, and that level and care and understanding of its residents has grown as they’ve continued to grow the business. So when Graeme sought a loan for his latest project that needed some changes along the way, we weren’t fazed. Here’s how we helped increase his initial agreed loan value and how our hands on approach made all the difference to them.
Other
Meet Sam Havill, Director of BTTC Infrastructure
With collaboration so important to BTTC that they chose to include it in their business name, Director Sam Havill already lives the ethos of rail connecting people and communities throughout the country.
When they were looking for funding to aid in a change of ownership of the business, we were able to make the cash available to them when they needed as well as giving them accessibility to our team when it suited them to make the whole process as smooth as possible.
Senior living
Meet Mo Moosa, Co-Founder of Nightingale Healthcare
OakNorth supports people with a purpose, so when police constable and Nightingale Healthcare co-founder Mo Moosa found the right business he wanted to acquire, we were able to facilitate it. An at-home care provider to BAME communities with the right sensitive cultural understandings, Mo needed a loan provider that saw his vision. Our ability to give exposure to the credit committee, give a human approach and understand his entrepreneurial needs made all the difference to him when providing his funding.
Real Estate
Meet Kevin Mccabe, Founder & Chairman of Scarborough Group
Kevin McCabe, Founder and Chairman of Scarborough Group, found that a lot of banks had little understanding of what property businesses needed, but with OakNorth he could see that we were actually listening to his goals and ambitions. As a result, we were able to finance multiple property schemes in Leeds to transform the area with a major new office building and a new stadium.
Fund & speciality finance
Meet Jo and Andrew, Chief Executive and COO of Frogmore
We spoke to Jo Allen and Andrew Rogers, Chief Executive and COO respectively of Frogmore, who specialise in UK real estate investment and private equity fund management. As the business is often buying multiple assets and having complex funding needs, they found it difficult to find a lender that both understood their needs and was willing to work with them. OakNorth’s open minded approach and the access given to the credit committee allowed them to ask the right questions and for funding to be processed when they needed it.
Senior living
Meet Chris Mitchell, Chairman of Park Lane Healthcare
Park Lane Healthcare Chairman Chris Mitchell shares his experience with securing a loan, and how he went to Oaknorth because it was formed by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs. He explains about how the ‘priceless’ opportunity to speak to the entire lending committee as well as the uniquely quick turnaround times made the difference for his ‘caring-first’ care business.
Meet Joshua Carr, Group Financial Accountant at Verto Homes
Joshua Carr, Group Financial Accountant, at leading sustainable housebuilder, Verto, discusses working with OakNorth to support the development of their latest sites in Cornwall, including the benefits of our entrepreneurial approach to lending.
Hospitality
Meet Mark Derry, Executive Chair of Brasserie Bar Co.
We sat down with Mark Derry, Executive Chair of Brasserie Blanc to find out how we’ve been able to support the business as it evolved over time. Where other banks were not as generous in the amount they would loan to smaller growing businesses, he tells us about OakNorth’s more open-minded approach to lending needs and how we were able to finance a loan that help them come out of the pandemic stronger than before.
Real Estate
Meet Ali Reza Ravanshad, Founder of Dandi Group
Ali Reza Ravanshad, founder of London based family office Dandi Group, discusses their business mission and why gaining financial support from OakNorth has made it possible for them to achieve their goals and execute on their dreams.
Real Estate
Meet Kate Lawlor, CEO of Bruntwood SciTech
Kate Lawlor, CEO of Bruntwood SciTech, the science and tech sector’s leading property provider, sits down with us to discuss how OakNorth was able to support the growth of their footprint in Birmingham and the benefits of discussing their unique borrowing needs direct with our credit committee.
Fund & speciality finance
Meet Richard Cullen, CEO of Cullen Wealth
We speak with Richard Cullen, Chairman and CEO of Cullen Wealth, one of the largest independently owned financial advisory firms in the UK, to hear about the origins of his business and how OakNorth was able to complete a loan to support the firm’s recent management (non-operational) buy-out, in just six weeks.
Real Estate
Meet Mark Booth, Co-Founder of Hayfield Homes
Mark cofounded his own housebuilding company Hayfield in 2016. After just six years Hayfield achieved £140m turnover, and is set to build around 300 luxury homes this year. We had the privilege of funding their first ever housing scheme, and ever since we’ve remained their chosen funding partner, helping them deliver thoughtful homes, that make a difference.
Hospitality
Meet Hector Ross, Managing Partner at The Signet Collection
We catch up with Hector Ross, Managing Partner at Signet Collection, about the origins of his business and working with OakNorth to develop his magnificent new hotel, The Retreat at Elcot Park in Newbury.