Close Invoice Finance Wins Business Moneyfacts Award For Third Year Running

In an industry first, Close Invoice Finance (Close) has been named Best Factoring and Invoice Discounting Provider for the third consecutive year at the prestigious Business Moneyfacts Awards today (29th February).

The invoice finance specialist, part of the FTSE 250 merchant banking group Close Brothers Group plc, saw off competition from five other leading Invoice Finance providers to win the coveted prize for the fourth time in total, having triumphed in the same category in 2002, 2006 and 2007 before. Furthermore Close's flagship product IDeal, an enhanced paperless invoice discounting system which has been unrivalled in the marketplace for over 18 months now, was also highly commended in the Innovation in Finance category at today's award ceremony. This latest accolade serves as a further endorsement for the independent provider which consistently ranks top of the industry for client satisfaction and quality service delivery (over 25% higher than the industry average) in independently conducted research.

David Thomson, Chief Executive of Close Invoice Finance said: "We're delighted to have held onto the top position, becoming the only company to have won this award three times in a row - particularly as both the nomination and final selection process are entirely independent.

"This award acknowledges Close's achievements in what has been an extremely busy and productive year for us all. We have seen our first to market paperless invoice discounting service, IDeal, gain significant ground as businesses get turned on to the benefits hassle free invoice discounting brings.

We have also expanded into Northern Ireland with the launch of our Belfast office - which is now six months' ahead of target in terms of business generated - and more recently, have developed a presence in Dublin, where more SMEs are increasingly seeing the benefits of invoice financing. Our recent expansion and product development has provided a great foundation for further growth in the months ahead."

This award comes just months after Close's innovative online invoice discounting solution won the Innovation in Business prize at the Sussex Business Awards 2007/08. The Company was also recently named finalist in the Financial Innovation Awards and the Growing Business Awards for IDeal.

You can read more about the awards on the Business Moneyfacts website

Businesses eager to find out more about IDeal or Close's portfolio of invoice discounting and factoring services can call 0800 220 257 to discuss their requirements.