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Close Invoice Finance Opens New Midlands Commercial Centre In Birmingham
Close Invoice Finance, part of the FTSE 250 merchant banking group Close Brothers plc, is extending its footprint in the Midlands with the launch of a Regional Commercial Centre in Birmingham on 10th March.
Close has been active in the local market for 25 years and Midlands' business accounts for 15% of Close Invoice's current client base. So the invoice finance specialist has taken the strategic decision to open an office in the heart of the Midlands' business community to best serve existing clients and capitalise on new business opportunities available in the region.
David Thomson, Chief Executive of Close Invoice Finance said that growing understanding of the benefits of invoice finance from SMEs in the region was behind Close's decision to open the Birmingham office:
"Smart businesses are now viewing invoice finance as a strategic enabler not just a commercial crutch for their business. They are also realising that adequate cash flow is an essential element for the survival and growth of any business. The opening of our new Midlands Commercial Centre in Birmingham demonstrates our commitment to growing businesses in this important region and means our local customers can be sure to have access to great services - such as IDeal, our award winning online cash flow management solution - right on their doorstep."
The new office suite is located at Vienna House in the Birmingham International business complex just five minutes walk from Birmingham International Station and Airport. A highly experienced local team headed up by Simon Carter - who has worked for Close for the past 17 years - will serve Birmingham and the wider Midlands region including Wolverhampton, Coventry, Walsall, Dudley, Worcester and Leicester from the new base.
In his new role Simon Carter will have overall responsibility for managing the six man team. Before taking on his new role, he also held positions of Client Manager, Head of Factoring, Client Services Director and Sales Director for Close. Simon is supported by an extremely experienced team of regional sales directors: Mark Leach, Kelly Hamill and Edward Evans as well as a client service team led by Kate Smith.
Simon is convinced that the time is right for Close to build real presence in the Midlands market.
"Once dubbed 'the City of a thousand trades', Birmingham and the Midlands region has always been a fertile breeding ground for high growth companies - and the same is true today. But, with Banks having to reduce their credit risk, growing businesses need to find new ways to raise finance to fund their growth and ensure a reliable source of cash flow - and this is where Close fits in.
"By using our invoice discounting or factoring services, SMEs can effectively turn invoices into cash without the need for expensive banking arrangements or building up debt. What's more, Midlands' businesses can be secure in the knowledge that the funding know-how and local expertise they need is available on their doorstep direct from our Midlands Commercial Centre,"
