Andrew Hardman joins Advantedge Commercial Finance to drive expansion in Manchester
Appointment reflects the positive economic growth and opportunities in the region
Advantedge Commercial Finance has appointed Andrew Hardman as regional sales manager in Manchester. Andrew will be responsible for continuing to develop Advantedges’ growing presence in the region as the firm pursues an ambitious growth strategy.
Andrew’s appointment is one part of a continuing investment programme by the firm designed to focus on being closer to local businesses in order to provide the funding support they need to grow. Expanding the team in the north west is an essential part of the programme with their regional sales presence also continuing to grow in the south west, south east, Thames Valley, Essex, London, Liverpool and Yorkshire. The firm has also been building successful client operational centres in the Thames Valley, Wales & the south west, The Midlands and Glasgow in addition to Manchester.
The appointment comes at an exciting time for the region with Manchester forecast to remain one of the UK’s strongest performing cities to 2021, although economic growth has been slow, according to new figures*. Employment growth will lead the city league tables at 1.2% a year with growth coming from administrative support and business services, transport and storage as well as strong growth in consumer sectors. Meanwhile, GVA will see a predicted annual increase of 2.2% between 2018 and 2021 – ahead of London and just 0.1% behind top performer Reading, which sees its comparative employment growth at 0.9%.
As Andrew comments: “Manchester has played a crucial role in the UK’s economic growth since the industrial revolution. Its thriving business landscape, impressive economic forecasts and low operating costs make it a competitive location for business expansion and creation. It is encouraging that we see businesses in the region getting themselves prepared for what is around the corner, both in terms of dealing with the challenges, but also the many opportunities that will develop. I believe the increasing financial services presence in the region is supporting this growth. Ensuring that business has fast access to flexible and straightforward funding solutions is essential if the regions businesses are to continue growing and creating jobs. I am delighted to be joining Advantedge who are committed to providing certainty of funding to UK businesses. They have a strong commercial perspective, access to large funding pools and a commitment to delivering a market leading service. With funding facilities available up to £1.5m I am looking forward to supporting firms in the region with their growth aspirations.”
Andrew brings with him a wealth of experience gained within the invoice finance sector successfully identifying and shaping funding facilities for a wide range of businesses. Having spent four years as a funding advisor with Reach Commercial Finance where he worked with and advised businesses on funding solutions and suitable partners, he made his move to Ultimate Finance as a regional director bringing the firms’ financial facilities to businesses looking for cashflow solutions.
Advantedge, who offer a full range of invoice finance facilities to small and medium sized businesses, have seen consistent growth having already funded over £2bn worth of invoices to British SME’s and hope to significantly increase that number as they continue to expand their operation. The business attributes this continued growth to delivering fast, flexible and straightforward finance solutions to clients on their own terms, which is aimed at delivering a transparent and professional service to both intermediaries and clients.
As Darren Cottenden, director concludes: “We are delighted that Andrew has joined the team at such an exciting point in our expansion. Developing and maintaining personal and local relationships delivered in the way our clients want remains utmost on our agenda. Andrew’s experience in identifying and structuring funding solutions to support businesses will be a huge benefit to firms in the region as we focus on making our funding solutions more widely available. He has a strong track record in building strong and personal relationships with businesses and their advisors and we are looking forward to Andrew making a difference to businesses in the region.”
*Ernst & Young – Regional Forecast Report