Arkle Finance celebrates a 30% lending surge and strengthens broker management team

The specialist asset finance provider Arkle Finance has announced a 30% lending increase in the first half of 2019, compared to the same period last year.

Arkle also clocked two record months of lending in both May and June 2019. May’s lending figures were up more than half (56%) on the same month in 2018, while lending in June grew by a third (32%) year-on-year.

The Northamptonshire-based lender provides specialist asset finance across a range of business, consumer and education sectors, and its average loan size now stands at £45,000.

Arkle, which was founded 22 years ago, has also expanded its team in order to maintain its famously high service levels as lending volumes increase.

Staff investment has increased through 2019 with key appointments in several areas, none more so than the addition of two new Account Managers to its Broker team.

Ian Smith has joined Arkle from Shawbrook Bank, where he was previously a broker manager in the bank’s asset finance division.

Prior to that, he worked at Barclays in a number of roles within the high street bank’s asset finance division.

Clare Peel has also joined Arkle as an account manager. She previously worked as a business development manager at Hampshire Trust Bank.

Prior to that, Clare worked as a relationship manager at Shawbrook for three years, where she was responsible for handling cases placed by intermediaries.

Brian Jerome, associate director, Arkle Finance commented:

“We are delighted with our performance during the first six months of 2019, as the business goes from strength to strength.

“Our people are the driving force behind our success in the asset finance sector, and we are bolstering our team further with the appointment of two highly experienced Broker Managers.

“Both Ian and Clare will be crucial to our sustained growth as we look to strengthen our ties, and expand our reach, with brokers working in the asset finance space.

“We continue to strengthen our service offering in tandem with our expertise and ambition and we remain committed to providing an expanding range of asset finance solutions to our brokers for their clients, delivering the equipment finance they need – whether as a business or as a private individual.”