Secure Trust Bank Commercial Finance injects £20bn into UK businesses
Secure Trust Bank Commercial Finance (STB CF), the asset-based lending (ABL) arm of Secure Trust Bank, has hailed a successful period of supporting ambitious businesses across the UK, having provided nearly £20bn of funding to over 250 UK businesses since it was established ten years ago.
STB CF specialises in providing multi-asset ABL solutions to support businesses with mergers and acquisitions, refinancing, turnaround and other strategic events. Since its inception in 2014, it has provided individual debt facilities of up to £50m to mid-market businesses in the UK.
STB CF has built long-term trusted relationships with over 20 private equity houses and other private investors, supporting shareholder investments across a range of sectors to help create value and maximise returns.
Recent sponsor-backed deals include Batt Cables, one of Europe’s leading distributors of electrical cables. STB CF worked alongside BZ to provide multi-million-pound facilities to support Chiltern Capital’s acquisition. Having worked with Chiltern Capital on a number of other transactions, the facility also marked one of STB CF’s largest to-date. STB CF also supported the recent merger of Lyte Ladders and LFI within Breal Capital’s portfolio.
STB CF funds businesses across a variety of sectors, as demonstrated in its recent deal to support the acquisition of the UK’s largest arts and craft retailer, Hobbycraft. Funding from STB CF helped facilitate Modella Capital’s acquisition of Hobbycraft from Bridgepoint, which was previously the majority investor. The STB CF team look forward to working alongside the management team and Modella Capital to help deliver its ambitious growth plans across the UK. The deal further highlights STB CF’s ability to work alongside and support private equity in strategic transactions.
The team has also worked with a number of leading high street brands in recent years. These include providing an £8m facility to Ann Summers, supporting its online expansion, along with providing a £50m facility to British Steel. STB CF was also part of the syndication to support Aurelius with its purchase of LloydsPharmacy.
To support its growing customer-base, STB CF has invested heavily in its team, building a leadership team of some of the ABL industry’s most experienced people. With a focus on investing in the next generation of talent, the team has doubled in size since its inception while retaining a structure that keeps everyone very close to the client, ensuring the business is well positioned for its next stage of growth.
John Bevan, managing director at Secure Trust Bank Commercial Finance, said: “Ten years ago we set out on a clear mission to not only help ambitious businesses achieve their strategic aims, but to also be a long-term partner to management teams and sponsors alike. It’s incredible to see just how much impact we’ve had during this time, providing significant support and funding within a regional model with quick decision making and innovative facilities which has been a considerable boost to the wider UK economy. We’ve built a strong reputation for excellent delivery, with consistently high client satisfaction scores coupled with strong staff engagement, all ensuring we’re delivering the best possible service.
“During this time, we’ve built strong relationships with both management teams and PE houses, allowing us to work on complex transactions and be a true advisor to all involved. Particularly as businesses have faced a more challenging few years as unfavourable economic conditions have impacted businesses – our team has remained committed to unlocking value across the UK’s mid-market and supporting them throughout their strategic ambitions. The team is poised to carry on this work, and we look forward to seeing what other management teams and financial sponsors we can support over the coming years.”
