Basingstoke news and sport from the Basingstoke Gazette

Clydesdale celebrates a year in Basingstoke

From the archive, first published Tuesday 30th Jan 2007.

GUESTS were almost literally blown away when they attended an anniversary party hosted by the UK's fastest-growing business bank.

Visitors to the event at Oakley Hall braved gale-force winds to join in Clydesdale Bank's celebrations to mark its first year in Basingstoke.

Paul Maddison, senior partner at Basingstoke Financial Solutions Centre, in Basing View, said he was delighted that so many of the bank's friends - old and new acquaintances developed over the past 12 months - were able to attend the champagne reception, along with the Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane, Councillor Tony Jones.

Reflecting on the bank's capabilities from its Basing View offices, Mr Maddison said: "We can cover the full spectrum of banking, from business through to private, from wealth management through to asset finance, from agriculture through to interest rate commodity edging.

"Thank you for your support over the past 12 months. Through that support, we have been able to establish quite a strong base here in Basingstoke and I hope that bodes well for our future."

Tim Bostock, head of integrated financial solutions in the South, said he was proud with the progress the bank has made, adding: "We've opened 40 sites in the South over the past two-and-a-half years - probably the most rapid expansion of any business bank in the UK.

"And in terms of growth and asset growth, we are very proud as we are the fastest-growing bank in the UK, which is a tremendously exciting position to be in."

Mr Bostock added that Clydesdale could not have envisaged being in that position three years ago and that it could not have been achieved without the backing of the board of the bank's parent company, National Australia Bank Group.

"The board have been incredibly supportive with what we have tried to do and have taken some risks along the way, by investing tens of millions of pounds in intellectual capability, capital and also in premises," he said.

"I think what we have seen in the South has demonstrated to the board back in Australia that we are on to a winning formula.

"It is different for the bigger banks - and that's not to criticise them. We are just different, we are smaller, we are integrated and we have got a niche offering.

"And I think, more importantly, we are recruiting some brilliant people and Paul and his team certainly fit that category."

Mr Bostock also praised a familiar figure in Basingstoke's business community, Mike Loftus, who is chairman of Clydesdale's Thames Valley region, based in Reading.

Mr Bostock said: "Mike was the very first regional chairman brought on board in terms of fitting in with our philosophy and getting into the community, opening doors and really being an advocate of what we are

trying to do.

"The energy and the advocacy that Mike has demonstrated, with a passion, is an absolutely incredible performance and I guess we couldn't have done lots of things down here without his efforts over the past 12 months."