leasing

Introducing Bluestone: Will Milner

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Getting to Know Will

Will is our Account Manager for Bluestone Vehicles, covering all regions in the UK. Before joining Bluestone, Will spent eight years working in sales, business development, finance, and insurance within the motor trade industry.  

‘I was drawn to Bluestone because of the business’s vision for growth within the vehicles industry. I’m looking forward to getting out and talking to our customers about how we can support them with their vehicle sourcing and funding.’

The world of work   

Will is often complimented for his excellent customer service, good communication and being knowledgeable in the motor industry. 

‘A typical day at work for me is spending time understanding our customer and partner business vehicle needs and sourcing the right vehicle for them. I enjoy getting to speak to different people, learning about different businesses and supporting them with their requirements.’

During his interview with Bluestone, Will was impressed by the opportunities within the customer base for the vehicles sector. 

‘It was obvious that the company wanted to grow their presence in the vehicles sector and that there was a lot of potential for me to help them do that. Coupled with the friendliness of the team and their shared values, it was an easy decision for me to join the team.’ 

Where it all began..

Will grew up Leeds with dreams of becoming a formula one driver – instead, he settled for his favourite hobby of playing Rugby. 

‘It helped that my favourite subject in school was P.E so I started playing Rugby from a young age. When I left, I went on to be a semi-professional player.’

From there, Will moved into a career in the motor trade industry, working for the likes of Mercedes-Benz. 

Life outside of work.. 

If Will could be anywhere else right now, he would be travelling the world or spending a relaxing weekend at home walking his two dogs. At the top of his bucket list, is visiting Australia.

‘I won’t have to wait too much longer as I’m finally getting to visit Sydney for a family wedding next year.’

You can view Will’s microsite here.

If you would like Will to help you with you with your vehicle finance needs, get in touch today.  

will.milner@bluestonevehicles.com

Case Study: Solar Panels for One Sign & Digital

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Based in the North East of England, One Sign & Digital operate from a 10,000 sq ft factory with a large fabrication and graphics facility including state-of-the-art digital printing machines to suit every requirement of sign making. This allows the company to manufacture all jobs in-house, giving them full control over projects from start to finish.

Requirements

One Sign & Digital were looking for a way that they could maintain cashflow within the business whilst making their facilities more sustainable and lower their carbon footprint. With such a large facility, they could see the benefits in installing more renewable technologies such as solar panels to help reduce their energy bills.

“We knew our business would be impacted by the increase in energy over the past few months and began looking for solutions that would both support us financially, but also allow us to implement more sustainable changes for the long-term. With the help of Bluestone and AR Power, we could do both. We are now benefitting from reduced energy bills, a solar powered facility and still have capital within the business to continue on our growth trajectory.”


Chris Timmins, Managing Director at One Sign & Digital

The Solution

Bluestone worked with AR power to support the business by offering a £59,512 finance lease facility that would allow One Sign & Digital to install a number of solar panels to the roof of their facility.

The lease will be repaid through fixed repayments over a period of time and provided the business with the capital they needed to implement more sustainable business decisions whilst retaining cashflow for investment in other areas.

“It was great to work with the team at One Sign & Digital and provide them with a solution that has enabled them to continue with their ongoing business strategy whilst also implementing technologies that will support them financially longer-term. I look forward to seeing them continue to grow.”

Toni McLeod, Bluestone leasing

Interested in finance for your business?

We can help businesses to by obtaining the best funding options and facilities, quickly and efficiently, whilst ensuring your short-term goals and long-term ambitions are considered in your financial strategy. 

If you are interested in a loan or asset finance for your business, get in touch with us today. We will assess your business’ individual circumstances and work with you to decide which, if any, finance solution would be the right choice. 

Complete the form below to send us an enquiry.

Introducing Bluestone: Alec Gost

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Before becoming a Regional Account Manager at Bluestone, Alec spent the majority of his finance career working on the funding side at banks and large lenders.

Having done this for a while, Alec desired to get more involved with the clients Bluestone were supporting so he could help provide finance solutions to the business issues of clients and partners.

“I love having conversations with business owners about their companies, the issues they are having, and designing solutions to help them resolve these problems. Working as a broker at Bluestone allows me to do this.”

The early days

Alec grew up in a beautiful small town called Marlow in Buckinghamshire. During his younger years, Alec spent a lot of his time on the Rugby pitch playing from the ages of 9-17.

When Alec left school, he went to the University of Portsmouth and studied International Relations.

“Whilst at University I joined the school’s American Football team but found it took up too much time from my academic work to stay on the full 3 years.”

The world of work

Alec started his career working for a large IT reseller. Having found success there, he decided he wanted to make a move into the Charity sector. 

After a few years of working in the charity world, Alec decided it was time to move back into the Private sector. Around this same time, Alec was headhunted to work as a Relationship Director for Close Brothers bank. 

Since then Alec has gone on to work at a couple of large funders managing their brokers and introducers as well as designing and implementing new funding products for their sales teams. 

Alec plans to continue to use his years of experience to help Bluestone’s clients to choose the right options for their businesses.

You can view Alec’s microsite here.

If you would like Alec to help your business to move forward with a bespoke finance solution, get in touch with him today. 

Alec.gost@bluestoneleasing.com

Introducing Bluestone: Philip Wiltshire

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Philip is our Regional Account Manager for South Central. Since joining Bluestone in December 2022, Philip has established himself within the team, bringing a wealth of expertise and knowledge. Philip has over 20 year’s experience in the commercial finance sector having worked as both a Relationship Manager and Area Manager with Nedbank Business Banking in South Africa. 

“I was attracted to working at Bluestone because of their fresh approach to service and the ease of which they interact with clients. I am most looking forward to meeting with the clients at businesses and identifying solutions to assist with their future growth plans.“


The early days

Having grown up in Southern Africa, Phil spent his younger years growing up in Lesotho where his father worked at a University there. Phil fondly remembers getting together with his mates, exploring the university campus, and horse riding around the area, along with spending his time on the rugby field.

“I’ve always been one of those guys that lived for today. One life lesson I’ve learned growing up is that you have to make the most of today because tomorrow will have its own challenges so take care of today.”

The world of work

Early on in his working life, Phil worked in media. Whilst in Durban South Africa, Phil worked for a small advertising agency. The business was quite small which allowed Phil to take on a lot of varied roles and functions, this would include working on various projects from design work, and pitching ideas and proposals to the bosses. But inevitably, his financial background meant that he was tasked with handling the business’ bookkeeping and financials.

Why Bluestone?

The main driver for Phil joining Bluestone was the way in which the company deals with its customers. Phil’s typical day usually involves a morning briefing call to discuss various customers and opportunities and manage any issues that may arise with deals.

“I enjoy interaction with customers and partners, so being able to put plans together to best support their businesses is always a fulfilling task.” 

Be it initial scoping calls, customer calls, getting appointments booked, or simply discussing how their business is doing is something Phil particularly enjoys because of how it allows him to immerse himself in their reality to be able to come up with the best solutions to their financial opportunities.

If he could meet anyone dead or alive

“I think it’d, probably be a toss-up between Nelson Mandela and Jimmy Hendrix”

You can view Philip’s microsite here.

If you would like Philip to help your business to move forward with a bespoke finance solution, get in touch with him today. 

Philip.Wiltshire@bluestoneleasing.com

Introducing Bluestone: Matthew Brown

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Matthew is our Regional Account Manager for Huddersfield, Bradford, and Halifax. Since joining Bluestone in December 2022, Matt has been building relationships with existing and new customers and partners and focusing on growing new business. 

‘I really enjoy meeting new businesses and finding out more about them and their needs – I don’t have a background in the finance industry as I worked in the world of Tobacco prior to Bluestone, so learning about my customers and partners is really interesting to me.‘ 

Matt is really looking forward to getting to know his businesses and helping them grow. 

The world of work

Matt began his career working in a bar in one of his favourite stadiums in Sunderland and prior to joining Bluestone, he worked in the Tobacco industry. He is often complimented on his work ethic and tenacity alongside his passion for helping businesses. 

‘I’m new to the commercial finance sector but I’m really looking forward to taking on the role. I was attracted to Bluestone after being impressed and inspired during the interview process. The idea of helping businesses and customers take things to the next level and being part of that journey excited and motivates me.‘ 

The early days and education 

Matthew grew up in Sunderland playing sport from a young age. When he was younger, his dream was to grow up and become a palaeontologist. His favourite subject at school was biology due to his interest in the way the human body works.  

‘The most important non-academic lesson I learnt at school was that hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.’

More about Matthew

At the top of Matthews bucket list is to go bungee jumping or sky diving, something that feels like he is on the edge of something that could be truly amazing or be his last ever experience. His life motto; 

‘There’s no point in living if you don’t feel alive.‘

Matthew wants to be remembered for… 

 ‘Being a laugh…hopefully!’ 

You can view Matthew’s microsite here.

If you would like Matthew to help your business to move forward with a bespoke finance solution, get in touch with him today. 

Matthew.Brown@bluestoneleasing.com

Introducing Bluestone: Leighton Davies

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Leighton is our Regional Account Manager for Wales. Since joining Bluestone in December 2022, Leighton has been building relationships across the region with both existing and new customers across all sectors, particularly focusing on growing the hard asset industry. Prior to working at Bluestone, Leighton worked as an independent finance broker dealing in both the hard and soft asset market. His previous roles saw him working for some of the largest automotive groups in the UK dealing with commercial finance for fleets of vehicles.

A typical day for Leighton is reaching out to new clients and partners, focusing on business development across Wales, introducing himself and letting customers know that Bluestone is here to support. 

‘I really like meeting new businesses and industries and getting to know them – I’m always intrigued about how they work, how they run and what they are looking to do to improve.‘ 

Since joining Bluestone, Leighton has brought enthusiasm, a smile, and a willingness to integrate himself into the company and learn and develop.

The world of work   

Leighton began his career working predominantly in the auto industry, focusing on brands such as Ford, VW and BMW over the years. His very first job was in retail, working at the weekend whilst at college, for a painting and decorating company.  

‘Previously working as an independent finance broker, I was involved in everything from meeting clients, to drawing up the proposals and quotes for credit, so I was attracted to the company structure at Bluestone in my interview. The experience and support from the team and the values they portray made me feel like it was a good place to be.’ 

The early days and eduction 

Leighton grew up in Cardiff and has early memories of spending time with his grandfather, playing outside and P.E at school. 

‘I liked playing football or riding my bike – I’m ‘old’ now so we didn’t have computer games back then!’  

The most important non-academic lesson Leighton learned at school was ‘don’t be late.’ 

More about Leighton 

In his spare time, Leighton enjoys spending his weekend with his partner, walking their dog on the beach, having a roast dinner and drinking a couple of beers whilst watching Manchester United play – passionate about travelling and sport, seeing Man United in the Champions League Final abroad is at the top of his bucket list.   

Leighton’s life motto; 

‘If you don’t have discipline, you’ll have regret.‘

Leighton wants to be remembered for…

 ‘My amazing personality and generosity.’ 

If you would like Leighton to help your business to move forward with a bespoke finance solution, get in touch with him today. 

Leighton.Davies@bluestoneleasing.com

Case Study: Radnor House Sevenoaks School

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Radnor House Sevenoaks is a private co-educational school in Kent that caters to pupils aged 2-18 for Nursery to Sixth Form Education. Radnor is housed in 29 acres of Grade 1 listed property and grounds, and is committed to educating and empowering the young adults of today to thrive in the world of tomorrow.

Radnor House Sevenoaks School

Radnor House Sevenoaks School is very active with its extracurricular sports activities and has hockey, football and cricket as core sports for all pupils. To effectively compete against other schools in the local area, Radnor House Sevenoaks School secured planning permission to build a state of the art FIH approved floodlit hockey pitch , and given ongoing capital expenditure programmes, a financing solution was deemed the most appropriate use of resources.

Alongside the sports pitch, the school was also keen to finance a further coach addition to the fleet used for school runs and sports transport, a company vehicle, and provision of Microsoft Surface devices to all Senior School pupils.

Why they decided to utilise finance

Following acquisition in 2015, Radnor House Sevenoaks School has embarked on a major capital expenditure program totaling over £5m.

Utilising finance to help retain cash on the balance sheet would allow them to see a return on their investment sooner rather than later.

“Because of Bluestone’s consultative approach to financing, we were confident and felt fully informed throughout. We knew that we were working with industry experts that could deliver on the project.“
Neil Moulding, Finance & Operations Director, Radnor House School Sevenoaks

The Solution

Bluestone worked closely with the school to understand their project needs and find a finance solution that best suited them.

As finance specialists who cover assets across several sectors, Bluestone were able to finance the school’s sports pitch, purchase a minibus, find a company vehicle and facilitated IT equipment upgrades.

The solutions allowed students to compete and make the most of the new sports pitch, provided them with a means of transport with the new minibus and access to new IT equipment to support their learning.

Ben Howe, Key Account Manager at Bluestone said, “Working with Neil and the team at Radnor House Sevenoaks School has been a pleasure. It has been great to help on multiple projects and see the difference this will help the students, and future students attending the school.”

Interested in finance for your business?

We can help businesses to by obtaining the best funding options and facilities, quickly and efficiently, whilst ensuring your short-term goals and long-term ambitions are considered in your financial strategy. 

If you are interested in a loan or asset finance for your business, get in touch with us today. We will assess your business’ individual circumstances and work with you to decide which, if any, finance solution would be the right choice. 

Complete the form below to send us an enquiry.

Case Study: R H Binks & Sons Ltd

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About R H Binks & Sons Ltd

R H Binks & Sons are a quality Wholesale & Retail Family Butchers who have been serving customers in Wakefield since 1920. Whilst they are a traditional style butcher founded on their service and a strong passion for high quality British produce, they are moving with the times to create hand-made products, and innovative ideas to the butchery trade.

Sourcing the majority of meat from established Yorkshire farms, they support regional farmers who share their commitment to welfare and outstanding quality without the use of intensive farming or growth hormones and additives.

Their Need for Finance

R H Binks & Sons Ltd has been successfully running for generations and wanted a new lease of life to align with the creativity and innovation they are bringing to the trade. The shop needed a full re-fit, and they were looking for a way to give the butchers a face-lift without using their existing cash reserves.

“Without the support from Bluestone and our supplier H K Interiors and XL Refrigeration, we wouldn’t have been able to achieve what we have. The interior of our shop is now one we feel proud of and we feel it is another step in supporting our business continuing to grow.”

Jack Binks, R H Binks & Sons Ltd

The Solution

With the support of Bluestone and suppliers, H K Interiors and XL Refrigeration, R H Binks were able to utilise a £120,000 Hire Purchase agreement to finance the fit-out of a new, modern shop internally and externally. The agreement allowed them to benefit from retained capital within the business for further growth and investment whilst making affordable repayments at a fixed cost over time.

Laura Fallah, Regional Account Manager at Bluestone said, “It was great to be able to work on a project local to Bluestone, especially one that supports regional farmers at the same time. The shop looks great and I’m really glad we were able to help R H Binks with their re-fit and support their business.”

Interested in finding out how Bluestone can support your business?

We can help businesses by obtaining the best funding options and facilities, quickly and efficiently, whilst ensuring your short-term goals and long-term ambitions are considered in your financial strategy. 

If you are interested in speaking to someone who can talk through how to best support your business, get in touch with us today. We will assess your individual circumstances and work with you to decide which finance solution would be the right choice for you.

Complete the form below to send us an enquiry.

Case Study: The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance

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The Institute of Comtemporary Music Performance (ICMP), based in London, has been developing and delivering education to students of contemporary music for over 30 years, longer than any other UK school. The key to their philosophy, is the understanding that every student is unique.

The ICMP have always focused on the needs and potential of individual students, ensuring that the education they provide is tailored and personalised, giving them the best chance of success.

The ICMP’s Requirements

As a provider of Higher Education emerging from the Pandemic and working within the tight constraint of the regulatory framework, ICMP used finance to ensure that key financial performance metrics were always comfortably managed at appropriate levels.

“Bluestone have been a supportive and communicative company, taking the time to understand our needs. That approach has enabled us to achieve the amazing results that we have!”

Pete Whittard,  Business Development Director, ICMP

The Solution

In 2019, when the project was initiated, ICMP’s growth trajectory clearly indicated the need for additional specialist space to accommodate recording studios and performance.

The solution was a 14,000 square-foot derelict public house in Queens Park that has undertaken a three phase renovation. Phase one delivered three state-of-the-art recording and post-production studios (featuring Dolby Atmos technology). Phase two delivered a 100+ capacity fully specified performance venue refectory with expanded teaching spaces and technology labs. Phase three completed with six further teaching spaces and professional services offices under a new roof and a rebuilt second floor.

Louse Harris from Bluestone said, “It was an absolute pleasure working with Pete and the team at the ICMP. We were delighted to support them with financing their projects, allowing them to continue with their exciting growth plans. We look forward to supporting them in years to come.”

Interested in finding out how Bluestone can support your business?

We can help businesses by obtaining the best funding options and facilities, quickly and efficiently, whilst ensuring your short-term goals and long-term ambitions are considered in your financial strategy. 

If you are interested in speaking to someone who can talk through how to best support your business, get in touch with us today. We will assess your individual circumstances and work with you to decide which finance solution would be the right choice for you. 

Complete the form below to send us an enquiry.

Case Study: A VAT Loan for Grafik

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Grafik develop sustainable, functional and commercially viable projects, working with a range of clients in the residential, commercial, leisure, mixed use and public sectors. Formed in 2001, they work strategically across the UK from their offices in Essex.

Their range of architectural services include; conceptual design, feasibility studies, master planning & urban design, full planning services, working drawing package and value engineering as well as having broad knowledge and experience of softwares including AutoCAD, Revit, Sketchup, Photoshop and InDesign.

Grafik’s need for finance

Grafik were looking for a way to pay their VAT over a period of time so they could retain capital within the business to invest in their continued growth. A VAT loan would ensure that HMRC were paid in full and on time whilst preventing them from parting with a large chunk of cash upfront.

“It was great working with Bluestone to fund our VAT bill – they have been helpful and supportive to our requirements. The process has been easy and it’s one less thing for the business to have to worry about.”

Miranda Jules, Admin Director, Grafik

The Solution

After being introduced to finance specialists at Bluestone Leasing, Grafik made the decision to utilise finance in the form of VAT loan over a three month period. The loan will allow them to spread the cost of their repayments over time and retain cashflow in the business for use in other areas.

Kate Walker, Regional Account Manager at Bluestone, said, “It was an absolute pleasure working with Miranda and the team at Grafik. We were delighted to support them with a VAT loan to spread the cost of their repayments and continue with their growth plans.”

Interested in finance for your business?

We can help businesses to by obtaining the best funding options and facilities, quickly and efficiently, whilst ensuring your short-term goals and long-term ambitions are considered in your financial strategy. 

If you are interested in a loan or asset finance for your business, get in touch with us today. We will assess your business’ individual circumstances and work with you to decide which, if any, finance solution would be the right choice. 

Complete the form below to send us an enquiry.