The new lender aims to provide a lending source for businesses, property investors and developers emerging post-pandemic, where access to finance may be more challenging.
Rob Lankey (pictured, right), former director of commercial lending at Shawbrook Bank, as well as former CEO of the NACFB, and Russell Martin (pictured, left), chairman of the ARMCo group of businesses, have launched a specialist lender, Chordis Capital.
The new lender aims to provide a lending source for businesses, property investors and developers emerging post-pandemic, where access to finance may be more challenging.
Chordis Capital is part of the ARMCo group, which combines specialist lending, R&D tax specialists, specialist property finance brokerage, land procurement and development, corporate finance advisory and insurance services.
The lender is therefore able to extend its offering to ARMCo group clients.
Lankey said: “Russell and I have kicked the concept of a broker lender relationship around for quite some time.
"With no legacy loan books, a strong funding line and the chance to build rapidly as the country emerges from lockdowns, the timing is ideal.
"We expect there will be a strong uplift in businesses and investors looking for finance, but who don’t meet the criteria of other lenders, for a variety of reasons.
"Being new, we are not impacted by some of the huge challenges other lenders have faced as a result of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Chordis is well placed to find a lending solution for the often complex needs of clients and provide a consistent and tailored approach.
"This will be a lifeline to many looking to emerge stronger and seize property opportunities, capitalising on the air of optimism as the country prepares to open back up for business.”
David Totney has taken the role of non-executive director and chair of Chordis; he has held senior positions at Santander and is a former executive board director at Lloyds Commercial Finance.
Martin said: “I’ve wanted to launch a lender into my ARMCo group of companies for quite some time, but there’s only one person in the market I would take this step with, and that’s Rob Lankey.
"Rob’s track record and reputation speaks for itself, and to bring a new lender to market in under six months during the toughest period of restrictions we’ve all endured, is an achievement we’re very proud of.”
Lankey concluded: “We’ve opened our new offices in Peterborough which will become our centre for operational excellence, and at this stage, we’re interested in speaking to any talented operations people who would like to chat about a new exciting opportunity.
"It’s great to be back in the market leading my own lender firm, and Russell and I are confident we’re starting a journey to build the biggest and best specialist non-bank lender in the UK”.
