I started my career at Lancashire Mortgage Corporation (LMC) after studying business and finance at Bury College and I’ve been there for over twenty years now, which I think is a great achievement. I’ve never thought of doing something different, even though so many things have happened in the bridging world over that time.

I have a number of roles to fill and no two days are ever the same. I can be promoting new business opportunities; checking deals fit the latest criteria or overseeing recruitment and training to grow our business - driving it forward using the right people with the right knowledge. Throughout all of this I constantly strive to maintain the entrepreneurial spirit that attracted me to LMC.

Having been a part of this company for such a long time, I’ve seen it go from strength to strength and witnessed the growth first hand. I have been here through some very exciting times, seeing the resilience the company has had throughout several recessions, for example. 

LMC was established for the purpose of providing brokers with a whole range of commercial finance, term loans and bridging finance as an alternative to high street banks. As traditional lenders tightened criteria and restricted lending, we continued.

In terms of the resilience of the market, one of main points to highlight that pushed back on economic pressures is the adaptation of products to suit the needs of the borrower – one perfect example being bridging finance.

The bridging industry has adapted so innovatively to the troublesome market conditions. Blemain Group has been lending for forty years throughout a number of recessions and has done amazing things to remain one of the largest specialist lenders in the country. 

We have allowed property investors and businesses to continue to react quickly to grasp an opportunity and give them breathing space to sort out longer-term finance.   

When I started working in the industry, bridging finance was a niche product for the purpose of funding residential shortfalls until the previous property was sold. I’ve seen its uses change to include consolidation, cash flow, clearing unexpected bills or for business investment. We have also noticed an increase in its use for business acquisition, both in expanding a current business or changing the use of a property, for example turning a disused property into a convenience store or a shop into residential accommodation. Its expanding uses highlight how bridging finance is being seen by consumers and brokers alike as a credible product and the right solution for a range of purposes.

The housing market over the past few years has seen the demand for rental properties grow consistently and we have noticed an increase in landlords expanding their property portfolios at auction. Although this has always been a popular funding requirement, we have responded to the recent boom with a ‘Pre-Approved Auction Plan’ that allows the customer to bid at auction, with the confidence that the funds are in place.

In reality, evolution of this nature isn’t a revelation. Business trends and practices change over time along with economic factors, which lead lenders to adapt their offerings to suit the market’s needs. Our 25 years of business are testament to the fact that we have done just that and continued to offer a wide range of quality, innovative commercial funding solutions to our brokers. It is therefore only natural that brokers also adapt their use of a product to cater for the modern borrower.

I believe that we will begin to see more and more creative uses of commercial finance and further innovation in the industry and the demand for bridging finance will remain strong. The current restrictive approach from traditional sources is further fuelling the buy-to-let boom and there are lots of opportunities. 

I also think that common sense will return to the market, such as geographical location of lending. We will continue to see companies settling into niche areas in the market such as development, certain market sectors or simply the size of the loan.

LMC has continued to lend even through the toughest of times and its innovation, speed, flexibility and service have been key to allowing us to do so.  Particularly in the current changeable climate, constantly reviewing and revising products to offer up to date, relevant solutions and support to brokers and their customers has been significant to our success and is something that we are committed to continuing in the future.