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Credo love ensuring companies can take advantage of growth opportunities when they arise, but with the current energy crisis, many businesses have also been looking into innovative ways to save money.

One local business that wanted to make the step into renewable energy to reduce outgoings was Redco Ltd, based less than a mile away from Credo’s Norwich office. Redco have been turning to Credo for financial support for projects over many years, and trusted us to move with this project quickly.

Michael Seago, our ECO Finance specialist went to visit Redco MD Mike Redshaw, and the project was underway.

Credo quickly provided the finance for solar panels, which were fitted recently, with Michael revisiting Redco to check that the team were happy with the installation investment.

So why did Redco chose to install Solar panels? What savings are they now going to make?

Watch our video for the full story, and if your business has been considering a project like this, then give Credo a call and we can help to make it a reality.

The group-wide re-brand reflects a closer alignment of the group’s businesses and new specialist divisions – ready to serve UK SMEs better than ever.

In a challenging time for many UK SMEs, STAR Asset Finance Group are confident they’re building a group that serves their financing needs better than many other independent asset finance providers. 

STAR Asset Finance Group have a bold ambition to be the most recommended asset finance provider in the UK and believe they can achieve this by offering more to customers, without taking away what they have come to expect – great personal and local service. 

Stronger together

This re-brand across all group businesses, inspired by the new leadership team of Jim Higginbotham (CEO) and Paul Slapa (Commercial Director), reflects a closer alignment and even greater collaboration within the group, with more shared resources and expertise and investment in improved back-room systems. 

They have also created new specialist divisions – STAR Stocking and STAR Professions – backed up by expert hires and a new STAR Loans product providing unsecured ‘own-book’ lending with greater decision speed and flexibility. 

National business benefits with a local touch

The result is a nation-wide group that is able to offer more financial options, more choice, more flexibility and more value to their customers. And because they still operate through local businesses, they are able to retain the local touch and understanding that their customers expect and value so much. 

A model that’s working for UK SMEs

This year, the group will exceed a landmark of £1.5 Billion of funding since the group formed in 2015, supporting over 100,000 UK SMEs. Their 2022 funding growth is already currently double the market rate.

The STAR Asset Finance Group has always been a great collection of local businesses, but this latest brand refresh signals the start of a new era where the full strengths of the group can be accessed by all our local customers, demonstrating we truly are stronger together. 

“I’m really excited about driving the STAR Asset Finance Group forward into its next chapter of growth. We have a great team, fantastic customers and a world of opportunity.” 
Jim Higginbotham, CEO STAR Asset Finance Group.

See how it looks by watching our video

The popular Cornish organic ice-cream brand, Roskilly’s, has invested more than £200,000 in a new solar power system, with help from Ignition Credit, part of the STAR Asset Finance Group.

The 211.68kw system includes 500 solar panels which are situated in fields on Roskilly’s working dairy farm in St Keverne. The system will help to power the milking parlour, ice-cream production, restaurant, shop and offices, considerably reducing the company’s energy bills in the long-term and saving around 60 tonnes of CO₂every year.

Ignition Credit arranged a bespoke hire purchase finance package to cover the upfront cost of the panels and installation by supplier Ivy Solar, with affordable repayments to be made over a 6-year term.  It is anticipated that the new system will provide at least 25% of Roskilly’s energy each year.  Taking into account the company’s existing 100kw solar system, this will mean that around 37% of its annual energy will be provided by solar power.

Director, Toby Roskilly, comments:

“After 60 years as an organic dairy farm and more than 30 as an organic ice-cream manufacturer, environmental sustainability has always been at the heart of the Roskilly’s family business. We are proud to be reducing our carbon footprint, whilst continuing to provide our customers and visitors with quality products and experiences. Ignition has helped us to take this step in a way that is immediately affordable for the business and will help to protect us against rising energy costs in the future.”

Eleanor Smith, Ignition’s business development manager and solar specialist, comments:

“Roskilly’s new solar panels are an excellent addition to the business, providing significant financial and environmental benefits.  By helping the company to manage the initial investment costs, we were able to provide a win-win solution that will continue to reap rewards for both the company and the planet.”

If you would like to discuss how solar can help your business, then give the team at Credo a call today.

Roger Pemberton had worked with our late founder, Simon Gray for many years and helped him to build his business before he sold Credo to STAR Asset Finance in 2017.

Simon was always wanting to help others, whether through his successful business he created or through charitable events, and in February 2016 he climbed Kilimanjaro to raise money for CLIC Sargent. In fact he was so keen to do it and raise every last penny for the charity, that he self funded the whole trip.

Simon returned from his trip with amazing stories to tell, and raised almost £25,000 for the charity.

Roger heard many of these stories during their meetings, which inspired him but a BNI presentation that showed the full experience gave Roger the motivation he needed in taking on this epic challenge himself.

“Being around him while he was planning the trip and also hearing from him how tough but rewarding it was inspired me to decide that I too would do the climb one day” Roger explained.

I managed to persuade a group of Action Coaches and some clients to walk with me and, after two postponements due to Covid we climb from 2^nd October to 11^th October 2022.

As a group we are supporting different charities, personally I am supporting Premier Foundation and as a group we are supporting Children with Cancer.

However, after Simon’s untimely death, I personally, will be climbing inspired by and in memory of my friend Simon Gray. It will be my mission to take a photograph of him and have my photo taken at the summit as requested by his widow Tracy and the Credo team.

God bless Simon”.

Roger will be taking a picture of Simon that was taken at the summit, so he can complete the journey with his good friend in mind.

If you would like to sponsor Roger as he takes on this amazing challenge next month, then please click here

UK commercial lending business, STAR Asset Finance Group, has today announced the launch of a new unsecured commercial loan product.

The loans, available to Professional Practices and SME’s across the UK, are available over terms ranging from 3 months to 5 years, with a maximum lend of £250,000, and can be accessed via any of the STAR family of companies.

STAR’s loan product is one of several new offerings available to UK businesses from the Group, having launched their “STAR Stocking” product in June for vehicle forecourts and garages, and sees the group continuing to invest in supporting their customers.

The group also recently launched a northern presence with the recruitment of 3 BDM’s in Cheshire, Staffordshire and Northumberland, and continues to recruit in order to meet increased demand from its customers.

STAR Asset Finance Group Commercial Director, Paul Slapa, said of the STAR Loans launch, “Launching a loan product allows us to better service the funding needs our customers.  We continue to support their asset finance needs but can now also better support their cash-flow challenges without relying on 3^rd party funders to do so.”

“The introduction of a loan solution also aids us with our continued growth plans, as we enter new markets where loans are the primary source of funding needed by customers.”

“Over the next 3 to 4 years, we will treble the size of our group, and new solutions such as unsecured loans and stocking finance contribute to that.”

STAR Asset Finance employs over 160 people across the UK, and has arranged over £1.4Bn of funding since the Group was formed in 2014.  In the first half of this year, STAR’s lending volumes grew over 14% – twice the UK SME market average, according to FLA stats.