Specialist property lender HS Credit launches in UK

By Bridging Loan Directory 11th March 2020

Specialist property sector lender HS Credit has launched in the UK with a commitment to provide traditional relationship lending for its customers.

The pledge was made by experienced banking professional Stephen Jennings, chief executive of HS Credit UK, at a launch event in Stockport attended by more than 100 guests.

HS Credit UK provides tailored funding for commercial property owners in England and Wales, offering secured, term, bridging and development finance loans from £250,000 to £10m.

Stephen said HS Credit UK would offer something different in a crowded marketplace by

‘bringing back the days of true relationship lending’.

He said: “Having a team of Relationship Managers who work closely with our customers and truly understand their needs and tailor loans accordingly to meet their requirements, is at the heart of HS Credit .”

Stephen said the first HS Credit office in the UK had made a strong start and would be lending more than £150m by the end of 2020.

Prior to his appointment at HS Credit, Stephen spent a decade at UK Asset Resolution and latterly Computershare where he was customer operations director following senior business banking positions at Santander UK, Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank and Co-operative Bank.

Alongside Stephen at HS Credit UK are corporate relationship director Stephen Luty, who performed the same role at loans, mortgage and finance specialist Together and previously held senior positions at Nationwide Building Society, Alliance & Leicester and Bank of Scotland, plus head of credit Keith Cannell and business development manager Paul Gavin.

The launch was staged at the flagship Mercedes Benz dealership at Stockport owned by LSH, the majority shareholder of HS Credit’s Malaysian parent company Hap Seng and where HS Credit UK is based.

Hap Seng is a Malaysian top 10 conglomerate and is listed on the main stock exchange of Bursa Malaysia with a market capitalisation of more than £4.5bn. The majority shareholder of Hap Seng is LSH, the world’s largest distributor of Mercedes Benz vehicles and known in the UK for its portfolio of Mercedes Benz dealerships.

Also addressing guests was multi award winning TV presenter Rob McLoughlin OBE, best known for his long association with Granada TV and its most famous shows such as Granada Reports and World In Action.

HS Credit is creating a network of 10 offices throughout the UK, with its second opening in Birmingham in April and others planned for Leeds, Bristol and Nottingham.