Sky high growth planned at Manchester maintenance firm

27 September 2015

High level façade maintenance specialist, High Access, is poised for significant growth after undergoing a business restructure, funded by a seven-figure finance package from Yorkshire Bank.

Using the funding and its new model, High Access is targeting further expansion in the London market. The firm is currently looking to open a Birmingham depot to bridge the gap between the north and south. The latest funding package was delivered by relationship manager for Yorkshire Bank in Manchester, Helen Miller, who has worked closely with High Access for more than seven years.

With offices in Manchester and London, High Access provides comprehensive high level maintenance and cleaning services to the commercial property sector. Using powered access equipment as well as more traditional rope access, the company is equipped to address the vast majority of property maintenance challenges facing businesses.

High Access's impressive performance has also seen the company recruit Philip Seaton as its new operations director. In addition, it's anticipated a further four new management positions will be created to accomplish growth through existing and new customers.

The firm, which employs 50 staff across its sites, is currently undergoing a rebrand with Manchester-based brand agency Studio North, to reflect the restructure and reaffirm its expertise in working at height. Niel Bethell, director at High Access, said the company plans to double its turnover, currently standing at £5 million, over the next three years.

Niel said: "High Access has seen a huge increase in new business since the recession in 2008. We successfully managed to weather the storm of those years and, with the economy picking up, we’re in an excellent position to ride the wave of the recovery and realise exponential growth.

"Our aim is to deliver that potential through the best customer service possible. We’ve seen a great deal of new work come in from our existing relationships, which is testament to the quality of our work. At the same time, we’ve also had notable success in winning new customers.

"Following the restructuring of the business, we have big plans for High Access and an ambitious set of targets. With the help of Yorkshire Bank, we’re determined to achieve them."

High Access has the largest supply of in-house staff and equipment in the north west, with plans to mirror this success in the London market. It has invested heavily in its people, IT systems and offices in recent years – scooping "Business of the Year" at the annual Grafters Awards in March 2015.

The firm uses its customer relationship management (CRM) systems to make its operations much more efficient, providing PDAs for staff to sign-off jobs, issue e-invoices and log project times.

Sean Williams, Head of Yorkshire Bank's Manchester Business and Private Banking Centre, said: "It's great to work with and support a thriving, ambitious local business like High Access Maintenance. We’ve worked with the company for more than 10 years, initially providing a £500,000 asset finance package in 2005. It’s impressive to see how much the company has achieved since then and we look forward to supporting it further as it continues to expand.

"Yorkshire Bank remains focussed on investing in the local economy and it’s extremely rewarding to know that we can play a part in supporting the aspirations of ambitious firms like High Access Maintenance."

Yorkshire Bank recently launched a series of lending initiatives for UK businesses, designed to encourage growth for new and existing customers. As well as capital-free periods for up to five years, the Bank has also introduced high percentage funding for businesses to purchase trading premises.

Yorkshire Bank has also strengthened its support for UK SMEs by becoming the first to partner with the British Business Bank under its ENABLE Guarantees scheme. Up to £125m of new lending by Yorkshire Bank will help more small businesses achieve their growth ambitions.