Digby Trading expands with bank aid

Founded in 2008, Digby Trading sources and imports a range of natural stone products from India and China, which it sells to trade retailers for patio and garden design.

To create space to store its extensive stone products and accommodate expansion plans, the business, which already has an operation at Felixstowe Dock and Stourbridge, decided to buy an additional yard.

The company approached Lloyds Bank and secured the loan to fund the purchase of a 3.8 acre site in Halesowen.

Funding was granted using the Funding for Lending Scheme. As part of it, Lloyds Bank is offering discounts of one per cent to all SMEs in all sectors for the life of their loan.

To help deliver increased workload in line with the business' acceleration, the company has taken on two new members of staff, and has plans to increase numbers in coming months.

Claire Digby, co-owner of Digby Trading, said: "At Digby Trading we have used our extensive knowledge and industry experience to offer quality, ethically sourced natural stone products from around the world.

"The purchase of the new Midlands site is an important growth opportunity for the business, and the funding provided by Lloyds Bank has been crucial in allowing us to increase the quantity of stone we can import, and will also enable us to continue to expand our line of products.

"The local team at Lloyds Bank has been extremely understanding of our plans for expansion, and are helping to encourage the business to thrive. This comes at a great time following our recent award success, and we are really grateful for the bank's support."

Mark O'Connell, relationship manager at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking in Stourbridge, said: "Digby Trading is a well-respected business within the landscaping industry and has built up a fantastic reputation for its high quality imports since it began trading six years ago.

"The purchase of additional trading space marks an important milestone for the business and its growth ambitions. We were pleased to be able to support the purchase of the new site, and the employment opportunities that have been created as a result are fantastic news for the local economy.

"We are committed to supporting SMEs like Digby Trading with their plans for growth and expansion and since we launched our FLS offer in September 2012, we have committed £6.3 billion to our SME customers."