Rapidly growing HBOS Australia subsidiary, BankWest, has selected Bendigo as the most recent location for its expanding east coast operations.
A recently opened BankWest Business Banking Centre at 92 Willis Street, Bendigo will allow BankWest to service customers throughout the north west, north central and north east of Victoria and is the bank's first Business Banking centre in the region.
New Head of Rural and Regional Banking, Jamie Ritchie said Bendigo was selected because of its strategic importance as the geographic centre of Victoria and the growing demand of businesses in the region for competitive financial providers.
"The new Business Banking Centre gives us access to a large number of new businesses, who will now be able to experience first-hand our specialised industry knowledge and strong service ethic," Mr Ritchie said.
"The Bendigo district, like most of rural and regional Australia, is in the grip of a long-term drought however the Bendigo region has a large manufacturing industry that accounts for a significant percentage of employment in the region.
"The growth in manufacturing has been driven by the increase in exports in the Bendigo region over the last few years. Food, wine, dairy, engineering and textiles and clothing are all important industries in the area.
"As a bank, we are driving competition and change in these industries by providing specialised industry experts who have the knowledge to bring the financial know-how that these specific industries need."
As part of its expansion in Bendigo, BankWest has appointed experienced banker John Bloomfield as Business Development Manager for the region.
Mr Bloomfield's thirty-plus years in the banking industry and the Mildura region makes him well placed to take on the commercial, corporate and agribusiness portfolio in the region, as part of a team headed by Head of Rural and Regional Business Banking Jamie Ritchie.
Mr Bloomfield was previously a corporate manager with ANZ bank and has also held positions with the Mildura Business Centre and Westpac. He is also a Fellow of the Financial Service Institute of Australia.
"The Bendigo district is continuing to grow with new residential developments and the region is well equipped to cater for businesses wishing to decentralise," Mr Bloomfield said. "BankWest is suitably placed to help these businesses with their growth plans."
"We will initially service the north and north west areas of Bendigo through the regional office however as we grow BankWest will also look at representation in other areas of northern Victoria," he said.
BankWest's rural and regional banking on the east coast has experienced 100% annual growth for the past two years and this continues in 2006.
BankWest Head of Rural and Regional Jamie Ritchie said the appointment of Mr Bloomfield is part of a move by BankWest to strengthen its commitment to Victorian business in the Bendigo region.
You can visit John Bloomfield at BankWest in Bendigo for more information, or to speak to him simply call 03 5441 1879, Monday to Friday between 8am and 6pm.
ENDS
About BankWest Business
BankWest Business provides a full range of core and specialist business banking products and services to all business market segments from small business to large corporates. From market leading transaction and investment accounts through to flexible business loans and sophisticated Financial Market and International Trade products, we are an organisation committed to making a meaningful difference in the financial services marketplace with our simple and straightforward products. Our energetic approach and attitude aims to reject the status quo and present a significant challenge to the conventions and the competition.
BankWest Business has a presence in capital cities, rural areas and regional locations throughout Australia. We focus on key markets including Property Finance, Small Business, Commercial, Rural and Regional and Corporate.
We also offer a flexible range of products and competitive lending guidelines across specialist industries such as Aged Care, Childcare, Hotels/Accommodation, Franchise and Pharmacy. We recognise the value of the going concern of a business, along with the value of its people and brand, not just its fixed assets or balance sheet.
Our business banking managers have been selected for their industry knowledge and experience and take the time to get to know their customers' business to find the best products and services to meet their needs.
BankWest has been around for more than 100 years and is now part of the HBOS Australia group with assets of over $39 billion. Backed by our parent company HBOS plc, one of the world's largest financial services groups, we are providing a fresh customer experience and challenging the Australian market. BankWest is the fastest growing business bank in Australia*, and because we are growing, we will try harder to help grow your business.
