BankWest expands business presence in Rockhampton

Rockhampton Mayor Margaret Strelow and key members of the local business community welcomed BankWest to Rockhampton on Thursday night at the official opening of the BankWest Business Banking Centre at the Centre Point Motor Inn, Rockhampton.

The opening comes off the back of BankWest's announcement of its assault on the Australian banking industry with the roll-out of more than 160 major new retail and commercial banking centres.

BankWest's Head of Rural and Regional Jamie Ritchie said there was growing demand in Rockhampton for competitive financial agribusiness and commercial products.

"Rockhampton was a natural choice for our business centre because of the region's strong economic growth.  The diverse mixture of commercial and agribusiness industries influenced our decision to open this dedicated Business Banking Centre," Mr Ritchie said.

"The Rockhampton Business Banking centre is another milestone for BankWest rural and regional as we continue to expand on the east coast of Australia."

"We are the fastest growing business bank in Australia because our customers know we're trying harder than the competition to help their business grow. We've listened to feedback from businesses in many different areas and identified a clear need for specialised banking services across various industry sectors," he said.

Rockhampton Mayor Margaret Strelow cut the official ribbon at the opening and said the dedicated BankWest Business Banking Centre was a vote of confidence for the area's economic development.

"It's great to see BankWest bringing new competition into Rockhampton and investing in the region. This is a great opportunity for both Rockhampton and BankWest. BankWest sees the inherent opportunities delivered through our high performing business and agribusiness sector and locals will win through better deals and services from the new competition," Mrs Strelow said.

BankWest has a growth strategy to become a significant force in Australian financial services, through a strategy focusing on driving competition and change in the banking industry. 

BankWest is stepping up its assault on the Australian banking industry with the roll-out of a new retail and commercial banking network. It is the largest branch expansion program ever undertaken in Australia and will challenge the dominance of the Big Four banks.

There will be 160 new branches in Queensland, NSW, Victoria and South Australia servicing the needs of both retail customers and businesses. 

The team at Rockhampton consists of Business Development Managers Bob Kayes, Ron McLeod and Sam Harris and, Assistant Relationship Managers Annette Krapkat, Angela Devonshire and Judy Thomasson.

"We have made a significant investment in our future here in Rockhampton.  We have a modern business bank premises with the latest technology and systems and, more importantly, we have recruited the very best bankers in the local area," Mr Ritchie said.

"Our recent expansion announcement means it will be even easier for BankWest customers to access our services and products over the coming years," he said.

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.

*Measured by market share growth, number of new managers hired and number of new Business Banking Centres opened.

Bridget Tombleson
Media Relations Manager, HBOS Australia

Tel: (08) 9449 6768 or 0407 084 359