Royal Bank of Scotland : Business lending: October Deals of the Month

Each month, we profile five key SME banking deals supported by RBS and NatWest business banking and commercial banking teams around the UK.

Ammanford, Wales

A commercial mortgage, which includes the mortgage on the existing nursery building and funding to purchase the building next door.

Owner of a popular nursery, Andrea Halpin-Jones expanded her business with help from NatWest. Andrea has now bought the building next door, creating more indoor space for the nursery children as well as a garden, meaning that the nursery can now take up to 68 youngsters. She has also launched an out-of-school club for children aged four to 11, which operates after school each day and every school holiday. The expansion has created five new jobs, bringing the number of staff at the business to 20.

Andi Pandi's founder Andrea Halpin-Jones and NatWest relationship manager Nathan Davies.

Exmouth

£43,000 loan

Nicola Askew, who started at Strands Hair as a trainee stylist and has managed it for the past eight years, is now the owner of the saloon thanks to NatWest. With the funding received, Nicola purchased the business and recruited an additional assistant. Nicola now plans to expand into the nail services market, and in the long-term hopes to open a sister salon in Cranbrook.

Nicola Askew, owner of Strands Hair, and Steve Hawkins, relationship manager at NatWest.

Scunthorpe

£5.82 million funding package from the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and the Royal Bank of Scotland Invoice Finance (RBSIF).

New corrugated sheet board manufacturer Corrboard UK Ltd - with support from founding partner firm Corrugated Synergies International LLC (CSI) - is aiming to become the leading supplier of corrugated sheet board to the UK box plant industry. Thanks to the funding package from RBS, Corrboard UK Ltd has been able to construct the manufacturing premises needed for operations and has now launched this new business in the UK.

Simon Holmes, General Manager, Corrboard UK, John Perullo, President and CEO of CSI and Andy Croasdell, Relationship Director, RBS.

Colchester

£80,000 loan

Former serviceman Mark Bembrick has turned entrepreneur after 22 years' service in the forces. Thanks to funding received by NatWest, Mark Bembrick recently opened the doors of specialist letting and estate agency Northwood (Colchester) Ltd. The investment has enabled Mark to complete renovation works to 745 square-foot premises located on Colchester's Head Street, purchase equipment and hire a full-time member of staff.

Northwood (Colchester) Ltd entrepreneur Mark Bembrick and NatWest Relationship Manager Peter Rutland .

Crediton

£435,000 loan

With help from NatWest, Sandford Orchards bought Crediton's 'Old Cider Works' building and will bring it back to its old use by starting producing cider there in the coming months.

Owner Barny Butterfield plans to increase cider production from the current 600,000 litres a year to a total of 4 million litres over the next five years.

Work has now begun to upgrade the apple bays to make them suitable for modern lorries, to re-floor in order to house the bottling and kegging lines, and to recruit new members of staff.

Sandford Orchards owner Barny Butterfield and NatWest relationship manager Martyn Taylor.