Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking returns as PPMA show headline sponsor

Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking will once again have a dedicated stand at the show, where its team of specialists will be offering advice ranging from day-to-day banking requirements and funding for expansion to exporting.

The team will also take to the show floor to discuss banking opportunities with some of the 300+ exhibitors in attendance, in what is expected to be the PPMA Show’s largest event in recent years, with exhibitor floor space already up by more than 15% compared to preparations for the 2014 show, this time last year.

Last year Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking pledged to commit new lending facilities to the manufacturing sector by £1bn per annum every year  until 2017. In addition to this, the banking group has also backed the Manufacturing Technology Centre’s new Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre in Coventry, which is due to open in September. It’s £1 million per annum commitment to the centre over the next five years will support around 1,000 new apprentices in high-value manufacturing roles and contribute towards addressing the sector’s skills gap in the UK.

Speaking about returning as sponsors of the PPMA Show, David Atkinson, Head of Manufacturing for Lloyds Bank SME Commercial Banking, said: "One of the common challenges for the manufacturing sector is the perception, and availability, of finance. We know that the manufacturing industry has a unique set of banking needs. Whether it’s assisting with cash flow, financing growth to help firms enter new supply chains, improving efficiency, automating processes or helping to penetrate new markets, we have trained our dedicated managers through a Warwick University Accredited course at the Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) to support manufacturing businesses.

"With the sheer volume of PPMA members serving the industry, we knew that this would be the event to profile our support for the sector and raise awareness for the finance and support available to the UK’s manufacturing industries.”

The Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking Manufacturing team is made up of 13 dedicated sector teams, who have the autonomy to make local lending decisions up to £1m – on a case-by-case basis.

Grant Collier, head of marketing for the PPMA Group, said: "We’re delighted to announce that Lloyds Bank will be returning as our headline sponsor at this year’s PPMA exhibition and PPMA Group Industry awards. The event offers a great opportunity for manufacturers looking for opportunities for financial support. We can’t wait to return to the NEC and introduce our members and non-members to the opportunities to work with the Lloyds Bank team.”

The PPMA show has been recognised as the only UK event that attracts hundreds of machinery manufacturers and component suppliers across a wide range of industries including food, drink, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, dairy, snacks, construction and electronics. Run over three days (29th September – 1st October) at the NEC, Birmingham, the show provides a meeting place for decision makers from across a range of industries to network with key manufacturers and distributors.