Aycliffe Today Business Aycliffe Today Business issue 33 | Page 26

26 | Aycliffe Today Business
The Commercial Expert team (left to
right) Susan Driver, Daniel Brown, Colin
Coates, Mark Whitaker, Mike Coates,
James Gwynne, David Hodgson, Rod
Dales and Tracey Barnes.
ONE DECADE ON
Commercial finance
firm celebrates 10th
anniversary with Leeds
expansion – part of
£1m sales ambition
By Martin Walker
A
commercial finance business is
expanding to Leeds as it celebrates 10
years in business and gears up for an
ambitious growth plan.
Commercial Expert, based on Aycliffe
Business Park in Newton Aycliffe, celebrated
a decade in business in February.
Managing director Mike Coates has now
laid out an ambitious plan which would see
its turnover surpass £1m by the end of the
2018-19 financial year.
Commercial Expert has grown
considerably after expanding to bespoke
offices in Aycliffe two years ago, after it was
first formed by Coates in 2008, with sales
climbing 25% in the last 12 months.
The firm now handles more than
£170m-worth of deals across 560 cases
a year, for clients predominantly in the
North East region, with a range of services
including business loans, property
investment finance, development finance,
bridging finance and crowdfunding loans.
Commercial Expert has already appointed
new appointed representative James
Gwynne to develop opportunities in Leeds,
while Coates has also earmarked Sheffield,
Hull, Newcastle and Scotland as targeted
areas for further growth.
“We’ve grown steadily and gradually since
forming 10 years ago,” says Coates.
“We’ve assembled a good solid team
at our head office in Newton Aycliffe. Now
I really want to make a big impact going
forward.
“We’ve already appointed a foot soldier
in Leeds and we’re looking at Sheffield, Hull
and Newcastle, and possibly up to Scotland,
as potential areas for growth.
“We’re also aiming to take on more staff