44 | JUNE 2018
Business
Read online at www.proinstaller.co.uk
Lloyds Bank launches £100m SME
infrastructure fund for Hinkley Point
Lloyds Bank has announced a £100 million fund to
help small businesses take advantage of supply chain
opportunities in the construction of EDF Energy’s
Hinkley Point C nuclear power station in Somerset.
The fund which opens today
will help small to medium sized
enterprises (SMEs) – not just in the
South West but also nationwide
– access discounted lending and
become involved in one of UK’s
biggest investment and construc-
tion projects.
It is estimated that construction
of the multi-billion-pound nuclear
power station will put £200 million
per year into the regional economy
at its peak and provide over 25,000
job opportunities.
Small business customers can
apply to the fund which will waive
arrangement fees on lending direct-
ly linked to the construction of
Hinkley Point C and give them the
financial backing to bid for new
business and supply chain con-
tracts. This includes arrangement
fees for loans, invoice finance and
asset finance facilities.
The fund can also be used by
businesses that provide indirect
services to the power plant through
an agreed contract such as hotels,
transport, catering, facilities man-
agement and security services.
The Bank will also be helping
businesses navigate the tendering
and supply chain process and
direct businesses to the Hinkley
Supply Chain Team which consists
of EDF Energy and the Somerset
Chamber of Commerce.
Customers can apply through
their usual relationship contacts to
discuss how the funding could help
them and support their working
capital to unlock cash and make
the most of growth opportunities
which will leave lasting benefits to
the South West and the UK.
Businesses can register
their interest on the
dedicated website: www.
hinkleysupplychain.co.uk
GGFI HIGHLIGHTS VIRIDOR LAUNCHES
SUCCESSFUL
CLAIMS PROCESS ANSWER TO HARD
GGFi are the dedicated insurance
company for the glass and glazing
industry and have recently revealed that
the majority of its claims made in the last
18 months were actioned successfully.
Ask anyone with any experi-
ence with insurance and they will
tell you without hesitation - claims
are the most important function of
any insurance business. It is only
at the point of claiming on a poli-
cy that the products offered by an
insurance company are truly put
to the test- regardless of glossy
brochures, ‘cut-price’ premiums
and bold promises, it is the claims
process that delivers the value of
any insurance policy.
Since it was formed in 2005,
GGFi has continued to strive to
provide ever-greater levels of
service to its claimants to ensure
that its policies are worth far more
than simply the paper they are
printed on.
Home improvements can be a
source of considerable distress to
homeowners when things become
problematic. With many homeown-
ers making considerable financial
investment – uncovering any signifi-
cant problem can be a real blow but
doubly so when it’s discovered that
the company doing the work no
longer exists. GGFi recognises how
homeowners can suffer misfortune
during and after home improvement
work which is why GGFi is driven
to continually improve the service it
provides to claimants.
www.ggfi.org.uk
HAT RECYCLING
Hot on the heels of signing
the UK Plastics Pact, Viridor has
launched what is believed to be
the industry’s first hard hat recy-
cling schemes which aims to di-
vert thousands of complex plastics
away from landfill.
Old hard hats will go from
protecting heads to protecting the
environment, taking on new life as
a range of plastic products, such
as bins.
The leading waste management
company has teamed up with
Devon plastic recycling specialists,
Polymer Industries, to provide the
solution at the drop of a hat.
Ian Poyser, Viridor’s Account
Manager responsible for the offer-
ing, said: “Hard hats aren’t accept-
ed for commercial recycling due to
their complex plastic composition,
are working
‘ to we target
specific
plastic items
this year
’
but we know our customers want
us to identify a Circular Economy
solution.
“This new service is the result of
two companies coming together in
a mutual mission to take complex
plastic items away from the general
waste stream. It is just one of the
many ways we are working to target
specific plastic items this year.”
A trial has been successfully
rolled out with Babcock Interna-
tional Group, resulting in 1,200 hat
hats recycled to date, with more
anticipated as the trial progresses.
The life-span of a hard-hat is
just two to five years.
The new scheme is currently
available in the South West with
potential for further expansion for
other companies looking to max-
imise sustainable waste manage-
ment opportunities.