Aldermore’s ABL appointment signals a broader focus on complex SME funding

A strategic investment in specialist distribution

Bridging Loan Directory reports that Aldermore has appointed Joshua Owens as Business Development Manager within its Asset Based Lending team. Owens will focus on expanding the bank’s presence across the South, working with brokers, advisers and businesses to improve access to flexible funding solutions.

The appointment is notable not simply as a personnel change, but as evidence of Aldermore’s continued investment in its specialist funding proposition. The bank is seeking to support established SMEs in releasing value tied up in their assets for working capital, growth and wider strategic objectives. This places distribution expertise and intermediary engagement at the centre of its ABL expansion.

Why this matters to property businesses

Asset based lending and property finance address different requirements, but they can form part of the same wider capital discussion. A developer, contractor, investor or property operating business may own valuable assets while also needing liquidity for day-to-day expenditure, investment or expansion. The financing challenge is therefore not always confined to the acquisition, development or refinancing of real estate.

For qualifying businesses, ABL may provide another route through which working capital requirements can be assessed. That could be relevant where capital is tied up elsewhere in the business and where a property-backed facility alone does not address every operational need. The key is to understand the purpose, structure and interaction of each proposed facility rather than viewing individual products in isolation.

Owens’ background is particularly relevant in this context. According to Bridging Loan Directory, he spent almost five years as Regional Sales Director at Investec Capital Solutions, supporting access to working capital and growth finance. Before that, he spent nearly five years at Bibby Financial Services and gained experience across invoice finance, ABL, recruitment finance, construction finance and trade finance.

Specialist experience is becoming central to lender positioning

Aldermore’s decision to appoint a BDM with experience across several funding disciplines suggests that product knowledge alone is not enough for complex SME cases. The ability to understand a business model, communicate with intermediaries and identify how different assets support a funding request can be equally important.

This has implications for developers and investors presenting more complicated transactions. A lender may need to consider the operating company, its working capital cycle, the relevant assets and the proposed property strategy. Clear information about the funding purpose, repayment route and relationship between facilities can help brokers direct an enquiry towards the appropriate specialist teams.

The intermediary channel remains important

Both Aldermore and Owens emphasised relationships with brokers and advisers. This reinforces the role of intermediaries where businesses have requirements that do not fit neatly within a single funding category.

For the financing market, greater lender engagement with brokers may support more informed conversations at an earlier stage. It can also give intermediaries a clearer understanding of a lender’s appetite and the circumstances in which its ABL proposition may be relevant. That does not remove the need for detailed underwriting, but it can improve how a case is structured and presented.

A coordinated approach to the capital stack

The practical lesson for property businesses is to consider funding requirements at company level as well as asset level. A property facility may fund a site, acquisition or investment, while the wider business could have separate requirements relating to working capital or growth. Those needs should be mapped carefully, including any interaction between security packages, cash flows and repayment plans.

• Define the purpose and amount of each funding requirement.

• Identify which business or property assets are relevant to each facility.

• Explain how working capital and property finance requirements interact.

• Prepare financial and operational information that reflects the complete transaction.

• Engage relevant specialist lenders and intermediary contacts early in the process.

What we take from the appointment

Aldermore’s move points to continued institutional attention on specialist finance for established SMEs with complex requirements. Its focus on the South, intermediary relationships and tailored funding indicates that lender distribution is becoming more closely aligned with sector knowledge and direct engagement.

For developers and investors, the significance lies in taking a broader view of capital. Property finance remains central to property transactions, but the surrounding business may require a different type of facility. A coherent financing strategy should account for both, with each element structured around its specific purpose and assessed on its own terms.