• Number of depositing customers increased from 4,000 to 6,000
• Total deposits grows to £685 million, a 45% increase year-on-year
• Lending balances grow 41% to £588 million
• Total assets stand at three quarters of a billion pounds
• Customer satisfaction maintained at 99%
• Profit Before Tax jumps 77% to £18.1 million for the year-ended 31 December 2016
• Staff numbers rise from 94 to 121
• Further growth predicted for 2017

Cambridge & Counties Bank (“Cambridge & Counties” or “the bank”) today announces record annual growth in deposits, lending and customer acquisition for the year ended 31 December 2016.

During this period the niche bank, which specialises in secured lending and deposit products for small and medium sized businesses (SMEs), saw its balance sheet grow from £518 million to £746 million, underpinned by strong growth across all aspects of its business.  Its loan balances grew from £416 million to £588 million and the bank’s total deposits increased by 45% to £685 million.

The bank declared a profit before tax of £18.1 million, which represents a 77% increase on the £10.2 million achieved for the previous year.

Despite competition in all of Cambridge & Counties markets increasing in 2016, the bank’s focus on its quality of service and its customer centric underwriting meant its margins held up very well. The bank has maintained very strong credit quality, its return on investment for 2016 stood at 40.2%, and its total capital ratio now stands at 14.0%.

Mike Kirsopp, Chief Executive at Cambridge & Counties Bank said: “Despite growing competition from traditional banks and new entrants, demand for our product range and the service we offer has remained strong.

“With increasing profits providing the capital to fund our balance sheet growth and our expectation of a relatively stable interest rate environment, we are optimistic for further strong growth in 2017.”

Simon Moore, Non-Executive Chairman, Cambridge & Counties Bank said: “In many ways, 2016 was a tumultuous year, but our business continued to enjoy strong growth.  The strength of our product line and the quality of our staff means that we can continue to offer some of the best and most customised service levels in the industry.  This, coupled with plans to expand our workforce, means we remain optimistic that we can continue on our journey of strong growth.”

At the heart of the bank’s success has been its dedication to offering the highest levels of service by reacting quickly to customer requirements.  For customers who joined the bank in 2016, service scores were rated at over 99%.  The same score was also given by customers who have been with the bank for up to five years.