BCRS Business Loans was announced as the winner of the prestigious ‘small business of the year’ award at the Black Country Chamber of Commerce’s annual awards ceremony on Friday 17 November.
The regional provider of business loans was recognised for the way in which it supports businesses that are struggling to access finance from traditional lenders and the significant contribution it has made to the West Midlands economy over the past 15 years.
The prestigious awards ceremony, which is held on an annual basis at Wolverhampton Racecourse, celebrates the best in Black Country business.
The judging panel, which included representatives from Birmingham City University and Black Country Chamber of Commerce, scoured through entries to whittle them down to just three businesses, who were then shortlisted for the award. As part of the process, BCRS Business Loans was asked to deliver a presentation in support of its entry.
Paul Kalinauckas, the chief executive of BCRS Business Loans, was overjoyed with the win.
He said: “We are so pleased to have won the ‘small business of the year’ award – it’s an excellent reminder to the team that their hard work and dedication is being recognised and is making a significant difference to local businesses and the regional economy at large.
“As a founder member, the organisation was established with a clear objective in mind; we wanted to support the many small and medium sized businesses that were finding it difficult to source finance. Over 15 years later, BCRS has embedded itself as one of the West Midlands leading providers of alternative finance and has lent £37million to over 1,170 businesses – working closely with both local businesses and our professional network.
“Everything that we do at BCRS is centred on ensuring that no viable business goes unsupported. We believe in them and understand that businesses want a personal, relationship-based approach to lending, where they can discuss their application face-to-face with a loan officer.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the team for their commitment and hard work in helping me transform BCRS into a leading organisation and to Black Country Chamber of Commerce for presenting us with this prestigious award,” concluded Paul.
BCRS Business Loans offers loans from £10,000 to £150,000 to support the growth of businesses in the West Midlands and environs. As well as running local loan funds in Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent and Worcestershire, BCRS Business Loans recently won the tender to deliver small business loans for the Midlands Engine Investment Fund, which is supported by the European Regional Development Fund.
To discover more about BCRS Business Loans, please visit www.bcrs.org.uk or call 0345 313 8410.
