New firm will help businesses prosper

A new firm to assist businesses and help them prosper in the ‘new normal’ with an innovative approach to property and finance-based services has launched.

ARMCo is the brainchild of Birmingham-based business founder and investor Russell Martin, and combines specialist lending, corporate support, land procurement and development, and insurance services - catering for a rapidly evolving business landscape - to benefit clients with truly holistic and tailored solutions.

ARMCo is based in the heart of Birmingham’s finance district, where its HQ is the base from which the firm delivers its local, regional and national offering. It has a strong foundation: Russell formed Finance 4 Business, a specialist broker for finance transactions, 15 years ago - and used his experience, expertise and connections to form four further businesses which have grown strategically year on year, offering agile and integrated solutions to clients. With four new firms offering synergistic services added to the group, this forms the complete ARMCo offering.

Jon Preston has been appointed as chief operating officer at ARMCo. Jon brings a wealth of experience, having worked at a UK-based lender which underwent a £26m MBO last year with Foresight Group, a leading independent infrastructure and private equity investment manager.

Russell Martin said: “We are living in uncertain times and a post-pandemic world looks very different for a lot of businesses. Overcoming challenges such as access to business finance, sourcing sector-based specialist risk and insurance solutions or navigating land procurement and development opportunities will have presented complexity before Covid, but the ‘new normal’ will be more challenging for many.

“The combination of expertise at ARMCo means we can deliver bespoke solutions for our clients to help them maximise growth opportunities and give them an exceptional experience. Our adept approach ensures that even the most complex of transactions are navigated with integrity, proficiency and pace. The combination of a human approach, passion and commitment of strong leaders and highly collaborative partnerships, combined with a central services approach, presents an unrivalled proposition in the UK – particularly with Jon at the helm, leading and propelling the group.”

The ARMCo group comprises Finance 4 Business, Liquidity Club, Innovation 4 Business and  Walker Doble – as well as new firms Atlas Land & Planning, Midshore Partners, Chordis Capital and Cape Insurance. These are operated by industry experts Russell Martin, David Pinnington, David Totney, Philip Moore, Rebecca Doble, Marc Walker, James England and Rob Lankey and Henry Gallacher. The group offers expertise on financial solutions including asset, bridging and development finance, tax solutions and MBOs – helping SMEs in a range of sectors, property developers (including allied trades and professionals) and investors.

One such business benefitting from ARMCo’s expertise is Fitzpatrick Group Ltd – a housing delivery service provider with a requirement for finance provision to aid its expansion into a number of specialist sub sectors.

The firm’s managing director Mark Fitzpatrick said: “I have worked with Russell for more than a decade, initially through Finance 4 Business (F4B), through which I have had in excess of 25 loans arranged for me, across many disciplines and through a multitude of different lenders, from commercial mortgages, Buy-To-Let and bridging loans, to development and asset finance. The attention to detail, end-to-end service and dedication has been a staple feature of the service. 

“The evolution of ARMCo has seen the inception of some great businesses led by fantastic people, with whom I have transacted on many occasions, with great satisfaction and results. The launch of ARMCo makes absolute sense and I have no doubt Russell and his team will go from strength to strength.”

Russell said: “Success in any business involves being able to navigate a market, identify business opportunities and be agile enough to be able to plug gaps in the market. I have applied that formula to my businesses, and the ARMCo offering can now support businesses in realising their ambitions, as we all try to navigate our way through these turbulent times.

"We are a group of companies built on strong relationships, not transactions, and I’m delighted to have such robust and proven expertise on board at ARMCo. We have ambitious expansion plans, and will be adding more companies to provide further synergy within the group.”

Pictured: from left, ARMCo leaders Dave Pinnington, Jon Preston, Henry Gallacher, Rob Lankey, James England, Russell Martin, Dave Totney, Phil Moore, Melanie Johnson, Paul Atkinson, and Marc Walker