Swedish banking group Handelsbanken have opened a branch in Leamington after agreeing a deal with local commercial property consultants ehB Commercial to lease their former offices in Holly Walk.
The bank, which has a reputation as one of the world’s strongest banks, has more than 750 branches in 24 countries worldwide and, in the last 15 years, has expanded its universal banking operations beyond its 460 branches in Sweden.
Leamington branch manager Paul Brooksbank said that even during the economic downturn, the bank had been able to more than double its British branch network to 155.
The branch has been located and refitted in Myton House, on the corner of Holly Walk and Newbold Street, where two of the directors of ehB Commercial were based for almost 20 years.
Mr Brooksbank said Handelsbanken focused on building long-term customer relationships and providing high levels of personal service. He said that the bank was recently rated top for customer satisfaction for the fourth year running in an independent survey of British banks’ personal and business customer.
“All customer-related decisions in Handelsbanken are taken by branches, and each customer has direct line access to a dedicated relationship manager who is empowered to make decisions,” he said.
“It is with great pleasure that I can announce the completion of our fit-out programme to our new offices in Holly Walk, which are now open for business with a complement of five local experienced bankers. We are looking forward to welcoming friends, clients and professional colleagues to our revamped grade II listed premises.”
ehB Commercial has been crowned for the last three years in a row as Warwickshire’s ‘Most Active Agent of the Year’ by a leading commercial property magazine, Estates Gazette, and currently handles a raft of property instructions, including retail units, offices, warehouses and industrial units – as well as providing such services as valuations, acquisition & corporate property advice, development, investment & commercial property management, rent reviews and landlord & tenant advice.