A helping hand: Santander supports bakery wholesaler with tailored cashflow solutions

Coultons Bread Ltd is one of the largest bread wholesalers and distributors in the North of England. Founded in 1982 by master baker Howard Hunter, the company has expanded steadily over the years and now works with hundreds of employees and suppliers. It offers its customers a one-stop solution, supplying own-brand goods, major household names and niche products from family-owned bakeries.

Maintaining cashflow

Since the business is based on large numbers of small, quick transactions, timing and cashflow are all-important. Howard needed a banking partner with an understanding approach – someone at the end of the phone if any problems arose.

Tailored support

Having got to know Howard and his business, the Relationship Director at Santander Corporate & Commercial was able to propose tailored solutions that helped Coultons grow. Santander freed up cash by setting up competitive
invoice discounting at all Coultons sites. It also arranged for Coultons’ drivers to deposit cash at Post Office® branches on a daily basis using chip and pin cards, rather than with banks each week.

Improved cashflow

The scheme has halved the company’s transactional banking costs and improved cashflow. Suppliers and employees can be paid promptly and drivers feel happier because they don’t have to carry around a lot of cash. Santander understands this is hugely important to a company that prides itself on ‘treating people right’.

The right relationship

“At Coultons, our business is built on relationships, and we have to talk to each other on a daily basis to make sure we can deliver to our customers. The relationship we have with our banking partner is just as important,” says Hunter. “If something goes wrong, I need to be able to get on the phone and speak to someone who can smooth things over while I sort it out. With Santander, I know that when I do have to ask for something, they are always there.”