A BUSINESSMAN, who left school at 16, is this year celebrating the seven-year anniversary of his finance firm, which is now one of the biggest independent brokers in the UK.

Over the past seven years, PMD, based in Oldham, has grown from employing eight staff to 21, and managing director Peter Dobson has revealed plans to provide finance totalling £100million to SMEs over the next 12 months.

Peter, who lives in Heaton, said: “We currently advance £75million per year to SMEs and we’re aiming to reach £100million over the course of the next year. We’re optimistic of reaching that target because our sector is buoyant and our business is growing, we’re recruiting more staff all the time.

“We have also stepped up our efforts to really spread the word about alternative finance and the different options that are available for SMEs.”

Peter, who is married with two children, is a lifelong Bolton Wanderers fan and is a member of Dunscar Golf Club and Bolton Golf Club.

Growing up in Bolton, he attended Thornleigh College, and when he left school at 16, he decided against the university route, opting instead to pursue a career in finance. He started his first job with NatWest on his 16th birthday, before going on to become the managing director of Admiral Leasing for 16 years.

Peter said: “At school, the careers teacher would tell you it was either engineering or banking. I went into asset finance when I was 21 and became the MD of Admiral Leasing for 16 years, overseeing its successful sale in 2006.

“I worked for the new company for three years before forming PMD. I’d ran someone else’s business for 16 years and realised I wanted control over my own destiny, that was when I saw an opportunity to start PMD. It began with eight employees, we’ve grown to 21 now and we’re looking for more people to join our team.

“We’re marking our seventh anniversary this month and, it may sound cheesy, but PMD’s success is absolutely down to our staff.

“Every single member of our team is ambitious and dynamic. It’s a predominantly young team, with a great blend of different characters.”

The firm’s young workforce is demonstrated by its heads of department, Lee Schofield and Tom Brown, who are both 31. Lee, who hails from Egerton, is also a director of the firm and Tom is earmarked to be made a director in the next 12 months.

Peter said: “Tom and Lee are both young, dynamic, forward-thinking guys who have steered the company in its growth. Since they joined, we’ve added direct finance to our portfolio and we also recently underwent a rebrand to better reflect our offering.”

Tom said: “Our aim at PMD is to communicate that there are a number of different finance options available that aren’t restrictive – businesses don’t just have to look towards the banks for financing anymore. We work for the customer and everything we do is moulded to the benefit of the customer. Over the years, we’ve found that businesses want to pick up the phone and speak to someone they trust. We pride ourselves on providing that personal, human touch and we work with a diverse range of clients."