The Scottish banking scene continues to be highly competitive. In recent years, a significant number of overseas banks in particular have located north of the border, and this investment has obviously been good for the Scottish economy as a whole.
In general corporate and business customers, especially those in the SME sector, tend to stick with the Scottish Big Four: Royal Bank of Scotland, Bank of Scotland, Clydesdale and Lloyds TSB Scotland. They are tried and trusted names with a history of excellence and a keen desire to build relationships.Clydesdale retains a strong focus on delivering new products to SMEs in particular.
David Thorburn, chief operating officer at Clydesdale, says that the current outlook is "extremely challenging". However, he adds that some sectors of the economy, such as property development and food and drink, do remain active. "One of the things we have done is to try and develop industry specialisation," he adds.
