stratton (financial services)

stratton

Type	Private Company
Founded	1998
Headquarters	Melbourne, Australia
Area served	Australia
Key people	Rob Chaloner (Managing Director and Founder), Matt Kilham (Chief Information Officer, Director), Damian Hardy (Executive Director), John Keats (Director - stratton Fleet Services), Rob Jones (Chief Operating Officer)
Services	Finance Broker, Car loans, Personal Loans, Equipment Finance, Insurance
Website	www.strattonfinance.com.au

stratton is one of Australia's largest car and asset finance brokers, with offices in most Australian capital cities and a national network of franchises.^[1]

stratton offers business and personal finance for a range of different types of assets, including cars, truck and heavy vehicles, business equipment, machinery, property and marine-craft, as well as a range of insurance products. stratton originates in excess of $300 million of car and asset finance per annum, and has a staff of over 150 people nationwide.

stratton is a Finance Broker, accredited by over 50 lenders and insurers, some with exclusive agency.

History

stratton was first established by Rob Chaloner in 1998 as a specialist motor finance broker.^[2] The business initially relied on referrals from a Melbourne-based Land Rover dealership, but rapidly began attracting word of mouth referrals and a number of finance consultants were employed to meet the growing demand.

Growth continued over the following years, and in 2004 stratton expanded the range of services offered to clients to include business equipment finance, heavy vehicle finance, marine finance and property finance, as well as a range of insurance products.

In 2005 the company expanded its local presence into Queensland with the opening of a new office in Brisbane.^[2]

Following continued growth, in 2007 the company's head office moved to new and expanded facilities in South Melbourne.

2008 saw stratton further expand its operations through the acquisition of Sydney-based finance broker, Lowest Rates Finance.

A franchise program was launched in 2009 leading to a number of regional and metropolitan operators opening their doors to service local needs.

In April 2013, the company revealed a new look for the brand by updating its name from 'Stratton Finance' to 'stratton' along with a new logo.

In July 2013, the company's head office relocated to facilities in Port Melbourne.

In July 2014, an exciting partnership was formed when carsales.com Ltd made a significant investment in stratton.^[3] stratton had been an important customer of carsales for many years and this transaction brings together two businesses with very similar DNA and operating styles.

The announcement was well received by the market, with shares in carsales.com rising 32c, or 3 per cent, to $10.91 off the back of the announcement and rising as high as $11.51 in the days following the announcement.^[4]

stratton added two new members to their board as a result of this partnership. carsales Chief Executive Officer, Greg Roebuck, joins the board as chairman, and Rick Collins, a major car dealer in South Australia, as a non-executive director.^[5]

Products and Services

stratton offers clients a range of car finance products, including Finance lease, Commercial Hire Purchase, Chattel mortgage, Novated lease, Fully Maintained Novated Lease, Consumer Loan and Personal Loans. While predominantly focused on vehicle finance and insurance, stratton also offers finance for a range of different types of assets, including cars, truck and heavy vehicles, business equipment, machinery, property and marine-craft.

Additionally, in 2012 stratton partnered with a vehicle procurement program, carconnect, utilising a national dealer network to source vehicles for customers at fleet prices.

stratton Consultants and accredited franchisees represent over 50 finance companies, including major lenders Alphera Financial Services, Macquarie Leasing, Esanda (ANZ), Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), GE Money, and Liberty Financial Services.

Franchising Program

stratton has company-owned offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth, and a franchise network which operates in metropolitan and regional areas around Australia.

The franchise program provides independent finance brokers with the opportunity to develop their own local business with the support and recognition of a large, established industry brand and reputation.^[6]

Franchisees are provided with a complete franchise system, including finance leads, access to a range of finance and insurance products and access to stratton's proprietary IT platforms.

The franchise program, launched in 2009, now includes 12 offices nationwide.

Advertising and Sponsorship

In 2003 stratton launched their first major online advertising campaign, a finance partnership with Carsales.com.au.

Currently, with a focus on online advertising and internet campaigns, stratton also holds exclusive finance partnerships with major automotive websites CarPoint.com.au ^[7] and RedBook.com.au.^[8]

In February 2012 stratton announced the sponsorship of Tri Alliance, the largest triathlon coaching squad in Victoria, and arguably Australia.

stratton supports various charitable causes, including a fund-raising event for Cystic Fibrosis in February 2012.^[9] Historically, stratton has supported causes including GreenFleet and the Make a Wish Foundation.

Licences and Professional Memberships

stratton (and related group companies) hold an Australian Credit Licence (364340), is a Licensed Motor Car Trader (10697) and is a member of several professional and industry organisations that provide consumer protection and industry guidelines and standards.

stratton is an accredited member of the FBAA (103514), the Franchise Council of Australia and a Credit Ombudsman Service Limited (COSL) member (408706).^[10]

Key People

References

External links

• Rob Chaloner, Managing Director of stratton, interviewed for ABC's Inside Business (November 2008)
• stratton Website