Specialist Finance Centre (SFC) has announced the launch of its proposition into Scotland as it continues its expansion strategy.

SFC Scotland will be based in Glasgow and is headed up by Allan Smith. Smith (pictured) has extensive experience in the development and bridging finance sectors having previously worked as a broker and a lender. He joins the second charge and specialist finance packager as a director of SFC Scotland and was previously at Money Sense where he was head of specialist finance.

SFC Scotland’s core product offering is development and bridging finance due to Smith’s contacts and experience in these areas. It will also be able to offer all Specialist Finance Centre products from first and second charges, commercial and buy-to-let, invoice and asset finance.

SFC now has a three-pronged trading approach: Specialist Finance Centre, which serves as an intermediary-led master broker; SFC Solo which allows advisers to trade independently whilst benefiting from all the support and infrastructure provided by SFC’s Cardiff-based head office and now SFC Scotland, which will combine the two existing models and exclusively serve the Scottish market. The plan is to then create employed roles for the Scottish office to allow greater autonomy.

Daniel Yeo, managing director at Specialist Finance Centre, said: “Ultimately, the infrastructure we have in place at SFC offers us the ability to service the growth of SFC Solo – our self-employed adviser arm – and SFC Scotland will be afforded the same support.

“We’re extremely pleased that Allan has joined SFC to spearhead our entrance into the Scottish market and his experience and connections will prove key differentiators for our proposition. We have spent time getting to know each other and it’s clear that we share the same values. Crucial to SFC Scotland’s success is that these values filter through into the team as it grows, and I have every confidence Allan will succeed.”

Smith added: “It’s a privilege to be offered the opportunity to work with Dan and his team to launch SFC Scotland. It’s clear that SFC has fast become a highly respected business and recognised brand in the specialist market and it’s an exciting time to be joining the company.

“They have a great reputation and the ethos of the company was really appealing to me as it ties in with my own approach to clients and introducers alike. I’m very much looking forward to developing SFC Scotland into a real ‘one stop shop’ for clients and advisers alike.”