RAL - BUILDING CLIENT BASE australia C5 \JïUJL vUZOVic* 12 What's News Issue 1 January 1996 And I think we are a very welcome new element, especially for farmers. Banks here tend to be bureaucratie. We try to make fast decisions and cut through red-tape. It's appreciated. But only by our customers. When we first arrived, the banking community also welcomed us. RAG generated a 31 percent increase in total revenue over 1995. Now, they are not so friendly anymore. I think we've frightened them. We are pretty aggressive. I don't mean pricing, but in the quality of our products. And we have very good people on the ground. Who have excellent agribusiness know-how and real expertise in banking. We actually manage to beat the competition without losing margin. And we intend to keep it that way.' DEAL OF THE YEAR The transaction selected by the Rabo Australia Group as its 'F&A Deal of the Year' is the AUD 53,980,000 multiple option facility for asset acquisition finance of the Victorian Grain Elevator's Board (GEB) by Vicgrain Ltd.The deal was arranged by Rod Campbell of Rabo Australia with strong support from lan Charlton (left), the state manager for PIBA's operations in Victoria.The Victorian GEB was the last of Australia's mainland bulk grain handling authorities to be privatized. 'We've already opened a new corporate banking office in Melbourne,' Broekhuyse confirms. 'And pretty soon we'11 be starting a branch in New Zealand. So we have to get our product range right. It will have to be expanded. We're currently thinking of M&A consultancy, corporate finance, structured finance, and so on. And I think we'11 be looking at leasing in the future.' similar to our position in the Netherlands.' However, he is quick to add that the Rabo Group is a local player. 'Our international links are extremely useful, but our local focus gives us a lot of advantages.' CORPORATE EX PA NS ION Rabo Australia is making full use of those advantages. AGGRESSIVE MARKETING When Rabo Australia was first established back in the 1980s, it was a very small operation. However, the acquisition of PIBA just after a merchant banking licence had been granted, meant a lot of publicity for the combined operation. 'We've had a lot of good coverage,' Broekhuyse confirms. 'I think one of the reasons was that we're a new element in the market here. No one has seen anything like us. For the corporate division (RAL), 1995 has been a year of major growth - in all areas. Assets have tripled and cliënt numbers have almost doubled. According to manager Chris Abbenhuis, indepth knowledge and expertise in F&A is an integral factor in the corporate division's success. RAL's current main focus is to build up its cliënt base. At the beginning of 1995, it was servicing 38 customers. It now has 68, of whom 70 percent are F&A-related. Trade finance continues to be a priority. But, says Abbenhuis, 'we are stressing on- and off-balance sheet lending products and structured agri-finance for the F&A industry here.' In fact, RAL has already come up with an interesting new product which was developed in close cooperation with the rural division (PIBA). 'We developed a structured product in seasonal finance,' says Abbenhuis. 'It provides facilities for the larger agribusiness cooperatives and corporates for on-lending to their members/suppliers.' This structure was used to provide funds to BONLAC, a large Victorian dairy cooperative and resulted in five other enquiries for similar finance. VICTORIAN EXPANSION 'It is new products like this which get you noticed,' Abbenhuis believes. 'We've been through very significant growth over the past 12 months - not only in terms of clients. Profitability and assets have also increased, and we've gone from eight to 14 staff. In fact, we expect to have 24 people by the end of this year, partly because we have major plans for Victoria and New Zealand.' An office has already been opened in Melbourne, the Victorian state capital, which is headed up by Andrew Davison. Formerly with RAL in Sydney, Davison says his New rural lending stands at 144 percent of budget for 1995. RABO AUSTRALIA LTD De corporate division heeft in 1995 de activa verdrievoudigd en het aantal klanten verdubbeld. Handelsfinanciering blijft de prioriteit. Het succes komt óók voor rekening van de ontwikkeling van nieuwe produkten. Hiermee heeft RAL de aandacht van nieuwe klanten op zich weten te vestigen. Ondertussen houdt RAL vast aan de filosofie van het aantrekken van gespecialiseerd personeel - een bijkomende succesfactor. In 1995 is een nieuw kantoor geopend in Melbourne, de hoofdstad van de staat Victoria. Een derde kantoor, in het Nieuwzeelandse Auckland gaat binnenkort van start.

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