The owner of a major metropolitan financial brokerage will soon set up shop in Tamworth after falling in love with the North West region.
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David Heenan, owner of Leasecorp Motor Vehicle and Equipment Finance, has bought what was the Square Man Inn to serve as essentially the headquarters of the company.
The major business represents 21 lenders, and has offices in Sydney, Newcastle and Grafton, plus what will now serve as head office in Tamworth.
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"I fell in love with the community up here and then I fell in love with the opportunity [here]," he said.
"I think this region is going to boom in the next 10 years. We've got about 5,500 clients [statewide] and the amount of people that have said look I love that area, I'd love to move up there [is extraordinary]."
Lease Corp helps broker loan agreements between financial institutions, like banks and borrowers.
In Tamworth, the biggest part of the business is in agriculture, for things like new tractors and headers, but they also lend to finance business expenses, like shop fit-out or equipment for medical clinics.
The company has done business in Tamworth for 10 years, but without an actual shopfront.
Mr Heenan decided to move here first, and then the shop came up for sale.
"I was driving up here once a week all the way from Gosford to see clients in Gunnedah and Werris Creek and Armidale and Tamworth," he said.
"The country people just hit a note with me, this softness about them. And for years [I said to myself] I just want to be part of this."
The company will occupy about half of the Square Man Inn building and will likely lease the other half out to another business.
Mr Heenan said he plans to treat the building like he would his grandmother.
"I feel that I am just the current custodian, even though I have bought the building. No-one will see any major changes other than restoration," he said.
The company will employ about three or four people locally.
The Square Man Inn restaurant closed in July.
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