Norfolk Capital Group

What Norfolk Capital Group does

Norfolk Capital Group Limited is a privately held UK investment holding company founded in 1988 by Andrew and Sharon Turner, previously known as Central Trust Group. Registered in England (company number 9438815), the group operates as an investment vehicle managing a portfolio of wholly-owned subsidiaries that provide lending and loan broking services to UK consumers, SMEs, and landlords. Headquartered in Norwich at 25-27 Surrey Street, with additional offices in Watford and Redditch, the group is wholly owned and controlled by the founders with no external institutional investors, private equity, or venture capital involvement.

The portfolio consists of six operating subsidiaries, each specialized in a distinct niche: Automoney Trust Limited (vehicle hire purchase loans), Central Loans Limited (broker of secured and unsecured personal loans), Central Trust Limited (consumer lending secured by a charge on property), Commercial Trust Limited (broker of buy-to-let mortgages, bridging finance, and commercial loans), Mercantile Trust Limited (commercial, bridging, and buy-to-let lending secured by first and second charges), and Norwich Trust Limited (unsecured loans). A seventh entity, Norfolk Capital Management Services Limited, provides internal management and shared services. Each subsidiary operates independently within its market segment while sharing the parent brand, leadership, and Norwich-based support infrastructure. The portfolio was assembled and refined over 35+ years through a combination of organic build (Norwich office in 2000) and bolt-on acquisitions (Mobile Money Limited in 2006; London and Surrey Motor Finance in 2019), culminating in a 2019 restructuring that formalized the holding-company architecture.

Revenue is generated through two streams: transaction-based brokerage fees earned by portfolio companies that intermediate loans between third-party lenders and borrowers (Central Loans, Commercial Trust), and interest income earned by portfolio companies that lend directly on their own balance sheet (Automoney Trust, Central Trust, Mercantile Trust, Norwich Trust). Distribution is sales-led and direct-to-customer across England, with no international footprint or unified product platform; each subsidiary operates its own consumer-facing brand and website. The technology stack disclosed is limited to Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager for marketing measurement, with no proprietary platform, AI/ML capability, mobile app, or third-party integrations referenced in source materials.

Name

Norfolk Capital Group

Legal name

Norfolk Capital Group Limited

Website

https://norfolkcapital.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Norfolk Capital Group Limited is a privately held UK investment holding company (founded 1988, Norwich) that owns six wholly-owned lending and loan-broker subsidiaries serving consumers, SMEs, and landlords across England through vehicle finance, personal loans, property-secured lending, buy-to-let mortgages, and bridging finance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Consumer and Commercial Lending

NAICS

Other Financial Investment Activities (5239)

SIC

Loan Brokers (6163), Finance Lessors (6172)

akta.pro primary industry

Middle-Market Lending (FSANADAI)

Keywords

• Consumer lending services
• Loan broking
• Buy-to-let mortgages
• Bridging finance
• Vehicle hire purchase

Headquarters

HQ city

Norwich

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Loan broking fees: Portfolio companies act as brokers for loans (vehicle HP loans, personal loans, buy-to-let mortgages, bridging finance, commercial loans), earning brokerage/transaction fees from facilitating loans between lenders and borrowers.
2. Lending interest income: Portfolio companies provide secured and unsecured loans directly to consumers, landlords, and SMEs, generating revenue through interest charged on loans.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Norfolk Capital Group is an investment holding company that operates a portfolio of six wholly-owned financial services subsidiaries providing alternative lending and loan broking services to UK consumers and SMEs. The portfolio companies deliver vehicle hire purchase loans, secured and unsecured personal loans, consumer lending secured by property, buy-to-let mortgages, bridging finance, and commercial loans through brands including Automoney Trust, Central Loans, Central Trust, Commercial Trust, Mercantile Trust, and Norwich Trust.

Product overview

Norfolk Capital Group Limited is an investment holding company that operates as a platform of wholly-owned subsidiaries providing financial services to UK consumers and SMEs. The portfolio consists of six distinct subsidiary companies, each specializing in different segments of the lending market: Automoney Trust Limited (vehicle HP loans), Central Loans Limited (secured/unsecured loan brokering), Central Trust Limited (property-secured consumer lending), Commercial Trust Limited (buy-to-let mortgage and commercial loan brokering), Mercantile Trust Limited (commercial and bridging finance with property charges), and Norwich Trust Limited (unsecured lending). These subsidiaries operate independently in their respective market niches while sharing the Norfolk Capital brand, management expertise, and support services. The group does not offer a unified product platform; rather, it provides a coordinated portfolio of specialized financial services brands under unified ownership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vehicle Hire Purchase Loans Vehicle hire purchase financing provided through Automoney Trust Limited to consumers and SMEs for vehicle acquisition, with the subsidiary serving as part of the Norfolk Capital portfolio of financial services brands.
• Personal Loan Broking Loan broking service for secured and unsecured personal loans provided through Central Loans Limited, acting as intermediary between lenders and individual consumer borrowers seeking personal credit.
• Property-Secured Consumer Lending Consumer lending product secured by a charge on property, provided through Central Trust Limited to individual borrowers seeking property-secured credit facilities.
• Buy-to-Let and Commercial Loan Broking Loan broking service for buy-to-let mortgages, bridging finance, and commercial loans, provided through Commercial Trust Limited to landlords, property investors, and SMEs.
• Commercial and Bridging Lending Direct lending service for commercial loans, bridging finance, and buy-to-let mortgages secured by first and second charges, offered through Mercantile Trust Limited to landlords, property investors, and SMEs.
• Unsecured Consumer Loans Unsecured personal loans provided through Norwich Trust Limited to individual consumer borrowers seeking short-to-medium term credit without collateral requirements.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• LendInvest: UK specialist platform for bridging finance and buy-to-let mortgages. Directly competes with Norfolk Capital's Commercial Trust (BTL broking) and Mercantile Trust (bridging) activities, though via a more technology-led model.
• OneSavings Bank: UK specialist lender with significant buy-to-let, commercial, and bridging exposure via Kent Reliance and Charter Savings Bank brands. Comparable to Norfolk Capital's BTL/bridging activities through Commercial Trust and Mercantile Trust.
• Octane Capital: UK specialist bridging and buy-to-let lender focused on complex cases. Highly comparable to Norfolk Capital's Mercantile Trust bridging/BTL lending and Commercial Trust BTL broking.
• Together Financial: UK specialist lender in bridging, buy-to-let, and second-charge consumer lending. Closely overlaps with Norfolk Capital's Mercantile Trust (bridging/BTL) and Central Trust (property-secured consumer lending) activities.
• Funding Circle: UK SME lending platform providing business loans and asset finance. Comparable to Norfolk Capital's SME lending and bridging exposure via Mercantile Trust, though via a marketplace model.
• Market Financial Solutions: UK specialist bridging finance provider serving complex and fast-track cases. Directly comparable to Norfolk Capital's Mercantile Trust bridging finance offering.
• Shawbrook Bank: UK challenger bank focused on specialist SME lending, property finance, and bridging. Comparable to Norfolk Capital's Mercantile Trust (commercial/bridging) and Central Trust (property-secured lending) segments.
• Paragon Banking Group: UK-listed specialist bank focused on buy-to-let mortgages, commercial lending, and bridging finance. Directly comparable to Norfolk Capital's Commercial Trust and Mercantile Trust subsidiaries in BTL and bridging origination.

Broad incumbents

• Aldermore Bank: UK challenger bank offering buy-to-let, bridging, SME, and asset finance products. Broader portfolio than Norfolk Capital but overlaps significantly across Commercial Trust, Mercantile Trust, and Automoney Trust product lines.
• Close Brothers Group: UK merchant banking group with significant SME lending, asset finance, and property finance divisions. Overlaps with Norfolk Capital's commercial lending, vehicle finance, and bridging activities across multiple subsidiaries.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Norfolk Capital Group