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Trio of entrepreneurial army veterans backed by £100k investment

Three ex-servicemen in Yorkshire have received a combined £100k funding boost from the Business Enterprise Fund (BEF) to help support the expansion of their respective businesses.

The first, Ripon’s Bill Plant, founder of Bill Plant Driving School, received a loan from the Yorkshire lenders to fund the purchase of a fleet of BMW 1 Series vehicles for his instructors.

Founded after Plant left the army in 2004, it has now grown to become the UK’s largest driving school, with 530 franchisees across the country and turnover in the region of £6m.

Commenting following the funding, Plant said: “We have always had ambitious growth plans to take the business up a gear and thanks to the money from BEF, are now able to teach people to drive in high quality vehicles.

“We’re also currently offering a training scheme for would-be instructors and are training 500 people across the country.”

Meanwhile, former servicemen Roy Thomson and Philip Carter sealed a BEF loan to help them set up a new Subway franchise at the Princes Gate retail park complex, housed within Catterick Garrison in north Yorkshire.

Following the opening, Roy commented: “Since retiring, we were both dedicated to the idea of still being involved at the army base so owning two Subway franchises in this location is a great achievement for us.

“Santander encouraged us to apply for BEF funding and we’re thrilled that the loan enabled us to invest further.”