Richard Gardner, former global trade finance manager for Tate & Lyle, has moved into the trade services sector and set up a company called LCAC Trade Services Ltd. LCAC stands for ‘Letter Of Credit After Care’, says Gardner.

The company aims to fill the gap from the signing of the letter of credit (LC) sales contract to the presentation of documents to the bank with a customer service given up to settlement, he adds.

The company employs three senior consultants and a back office of four; all staff have previous work experience in both banking and corporate environments.

“The company prides itself on helping exporters getting their documents right first time by advising clients in the early stages of any amendments required to make the LC workable and checking documents prior to originals being produced,” says Gardner.