When you supply mission-critical tooling, speed and precision aren’t optional. But even the best-run businesses can see cash tied up in invoices – especially when customer paperwork, delivery requirements and payment processes vary from order to order.
That’s where Ultimate Finance comes in. We’ve supported PD Tools for almost 20 years with an Invoice Finance facility that helps keep day-to-day cashflow steady, reduces reliance on fluctuating overdrafts, and gives the team confidence to focus on customers.
Director Phil Rook explains: “Our customers rely on us to deliver quickly and get the detail right. Having cashflow we can trust means we can keep that promise.”
Two specialist divisions, one focus
PD Tools is a family-owned business, and over the last 40 years it has built a great reputation based on repeat orders, recommendations and responsive customer support. The business operates through two closely aligned divisions:
PD Tools supplies a wide range of industrial equipment, including hand, pneumatic and electric power tools, plus torque tools and analysers used to measure and control how tightly components are fastened and a significant range of high-quality Apex bits and sockets for a wide variety of fixing applications. It also supports specialist sectors such as aerospace with bespoke tooling. In addition, PD Tools manufactures its own Acratork Mechanical Torque Analysers – specialist devices used to test and verify torque-tool accuracy across a range of industries.
PVS Engineers, its sister division, supplies precision engineering and power transmission components, including parts used in Acratork assemblies.
With a broad customer base comes complexity, PD Tools often needs to manage multiple delivery points, centralised invoicing, and customer-specific requirements – all of which can slow down payment, even when work is completed and delivered as agreed.
Why a strong business can still feel cashflow pressure
Like many businesses, PD Tools experiences natural peaks and troughs in cash needs. Stock holding, production schedules, repairs and calibration turnaround times, and customer payment cycles can all impact working capital.
Traditional overdrafts can be hard to manage when funding needs change from day to day – and the cost can escalate quickly when usage fluctuates.
Phil continues: “The challenge with an overdraft is that what you need on Monday isn’t what you need on Friday. We wanted something that flexed with the business – and didn’t become another thing to manage every day.”
A facility that flexes with the ledger
Ultimate Finance supports PD Tools with an Invoice Finance facility that helps unlock cash tied up in unpaid invoices – so the business can keep moving without waiting for customer payment terms to catch up.
Because funding is linked to sales ledger activity, the facility can flex in line with demand as invoices are raised. The solution is also structured to help reduce exposure to specific credit risks, supporting more confident day-to-day trading.
Just as importantly, it’s designed for the realities of busy ledgers. Part-payments, credits, queries and customer-specific processes aren’t exceptions in businesses like PD Tools – they’re part of the job. The right Invoice Finance partner needs to handle that complexity without slowing funding down.
Lesley Mouncher, Relationship Manager at Ultimate Finance, explains: “Invoice Finance can be a real advantage for most businesses. It turns invoices into usable working capital, so you can cover day-to-day costs, plan ahead with more confidence and keep delivering – even when customers’ payment processes are complex.”
A partner who gets the details right
PD Tools has stayed with Ultimate Finance for almost 20 years because our service is built around real trading businesses: straightforward administration, responsive funding, and relationship-led support.
Phil says: “Ultimate Finance understands our business – including the quirks that come with different customer profiles and different processes. If anything ever needs additional support, it’s dealt with quickly and properly.”
Keeping service standards high
PD Tools’ priority is clear: keep doing what they do best – supporting customers with exceptional service, backed by accredited quality and technical expertise.
Ultimate Finance will continue to support that goal with a facility that flexes with trading needs, and a relationship-led approach that keeps the day-to-day running smoothly.
Ready to help your next client move faster?
If you have a client whose cashflow is being held back by invoice terms, we can help unlock working capital quickly — with a facility that scales as they grow.
Visit: ultimatefinance.co.uk/invoice-finance
Call: 0800 121 7757
