“Even though recent figures show nil economic growth and inflation is still rising, it is still by no means certain that we will finally slide into a recession” says Martin, 50, who lives in Knaresborough and will divide his time between Yorkshire Bank’s Financial Solutions Centre, James Street, Harrogate, and the FSC in Clifton Moor, York.

“I was recently looking at figures on how Harrogate performed during the 1991 recession and it did not fare anywhere near as badly as many other towns and cities.

“Harrogate’s business community is a lot stronger now and this could help to shield businesses from the worst effects of the economic volatility although some, especially in the property sector, are undoubtedly having a tough time,” says Martin who now manages a team of 40 business and private bankers covering the whole Harrogate district and up to Northallerton as well as the York FSC territory which stretches to Whitby and Scarborough.

“Even so, for businesses which have operated only in the benign economic conditions of the last decade, the prospect of surviving the current difficulties will be a real cause for concern, particularly with recent volatility in the US and the collapse of Lehman Brothers.

“Without painting too grim a picture, it may well get worse before it gets better. But Harrogate is a very good place to be in business. There are a lot of long-standing companies and a close-knit commercial community. If you do a good job you can quickly build a good reputation or, conversely, a bad one.

“An important development of the last few years has been the progress of local law and accountancy practices many of which have enhanced their skills and recruited from the national firms in Leeds which means that deals can be done entirely in Harrogate.

“It is important that banks in the town support them in this and I am going to see that Yorkshire Bank plays as full a role as possible.

“Harrogate district is notable for its growing number of rural businesses and the creation of York and North Yorkshire FSC will give them easier access to our Agri-Business Team which is the biggest Yorkshire Bank team of its kind in the UK and has a special understanding of the challenges they face.”

Martin, who wife Susan works as a banking adviser at Yorkshire Bank Knaresborough branch, says that although Harrogate has a robust local economy some ventures need special support in the harsher climate created by the US-imported credit crunch. “We are very much open for business and funding deals but the credit crunch has presented a difficult time for some companies.

“We are giving them as much support and additional service as we can to help them through it and I believe our working relationships will be stronger as a result.”

See this month’s Business Pink supplement, free with today’s paper, for full details of the new Yorkshire Financial Solutions Centre.