Gateshead IT company setting it's sights on further growth

Oct 6 2009 by Karen Dent, The Journal

A FAST-growing IT and office equipment business which has just moved into bigger premises is aiming to pick up the pace of expansion by looking at a possible acquisition.

Team Valley-based United Carlton Office Systems, which has made The Journal’s Fastest 50 growing companies for a second consecutive year, has taken on five extra staff at its headquarters and three at its office in York.

The extra people and a need for greater storage space was behind the recent move into bigger offices in Gateshead at the start of the summer.

Sales director John Ellis said: “In the last three and a bit years, we’ve gone from a £6m turnover to a £10m turnover and 12% of that growth has come in the last 12 months which is a pretty good result as this will probably go on record as the worst trading period in a generation.

“You could say if it hadn’t been a recession, our growth might have been double what it has been. We have 5,000 customers - we deal with local authorities including Durham County Council and the East Riding of Yorkshire Council - we do a lot of public sector.

“They’re not at the forefront of the recession.”

The business, which employs 79 staff between its two sites selling IT and office equipment, is aiming to further recession-proof itself by providing additional services.

“There have been difficult times in the last one to two years, you have to think outside the box on the way you can find new business,” said Mr Ellis.

“In our business we’ve got existing customers who use our services but we are trying to tap into new areas. We have employed more specialist sales staff to cope with our success of auditing business’ printing needs with a view to saving them money by introducing our ‘smart printing practices’.

“We don’t just knock on doors and sell them a photocopier, we do an audit encompassing everything they are printing on their network, using specialist software. So when we get all the information, we can put together some cost saving proposals.”

In addition to growing organically from its York office into North and East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, United Carlton is now considering the acquisition route for the first time.

Mr Ellis said: “We want to continue to grow the business and increase turnover and profitability.

“We believe we are a strong company and we intend to look in the New Year at possibly acquiring another business. We’ve never done that before.”

In the last three and a bit years, we’ve gone from a £6m turnover to a £10m turnover.