4Projects expands into South American market

Sep 3 2009 by Andrew Mernin, The Journal

A SOFTWARE firm has revealed plans to expand into the vast South American market as it looks to service oil and gas giants in Brazil, Columbia and Venezuela.

Meanwhile, Sunderland’s 4Projects – which builds software to help different companies work together on the same project – has also received a major boost to its growth plans in the UK.

The company is gearing up to enter a number of new markets after seeing its revenue climb 25% to £5.5m in the year to March 2009.

It has signed reseller agreements which will take its services into Brazil, Columbia and Venezuela where it will largely target the oil and gas sector.

This comes on the back of the success of firm’s recently-opened North American offices in Calgary and Houston.

At home in the UK, the company has launched a new division called 4 Retail, which has already won the backing of two high street behemoths in Argos and Mothercare.

The company’s software is usually used on large-scale energy and construction projects which can involve a number of different businesses and allows different parties to share important documents as well managing various processes.

However, the company soon realised that the technology could be easily adapted to the process of making products – such as items of clothing – to be sold on the High Street.

The collaboration and information management tool is aimed at retailers who are keen to make their processes more efficient while cutting out time and money wastage.

Finance director Steve Nelson said: “The whole product is about saving costs and making companies more effective.”

“We are expanding into new vertical markets. We opened up a subsidiary called 4 Retail and have already signed up with Argos and Mothercare. We expect to win further deals with other large High Street firms.”

In the North East, the company’s software is currently being used by support services and construction firm Carillion on a project to refurbish over 40 schools in County Durham.

The technology has also had a big impact on the world of sport. It was used on the project to build a roof over Wimbledon’s centre court, on the recent upgrade to The Oval cricket ground and is currently being used by developer Sir Robert McAlpine to build the Olympic stadium in London.