Rocom name bows out of distribution arena

Nimans rejig sees "limited" direct business brought under Rocom banner, while distribution is consolidated under parent brand

Fare thee well: the Rocom name will no longer be present in the distribution channel

After almost three decades in business, the Rocom name will no longer be present in the distribution channel, following a reshuffle at parent company Nimans.

The revamp sees Salford-based Nimans becoming entirely channel-focused. The Rocom brand will remain in play as the front for Nimans' direct business, described as "the limited supply of telephony consumables".

All distribution operations will be brought under the Nimans banner. The firm's managing director Julian Niman said resellers would now benefit from " one account manager and one account, from one team, based from a central office ".

Nimans bought rival Rocom in a £12.45m cash deal last year. Based in Wetherby, Rocom started life in 1981 as Dewford, becoming Rocom Systems later that year. It was acquired by fallen resale and services group AT Communications in 2006.

The firm's Yorkshire hub will remain operational and no jobs will be lost as a result of the reshuffle. Niman claimed the move will free up cash for lead generation and end user marketing initiatives with resellers.

“The thinking behind this development is that, following last year’s acquisition process, there was a degree of conflict as both brands competed in the same channel, often for the same business," he added. "The new structure simplifies things for everyone and allow suppliers to better direct their resources to one central operation.

“We view this decision as a statement of intent which is part of our long term commitment to the reseller channel. Nimans is now in a much stronger position to maintain our status as the industry’s premier supplier, providing all the stock, delivery and support services our customers need in what remain very challenging economic conditions.”