Wylie hunts friends in the north
TSG continues quest to be 'supplier of choice' in north with latest acquisition
Graham Wylie's Technology Services Group (TSG) continued its shopping frenzy last week with its third acquisition in less than five months.
As part of the firm's strategy to increase UK coverage, the VAR, which is owned by Sage co-founder Wylie, acquired software reseller Orlando IT. The latest buy takes TSG beyond its roots in the north-east of England.
The acquisition, for an undisclosed sum, gives TSG a presence in Manchester, on top of its bases in Newcastle, Sheffield and Middlesbrough.
It brings the firm's staffing level up to 100 and its customer base to 4,000 SMEs. The firm also bought Teesside-based reseller CPA Systems in January.
Wylie stated in November that his aim was to make TSG the supplier of choice in the north-east. But the company now wants to be "the supplier of choice across the north of England", according to Wylie.
But this will not be the last, according to industry sources, which claimed the south will be the next port of call in the VAR's spending spree.
Nigel Hudson, TSG group director, admitted there is no reason why the firm shouldn?t expand to other regions.
"If reseller businesses fit our profile we could expand further," he said.
Channel sources claimed Wylie will move south. Resellers in Maidstone, Hampshire and Kingston Upon Thames have been mooted as possible acquisition targets.
However, Duncan Wyeth, sales and marketing director at Sage VAR Serion Logic, said TSG's acquisition strategy would give the firm major challenges in integrating the companies.
"Wylie has a lot of money but there is a lot of work to do and he must look at his economies of scale," he said.