Black Box opens to incorporate Anglo

Networking and cabling supplier Black Box has added to its UK on-site services operations by buying Anglo Communications for an undisclosed sum.

Networking and cabling supplier Black Box has added to its UK on-site services operations by buying Anglo Communications, based in Bury St Edmonds, for an undisclosed sum.

Black Box, which manufactures its own range of networking products as well as publishing a widely used networking and cabling catalogue, started building up its on-site services arm through acquisition last year.

"This is our third merger in the UK and it is an ideal complement to our operations," said Patrick Hudgell, managing director of Black Box UK.

"Anglo has an excellent reputation and is ideally positioned to service many major markets. We are looking forward to incorporating its skills and experience, and working with the company's impressive customer base."

Anglo bolsters Black Box's presence in the south east of England. The two other on-site installation companies it acquired, Datec and Omega, were based in Nottingham and Newbury respectively.

Steve Borley, managing director of Anglo, said the decision to sell was not prompted by poor trading over recent months. "Profit and turnover for the first quarter this year was up 20 per cent on last year. We decided to sell because I believe being part of a larger organisation will make trading easier. Customers like the comfort of a well-known name for something as important as their network," he said.

Anglo has about 40 staff and last year turned over £3m. It will change its name to Black Box Network Services.

Borley said Anglo will continue trading separately from Datec and Omega for the immediate future.

• Black Box has launched its Serv-Switch Simplicity, which allows two PCs or servers to be controlled with a single mouse, keyboard and monitor.