‘The acquisition was our first ever target’: Flotek CEO talks Microshade merger

This marks the fourteenth buyout made by the company in three years

Cardiff-based managed IT and comms service provider Flotek Group has acquired Microshade Business Consultants, an IT solutions provider working with 286 local councils across the UK.

This move will aim to boost IT support and cybersecurity services for local councils across the country and grow its private cloud offering.

Although this represents the fourteenth acquisition made by the company in three years, Jay Ball, Flotek’s CEO, tells CRN it was in fact his “first ever target and meeting back in 2021.”

The investment brings six new heads to the team, including David Astwood, Microshade’s technical director, who now becomes the Welsh firm’s head of cloud infrastructure.

He will be in charge of managing Flotek’s private cloud offering and other complementary products, explains Ball.

Microshade complements Flotek’s cloud portfolio, as the organisation wants to offer “something different” to its customers, as well as more support for legacy systems through the use of private cloud.

“We have a very focused approach to cloud adoption for customers using Microsoft Azure, however public cloud isn't always right for customers with data ownership, compliance requirements, and customers having enhanced security and privacy needs,” explains the CEO.

While he intends to increase the company’s private cloud activities, Ball says he isn’t planning on making further acquisitions in this area in the foreseeable future, and will instead use the technology as a foundation for its private cloud proposition.

This purchase also brings the firm closer to the 2025 £20m run rate target announced by Ball during a previous interview with CRN.

“We're currently on a forecasted run rate of £18.5m with organic growth, so we'll need to add £1.5m revenue growth via acquisition, which is likely.”

The founder of Microshade, Stuart Wilbur, passed away in January 2025 during the due diligence process.

He is survived by his wife, Janice Wilbur.

“Stuart’s health had deteriorated and as we had kept in touch and worked together over the years on mutual projects, we were the natural home for the Microshade team,” explains Ball.

Microshade operates its cloud remote desktop service at the Southwest datacentre in Plymouth, which Flotek has joined in 2023, a few months after the buyout of Plymouth-based MazingTree.

Microshade will be fully integrated into Flotek over the next 12 months.

This acquisition comes just two months after the one of solution provider Simpology UK.