Softcat celebrates a buoyant H1

VAR sees 65 per cent growth on both top- and bottom-line figures as it looks to smash £200m turnover goal this year

Softcat is eyeing £200m turnover for its 2011 financial year after a robust first-half-year trading.

The firm is shrugging off the recession with top- and bottom-line growth hitting 65 per cent for the first half of its financial year ended 28 February 2011.

Martin Hellawell (pictured), managing director of Softcat, said: “We sell a lot of IT, so we can say with authority that there has been a significant upturn in organisations’ investment in IT, particularly in core infrastructure, over the past few months.

IT budgets have become more readily available once again, and we have been in the right position to benefit from that.”

“Of course, that does not mean that companies are throwing cash at IT and hoping for the best,” he added. “Every penny of expenditure is being scrutinised and justified.”

Softcat achieved £146m turnover last year, and has grown its headcount by some 20 per cent to nearly 300 staff.

It also set up a new office in Moorgate recently and is continuing to expand its Manchester office and Marlow headquarters.

The VAR is well known for its strategy of recruiting graduates, announcing plans last year to recruit 100 graduates for its Moorgate office.

It recently carried out an employee satisfaction survey that revealed a company morale rating of 9.7 points out of a possible 10.