Watkins makes European purchase

Alan Watkins, former Cisco UK and Teksys boss and now head of private equity house Blackhawk Capital, snaps up Swiss and German subsidiaries of Glasshouse AG

Private equity player Blackhawk Capital has opened its acquisition purse and bought the Swiss and German subsidiaries of consultancy and integrator Glasshouse AG for an undisclosed sum.

The company name will remain unchanged and it will be run by the same management team, receiving financial support and operational guidance from Blackhawk.

Watkins, chairman of Blackhawk Capital, and former UK head of Cisco, last year revealed his plans to build a mid-market super VAR through acquisitions, along with business partner Kevin Lewis.

The pair had previously stepped down from management roles at LAR Teksys to concentrate on their PE business.

In a statement, Watkins said: “Glasshouse is a well-established and respected global brand in strategic consulting and managed services for IT infrastructure.

“As a result of a recent reorganisation, it has chosen to dispose of its Swiss and German subsidiary,” he added. “Glasshouse AG has an excellent reputation in its markets and a great team, which we are delighted to acquire as part of the Blackhawk portfolio.

“It represents an excellent foundation from which to expand further solutions including managed services and cloud offerings."

Michael Eder, managing director of Glasshouse AG, said: “We are proud of our achievements over the past six years and are looking forward to the next phase which will include adding complementary businesses.”