Castle to launch Total Computer Networks' northern invasion

Kettering-based VAR grabs ex-Equanet exec Blaine Castle to head seven-strong team at new Manchester office

Kettering-based VAR Total Computer Networks (TCN) is branching into the north-west with the opening of its Manchester office on Monday.

The facility near Bury will be staffed initially by seven people and helmed by Blaine Castle, who joins the company after more than a decade at Equanet. The office (pictured below) is a converted police station.

TCN sales director Kieran O'Connor told ChannelWeb his firm has a number of clients in the region and decided to open the outpost to better support their needs.

"We have a lot of customers in Manchester and the more we travelled up there and the more we got to know the place, we felt we should have a base up here," he said.

O'Connor revealed that his firm had finished the first half of the year with sales up 35 per cent on 2011 and reiterated his desire to drive TCN to becoming a £20m outfit. He also saluted the experience and leadership credentials of the newly arrived northern boss, adding that Castle "will not be waiting for me to give him advice."

"We are really pleased that Blaine has chosen to take his next step with us and he is really excited about running [the Manchester office]," said O'Connor. "This is a new opportunity for him to build and grow something and deliver the message that we have been delivering out of Kettering."