Manx entrepreneur steps in to save 27 jobs with 2e2 buyout

2e2 Isle of Man to be renamed Argon Technologies on Monday after buyout by Armstrong Group chief Iain Fairbairn

The boss of 2e2's Isle of Man business has expressed his delight at preserving the future of 27 staff and returning the business to local ownership.

In a statement issued today, 2e2 Isle of Man managing director Jonathan Camfield revealed that local businessman Iain Fairbairn, owner of the Armstrong Group of companies based on the island, has acquired 2e2's operations in the area. The firm will be rebranded as Argon Technologies as of Monday.

"Iain is committed to ensuring we continue to grow while providing high levels of service to our existing and new clients," writes Camfield.

Argon will slot into an Armstrong roster already including businesses such as Armstrong Property Management and Armstrong Investors. Before its incarnation as a 2e2 subsidiary, the business was part of XKO Offshore Ltd, alongside operations in the Channel Islands. This was sold to the fallen integrator for £13.25m in 2005.

It has now been sold to Fairbairn as a going concern, with 27 staff being retained. Camfield claimed the deal "provides continuity of income for local suppliers to the business and... ensures we can continue to provide high-quality IT solutions and support services to all of our Isle of Man customers".

"We are delighted to return to being a locally owned and managed business and would like to take the opportunity to say a big thank you to our valued customers for supporting us over the last 30 years and we look forward to continuing to work with you in this new, exciting chapter of our business on the island," he concluded.