MTI aims to win extra customers with new Manchester digs

Reseller launches second satellite office alongside Scottish branch in the hope of better serving clients and winning new ones

MTI has opened a new Manchester-based office in a bid to scoop business with new customers and better serve its existing northern clients.

The opening of the VAR's new northern office comes less than two years after what it claims was the hugely successful launch of its Edinburgh branch which plays host to part of its security business.

MTI remained tight-lipped on how many staff would work at the newly opened office, which will be based in the city centre, but its sales manager for Scotland and north of England Spencer Misstear, who heads up the Mancunian base, said that it was a positive step for the firm.

He said: "We looked at the north and we saw a gap in the market place; all of the bigger systems integrators are based around the M25. Our growth is only as good as [that of] our customers', so it is very important to us to look after our existing customers better [by being closer to them geographically].

"However, we are also working on net new customers too. We are hugely aggressive and growing fast."

MTI is specifically looking to expand its sales operations into the mid-market, public sector and education space across the north of England, but claims its niche offering means it will not step on fellow VARs' toes.

Manchester-headquartered reseller ANS Group shares a number of vendor partners with MTI, including VMware and Cisco. The firm said that it was not surprised that a rival has set up in the city, and that it is comfortable with competition.

Paul Sweeney, ANS Group's managing director said: "We [ANS and MTI] must be in separate sectors somewhere as we don't come across them that often. Manchester is a hotbed; lots look to come here - like Kelway and MTI - they want to join the party.

"Our head office is in Manchester - it is our stomping ground. 2e are comfortable rubbing shoulders with our competitors."