Novosco more than doubles HQ size as it sets sights on 20 new staff

Managed services provider set to increase revenues by 18 per cent this year, reaching £25m

Cloud services provider Novosco has increased its Belfast headquarters from 5,000 square feet to 11,000 square feet as it looks to hire 23 new staff members this year.

Completed in September, the new building is in Catalyst Business Park, the same home as its previous offices.

Novosco's managing director Patrick McAliskey (pictured, alongside sales director John Lennon) said that the new office includes a gym, a library and a virtual reality room.

"We have won quite a lot of new contracts this year and we have been extending the staff. We needed a lot more office space, and we wanted a lot more shared facilities in the offices. We wanted to give our staff the best offices we could. We really pushed the boat out a bit," he said.

"For people based in the office, you want them to have a place where they really want to get up in the morning and go to. We wanted them to feel like it is their second home."

The MSP is looking to hire 23 new employees this year, half of whom will be based in the headquarters, with the other half based in the firm's existing Warrington office.

McAliskey added that this number keeps growing.

"We did a snapshot of all the requirements we needed and we came up with 21," he said. "It is just growing and growing though and just two weeks ago we realised we actually need 23 people."

McAliskey said that if it fills all those positions, Novosco's total number of staff will be over 160. He expects the number to go "well over 200" in 2017.

The firm hit £21m revenues in 2015, and McAliskey said it is on track to do £25m revenues in 2016, an 18 per cent increase.

It acquired NetDef in July 2016, and McAliskey said he expects the company will add £5m to its overall revenues in 2017.

"It's going very well; we've been able to do a fair amount of cross-selling," he added. "Until 30 June next year they will be completely separate, but after that I think NetDef will become part of Novosco. For now we are very happy that they trade as separate businesses.

"If we need to expand, we would consider expanding our offices in Belfast again. We definitely want an office in the south of England. We wouldn't rule out another acquisition in the next year, to give us that office space there."