SCC buys £8m document management firm

Acquisition of Hobs On-Site builds on 2014 purchase of print player M2

SCC has acquired an £8m-revenue arm of reprographics goliath Hobs Group as it looks to bolster its document management proposition.

Building on its 2014 acquisition of managed print provider M2, SCC has put its hand in its pocket to buy Hobs On-Site, which provides specialist services in document digitisation, document process re-engineering, print room, mail room and digital mail management.

It will be renamed M2 Managed Document Services.

In its year to 30 April 2017, Hobs On-Site increased revenue four per cent to £8.1m and increased average staff numbers to 104, but Hobs CEO James Duckenfield said M2's ability to grow the business "is greater than ours".

The wider Hobs Group turned over £34.1m last year and now encompasses Hobs Repro, Hobs 3D and Anexsys, which is an eDiscovery, digital forensics and legal technology business.

SCC said the acquisition will drive a paper to digital strategy for its customers.

Hobs On-Site managing director Simon Kelly will transfer with the acquisition and continue to run the specialist business.

John Taylor, CEO of M2, said: "We are delighted to bring Hobs On-Site into the family. They provide a complementary set of services to both our production printing business within M2 and SCCs digital workplace offering."

Duckenfield added: "Hobs On-Site have an excellent client base, and provide services that businesses need as they go digital. We have worked in partnership with M2 for many years and agreed that their ability to grow the business is greater than ours. We are confident that the business is going to a fantastic new home, and one where we will maintain a strong relationship with our clients as well as with M2.

"We will continue to provide reprographics, legal support services and our range of 3D and virtual reality offerings through Hobs On-Site and to the wider marketplace."