Where is Softcat opening its ninth office?

Which city has the reseller chosen as the backdrop for its first post-pandemic office opening?

Softcat has begun recruiting for its new office in Newcastle, which it will open next Spring.

The giant reseller has picked the city as the destination for its ninth UK office, reasoning that there is a "large opportunity for growth and recruitment" between its existing bases in Leeds and Glasgow.

It's been over three years since Softcat opened its eighth UK office in Birmingham in 2019, before the pandemic struck. Besides its Marlow HQ, Softcat also operates in London, Leeds, Glasgow, Bristol, Manchester and on the South Coast, as well as Dublin.

News of the North Eastern expansion first emerged in LSE-listed Softcat's annual results, which showed the software and hardware provider's top line swelling 29 per cent to £2.5bn. In its results statement, Softcat also riffed on the prospect of international growth in the longer term (beyond just servicing the international needs of UK clients). It has opened a "small" US office in Arlington, Virginia, it reported, which it said will "enable us to better understand that market, providing insights that will benefit our wider operations and inform future strategy".

The Newcastle outpost will be headed up by newly appointed regional lead for Newcastle Sebastian Leonhardsen, who joined Softcat as a graduate account manager.

"By growing our regional presence, we can not only better service our current customers but also increase our footprint nationally," said Ashley Bilham, who is head of the North Eastern region for Softcat.

"We have strong coverage across the UK already however, there is a large opportunity for growth and recruitment between our Leeds and Glasgow offices."