Scottish office equipment specialist buys Aberdeen-based competitor

Published on Tuesday 8 December 2009 21:23

CAPITAL Solutions, the acquisitive Edinburgh-based photocopier and printer supplier, has swooped to buy an Aberdeen rival for an undisclosed sum.

All seven staff from West End Business Services will join the workers at Capital's existing showroom on Aberdeen's Virgina Street in the new year. As well as taking over West End, Capital has also appointed a further two staff in its Aberdeen office, taking its total head count in the Granite City to 18.

Contract manager John Ritchie will look after public-sector clients in the North-east following Capital's appointment as an approved supplier to the Scottish Public Sector Framework in June.

Gary Boyd, formerly sales and membership manager at Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce, will also join Capital as a commercial sales executive.

West End has supplied and serviced Konica Minolta equipment since 1982 and Capital yesterday revealed that it will recruit a further seven staff for its Glasgow office to allow it to offer Konica Minolta products in the west.

In total, Capital – which also has offices in Galashiels – has about 160 staff.

Tom Flockhart, founder and managing director of Capital, said: "Acquiring West End Business Systems and bringing it under the Capital brand makes perfect sense for us.

"Capital has already made substantial investments in developing our operations in Aberdeen and this latest acquisition further shows our commitment to expand in the North-east."

The firm was one of only eight companies to have been appointed as suppliers of office equipment to Scotland's public organisations.

Speaking earlier this year, Flockhart said he expected Capital's profits to double after its appointment to the public sector framework, which gives the company access to contracts worth a total of 10 million a year.

Flockhart yesterday said that turnover for this year will be around 12m, although he declined to give details of the price paid for West End.

He added: "Our latest acquisition in Aberdeen means our growth plan to reach 20m by the end of 2012 is firmly on track."