Northampton firm ACS has been acquired by multinational technology company, Bechtle. Founded in 1983, Bechtle is now one of Europe’s leading IT providers with a presence in 14 countries. In the past, Bechtle direct UK and ACS have delivered a number of successful customer projects together.By joining the Bechtle group, ACS co-founder, Jon Thorpe is securing the company a future-oriented succession plan. The executive management team of ACS will remain in their current roles and oversee the process of integrating the company into the Bechtle Group together with James Napp, Managing Director of Bechtle direct UK.
Jon Thorpe said the key focus on the opportunities that this acquisition now brings to ACS employees and clients alike.
He said:
“Having co-founded the company, it was very important to me to know the company will be in good hands down the road, both for our colleagues and our customers. Together with Bechtle, we’re well poised to keep growing while ensuring consistent, long-term support for our customers during their digital transformation. I’m very much looking forward to this new chapter in our company’s history.”
The acquisition of ACS forms part of Bechtle’s continued acquisition strategy, which in 2021, for the first time, saw sites outside Germany, Austria and Switzerland added to the IT System House & Managed Services segment of the business. After expanding into the Netherlands, Bechtle can now also strengthen its position in the UK market with a much-expanded portfolio and the aim to establish a joint managed services platform to support customers together.
In the UK market, Bechtle has been successfully established for over 20 years providing companies and public sector customers with a comprehensive portfolio of hardware, software, solutions and services.
In 1997, Bechtle launched their first UK branch in Plymouth, moving to Chippenham in 1999. In 2019, a second branch was opened in Manchester, one of the fastest growing British cities. Bechtle currently employs some 120 people across these two locations, generating revenues well above 110 million euros. The current financial year has also seen Bechtle direct UK enjoy extraordinary growth.
With 35 years of success in the industry, Bechtle has 13,500 employees working across Europe. The Bechtle portfolio focuses on modern workplace technologies, data centre and cyber security solutions, and managed services, perfectly complimenting the core activities of ACS. With a strong alignment of services and values, both companies are looking ahead with confidence around the positive impact they can have in the market as one team.
Konstantin Ebert, Executive Vice President for France, Benelux and UK, Bechtle AG:
“We see excellent prospects on the horizon in the UK market with ACS. We already have a successful track record together and are very positive that, by joining forces, both companies can offer huge added value in terms of end-to-end customer support. The two teams complement each other perfectly.”
James Napp, Managing Director, Bechtle direct UK:
“I’ve known ACS for many years and have always enjoyed working with Jon Thorpe. ACS has a very experienced and highly capable team and will undoubtedly put us in a position to accelerate our growth and expand our offering for our customers. The cultural fit could not be better and we look forward to the opportunity to scale our mutual business together and become one of the top 10 IT solutions providers in the UK.”
