Entrepreneur of the Year winner remains in acquisitive mood

WAYNE Martin, EY’s Midlands Entrepreneur of the Year, says his ICT business remains on the lookout for possible takeover targets.

GCI made its 20th acquisition recently when it bought Brighton-based Commsxchange.

And Martin, who picked up the accountancy and advisory firm’s regional accolade in June and goes on to compete in the national final next month, said it is unlikely to stop there.

“Our growth has come from two prongs – organic growth and strategic acquisitions and we have needed both,” he said.

“Historically we have focused on gaps in our portfolio and gone out and bought ‘best of breed’ companies to fill those gaps rather than developing the expertise ourselves which takes longer.

“But the portfolio is where we want it now so now we are looking at acquiring scale and synergy.”

Martin said that because GCI has a reputation for being acquisitive he is now being offered possible targets at the rate of about one a week.

“There are still lots of good businesses to buy,” he said.

GCI provides telecommunications and services to businesses nationwide. Martin has 25 years’ experience of managing and implementing technical solutions within the ICT industry.

He started Lincoln-based GCI in 2000 and it has grown rapidly, achieving a 68% compound growth rate over the past two years. The firm is recognised as one of the fastest growing ICT providers in the UK.

Martin said the Entrepreneur of the Year recognition has helped the firm immensely.

“In the first few years there was a lot of networking and referrals but now we are starting to promote the story through PR and marketing,” he said.

“Winning the award adds volume to that.”

Martin said the ICT sector has changed markedly in recent years and that the firms best-equipped to succeed are those that offer a total package to businesses that are emerging from the recessionary period.

“In recent years businesses have been reluctant to spend and have battened down the hatches,” he said.

“People are now starting to invest but they want to spend their money on services that make them more efficient.

“They don’t need to wait until they move premises.

“Being able to deliver whole solutions is a big KPI for us.

“And being able to sell three or four different types of service offering to a client is the basis of winning business.

“A lot of our competitors operate in silos but customers want a fully-rounded service so they can focus on their core activities.”

The Entrepreneur Of The Year programme, sponsored by Credit Suisse, celebrates exceptional entrepreneurs in the Midlands by recognising their achievements and welcoming them to the firm’s global network of more than 5,000 Entrepreneur Of The Year entrants.

To read more about EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year programme click here.