Europe’s largest IT supplier opens Manchester office

Wiltshire-based IT supplier Bechtle is venturing North to be closer to its customers and drive growth within the UK

Bechtle UK officially opened its new office in Piccadilly, today.

Originating in Germany and opening its first UK office in 1998, Bechtle UK was founded in Plymouth before moving to its current location in Chippenham, Wiltshire in 1999.

As one of the fastest growing cities in the UK and a hub for tech-centric businesses, Manchester was selected as the destination for a second Bechtle UK office location.

The company has enjoyed more than 20 years of success as an IT supplier to businesses and public sector organisations across the UK.

It provide a full portfolio of IT hardware, software, solutions and services and has a dedicated team of specialists to provide customers with optimum solution design.

The last two years have seen Bechtle’s turnover nearly double to around £70m in the UK. It is envisaged that opening an office in the thriving Northern hub of Manchester will bring Bechtle closer to customers in the North of the country and provide new opportunities to add staff and further increase revenue.

The new office, located in the heart of Manchester, will provide a superb working environment in an easily-accessible location.

One Portland Street offers excellent infrastructure which meets the technical and operational needs of a modern IT business.

“We’ve created a workspace that will nurture an open and friendly atmosphere,” said James Napp, managing director of Bechtle UK.

In comparison to the Chippenham office, which is home to 80 employees, the Manchester team started with 10 people on launch day, including three moving from Chippenham to take a leading role in building the Northern business.

“With space for up to 36, Bechtle aims to expand to fill the office within three years,” said Mr Napp.

“We’re combining the experience of a number of existing employees with the enthusiasm of a new team in the Manchester office.”

In order to quickly move beyond the £100m mark, Bechtle is investing in new pre-sales specialists as well as further training and development for existing staff around themes like hybrid IT, software, and modern workplace.

“Our goal is to combine our unique e-commerce capability with our expertise in solution-based IT. Our great relationships with
customers and manufacturers such as HP, HPE, Lenovo, Dell, Cisco and Microsoft, will help us capitalise on the incredible growth opportunity in the UK market.”

Tim Newns, chief executive of MIDAS, Manchester’s inward investment agency, said: “We are proud to welcome Bechtle to Manchester’s growing tech community.

“With Bechtle joining the likes of HPE, Amazon and Cisco who are already here, today’s announcement is a demonstration of how Manchester’s tech strengths and connectivity are combining to build business growth across the IT sector.”