£80m group has head in the clouds with acquisition

Mid-market software business Access Group has acquired Sheffield business Selima, a HR specialist.

The £5m-turnover business, which focuses on cloud-based technology, has been bought by the Colchester-based group.

Selmina is based at Sheffield Business Park with a base in Salford and has more than 300 customers including Hawksmoor, Young’s Brewery, Academies Enterprise Trust and a number of local authorities.

Current managing director Wayne Blakemore will remain with Access to support the business moving forward. He himself took over at Selima in 2012 after a £2m management buy-in.

Founded in 1993 from CEO Chris Bayne’s parent’s dining room, Access Group now has 900 staff in 14 offices across the UK. Access UK turned over £82m in 2016 and is ultimately controlled by US private equity business TA Associates.

The acquisition bolsters Access Group’s academy schools portfolio as well as creating a new suite of products for the Retail and Hospitality sector.

“The addition of Selima to the Access Group greatly increases the value we deliver to our customers and expands what we can deliver in a new industry sector of Retail and Hospitality. There is strong alignment in our cultures with the Selima team and the way we do business” said Chris Bayne, CEO of The Access Group, who continued: “The Selima deal is our second significant acquisition in 2017, which supports Access’ focused go to market strategy and accelerated growth plans.”

Selima’s current managing director, Wayne Blakemore, will remain with Access to support the future success of the business.

He said: “I am confident the Access Group is the perfect home for the products, customers and employees of Selima. It will help take what we have achieved with Selima in the last five years to the next level.”