Armstrong Communications, established in 1995 by Steve Donovan, has enjoyed a reputation for service excellence, technical competency and innovation throughout that time initially with Inter-Tel platforms and more latterly with Mitel and ShoreTel solutions. The company, headed up by Managing Director Sally Stothard, has a strong presence in the SME and mid-markets with high profile customers such as General Motors and Balfour Beatty. Employing 23 staff their current turnover is £3.0m.
Solar Group Chief Executive Office Mark Colquhoun commented, “Armstrong Communications will join Solar Communications within the Group and together become a powerful national force within the communications industry.
There are many synergies amongst the two companies. We share a passion for service excellence, technical competency and an ethos that sees our customers and talented staff as highly valued assets.”
Mark Colquhoun has confirmed that the Armstrong Communications Manchester office and staff will become a key and constituent parts of the new, expanded operations.
“This is good news for our clients and staff and forms an outstanding proposition for prospective customers. Both companies are expert providers of ShoreTel solutions and by combining our respective skill sets for Avaya, Mitel and networking solutions we will be ideally placed to serve the SME and mid-market business community with outstanding solutions.
Customer service runs through our veins and now, with a total of 70 staff, including a doubling of field based engineers and customer support staff, the Solar Communications Group will provide a truly national service through offices based in London, Manchester and Chippenham.
Concluding, Mark Colquhoun said, “The Solar Communications Group has an exciting growth plan – annual sales have grown from £2 Million in 2007 to £10 Million in 2012. In order to maintain this growth we need greater national reach and additional talented people. The acquisition of Armstrong contributes to the achievement of both of these goals.
Both companies care passionately about driving positive change in their clients, backed up by delivering world-class technical support and our message to clients is that this is only going to get better!”