Gateshead ICT firm plans headcount growth as turnover set to reach £2m

Gateshead-based Smart IT is planning further expansion after enjoying significant growth in the last 12 months.

Profits at the Team Valley Trading Estate provider of ICT solutions have grown by 22% in the past year as demand from public and private sector SME clients have pushed turnover at the firm to almost £2m.

Smart IT’s Managing Director, Tony Wilson, founded the company in 2008, and believes the firm’s ‘people-driven’ approach has fuelled client demand and allowed it to compete in a crowded marketplace.

He said: “Being smaller than some of our major competitors enables us to make quick decisions and, in turn, focus on creating a high level of customer satisfaction through providing a more personable service.”

The ICT firm now boasts a headcount of just under 30 IT professionals all with expertise in areas including infrastructure solutions, hardware and software, and telephony integration.

The firm, which is headed up by a six-strong senior management team, is now looking to expand its number of clients and grow its headcount in the coming months.

With accreditations and partnership status for a range of IT firms, including Hewlett Packard, Microsoft and Cisco, Tony says that the Gateshead business’ approach, where they are not tied to just one product, has also helped them to grow their client base and reputation.

He added: “I think our differentiator is that we are not orientated around products – rather we use products to deliver the right service for clients.

“Many companies will try to shoehorn a product into a customer’s business, we try to find the best product for the customer’s needs. In short, we are one of the few mid-market IT providers in the region who is big enough to effectively manage client demand but small enough to really care about delivering a personal, bespoke customer experience.”