Rowe to step down as firm is bought

THE company which sponsors European rugby champions Exeter Chiefs has been bought by a Brighton-based tech firm to create a £100 million business – but its founder has stood down.

Focus Group’s acquisition of swcomms coincides with the retirement of the Exeter-based company’s creator Tony Rowe, who is also chief executive of Exeter Chiefs and a major business figure in the South West.

Mr Rowe is stepping down as chief executive and chairman of the firm he set up in 1983 but the business communications and IT provider will continue to operate from its HQ in Sowton, Exeter, where it has signed a long-term lease.

Swcomms will also continue to operate under its brand name and the “majority” of the existing management team and employees will continue to work for the business. They have already started recruiting new staff through its training academy.

Focus Group, also a business communications and tech firm, is said to have made a “considerable investment” in snapping up swcomms.

Focus Group’s investment will provide valuable resource and opportunity for growth in the future for swcomms while the Shoreham-headquartered venture will benefit from an extended footprint in the South West.

The combined outfit will be a £100million turnover enterprise. Most recent accounts show that swcomms earned £19million in 2019, making a pre-tax profit of £300,000.

Brian Lodge, swcomms managing director, said: “I am very excited about this new partnership. The investment from Focus Group will coincide with some great opportunities in the market created by a shift in the industry towards cloud, connectivity, home working and Openreach’s withdrawal of copper voice and internet services.

“There is a perfect fit between the two companies with an amazing synergy in what we do. We will benefit hugely from working with Focus. Together, we will be more competitive and we plan to grow the business significantly in the next few years.

“The expansion of our data centre environment, one of the few located in the South West, is also something we are looking forward to.”

He added: “Our staff and our customers are at the heart of everything we do and this is very much mirrored at Focus Group. Delivering a better service is our top priority. Being part of the Focus Group will give us all the wider benefits of a £100million turnover business while allowing us to maintain a local and personal service to our customers.”