Kalamazoo Computer Group Plc, nee Kalamazoo Plc, of Birmingham, fresh from renaming itself in September (CI No 2,497), has launched a new division, Kalamazoo Computer Solutions Plc. The new division will comprise Kalamazoo Software Services Ltd, which bought E T Hi-Tec Ltd in July (CI No 2,468) and Kalamazoo Maintenance Services. It will develop, integrate and support financial and accountancy, Materials Requirements Planning II, distribution and wholesale, time and attendance, and shop floor data capture programs in the vertical markets of manufacturing, business, construction, wholesale and distribution. Support services include office automation, network integration, supporting its own and others’ software products and network management and hardware maintenance. The purpose of the renaming is, according Andrew Pearl, marketing director, purely marketing and the ‘Plc’ does not denote any intention to sell equity to raise funds or take the division public at a future date. The division, like Kalamazoo Computer Group Plc, remains and will remain 51% owned by the Kalamazoo Workers Trust, much of the remainder owned by employees. The renaming will give the division a higher profile as it seeks new customers and expand. Much of this expansion will come from acquisition and, as previously reported (CI No 2,477), the group plans to spend around UKP20m in the year and is interested in software and services companies, particularly with accountancy offerings for the medium sized company. Kalamazoo hopes to complete any acquisitions by year-end, definitely by the end of March. The rest of the group is divided into Kalamazoo Motor Trade Ltd, Kalamazoo Systems Print Ltd and Kalamazoo Computer Training Ltd.
