By strengthening its management, Reading, Berkshire-based Sintrom Plc’s has managed to lift its profits off the UKP1m plateau on which they had been resting for the past few years, and boost them 52% to UKP1.8m. The seven-strong management team now includes Ian McQuattie, responsible for finance and Jon Watts, group marketing and business development. Under the leadership of the Sintrom Executive Board the group is shifting its core business away from its core peripherals distribution business, which now accounts for 43% of turnover, to networking which has grown to represent 40%. The acquisitions of Online and Micro Technology were were part of the new networking strategy. In terms of products in this sector the proactive network monitor and manager Network Quality Analyser has sold well in the UK among clients that include British Telecom and Mercury, while in the US Hughes Aircraft has also bought the product. Furthermore, according to Dataquest the group’s subsidiary LRT now has 30% of the UK market market for bridges between local area networks. Within the group’s other sectors the computer peripherals company Perex has returned to profitability by its strategic withdrawal from making OEM tape drives to focus on customising cartridges for European OEM customers. In the peripherals distribution area in general the Group has been particularly pleased with its data storage sales. As regards third-party maintenance, however, it has been unable to expand Sysmatics through acquisition, but will continue to target resources into its service operations. In the very near future Sintrom expects to start making acquisitions on the continent, starting in France and West Germany. At present 10% of its business is generated on the continent, and this is due to grow organically to 15% in 1989. While Sintrom has no intention of creating a massive group structure it will be down to the group management team to lead the self-sustaining subsidiaries into the continental market over the next three years. All in all, it looks as if Sintrom is holding the key to both a prosperous future and the European door as it celebrates its 21st birthday this year.
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