Itec acquires majority stake in Canon West Rand

The combined Itec Maximize business has around 2000 clients representing a spread of small, mid-sized and large businesses on the West Rand.

Gavin Meyer, MD of Itec Connect, said: "This transaction will certainly increase Itec's market share in the West Rand region. We are confident that the deal will add enormous value for existing Itec customers, customers of the former Canon West Rand, and for the Itec Group as a whole.

"We are pleased to welcome Garth Upton - owner of Itec Maximize - and his team on board. They bring years of valuable experience to the business, as well as excellent relationships with a great pool of customers. The Itec Group looks forward to supporting them as they grow Itec Connect in the years to come."

Aligned vision

Garth Upton added: "I am excited to join the Itec group because it has a vision that aligns so closely with mine. As part of Itec, we benefit from the support of a powerful organisation with the scale of a big business. At the same time, Itec has a flexible and entrepreneurial culture that is a perfect fit for the way that we do business."

Upton added that his business will gain massive benefit from Itec's back-office shared services model, deep pool of technical skills, world-class product range, and its extensive set of valued-added tools and solutions. "We are now able to offer best-of-breed, multi-brand document output solutions to our clients, as well as sell complementary solutions, such as CTTV, alternative power, and telecoms services," he said.

"With the South African office automation market maturing, many dealers are looking to partner larger organisations, such as Itec, to ensure their profitability and growth into the future," said Ryan Miles, COO of Itec. "Itec has developed a model where its dealers benefit from the heavyweight backing of a leader in the office automation market while still retaining their flexibility and independence," he added.

"In a market where competition and economic conditions are tough, we are investing in our dealers and partners to build economies of scale and efficiencies," he said. "Our model blends the high volumes, efficient back-office infrastructure, stability and national reach of a big company, with the flexibility and personalised service customers look for from a regional dealer."

Meyer concluded: "The Itec philosophy of providing solutions, rather than dropping boxes, is resonating with dealers and customers. We look forward to working closely with Garth and his team to provide customers with a complete solution that addresses their complex business needs."