Banner has acquired West Yorkshire-based reseller, Ventura Office Supplies.
The purchase looks to strengthen Banner’s market coverage as it broadens its business beyond its traditional base of mainly large contract customers in the public and private sectors, including major banks, government departments and local authorities.
Established 12 years, Ventura is an independent office product dealer. Banner says the company will add scale and expertise, particularly in educational supplies, computer hardware and office furniture, to its already broad business supplies offering. All six Ventura staff are being retained following the acquisition and the company, which had a turnover of £1.4m in the last full financial year, is continuing to operate from its present site and trade under its previous name.
Andrea Eli, Director of Ventura said, Andrea said, “we’re extremely proud of the success we’ve enjoyed with Ventura, but this is absolutely the right time for us to become part of Banner. There are significant and increasing restrictions on smaller dealers’ ability to grow their customer bases, product ranges, incomes and resourcing in the current market, without them spending serious money, and this deal releases all those chains we felt were holding us back.
“We’re also certain this is a very exciting time to be joining Banner. We’re excited by the company’s vision of its future - which is very bright indeed. We’ve been greatly impressed by the expertise and enthusiasm about the years ahead among Banner’s people from the moment they first approached us.”
Andrea, who is also a previous owner of Ventura with her partner Hari Athwal, has joined the Banner sales leadership team as Sales Director. Her wider remit now includes managing Banner’s Loughborough, Manchester, Stoke-on-Trent and Swindon offices, as well as the Bingley site. Hari is now operating as Ventura’s Sales Manager.
Banner’s acquisition of Ventura follows its absorption of another reseller, Manchester-based WA Office Needs, for similar reasons, last July.
Craig Varey, Managing Director, Banner added, “the purchase will bring us incremental sales and expand our market coverage on behalf of our suppliers. It has also allowed us to add some outstanding experience and expertise in servicing growth categories to our team.
“Importantly, our partnership with Ventura makes additional sense because of our shared values. It was obvious when we were talking to Andrea and Hari that our two organisations were compatible for many reasons, such as our intense mutual focus on delivering the highest possible customer service standards.”
