Comms VAR Focus Group has hailed the team running its latest acquisition as “the nicest people in telecoms”.
Focus today unveiled comms and connectivity specialist Milton Keynes-based Boxx Communications as its third deal of 2023.
Netgear, Gamma, Cisco, Vodafone, O2 and Polycom partner Boxx has around 13 staff, according to its most recently filed annual accounts.
The acquisition comes despite a noticeable slowdown in PE-based M&A activity amid rising interest rates.
Bowmark Capital-backed Focus is one of the few PE-backed IT and comms MSPs to have maintained its rate of M&A in 2023, placing ninth in IT Channel Oxygen’s recent rundown of the UK’s most acquisitive MSPs of the year so far.
Having announced four acquisitions last year, in 2023, the West Sussex-based outfit has also invested in channel-focused unified comms provider Zest4 and acquired cloud, cybersecurity and Microsoft specialist &Partners.
Firmest of friends
Focus and Boxx are no strangers, with the former having acquired a customer base from the latter in 2018.
“When the opportunity arose to acquire Boxx Communications, the decision was an easy one,” said Focus Group Co-Founder and Director Ralph Gilbert.
“Beyond their clear commitment to service excellence and an enviable organic growth trajectory, the team at Boxx are quite simply the nicest people in telecoms.”
Dean Burgin, CEO of Boxx Communications added: “Over the years, our rapport with Ralph, Chris and the wider team has matured into an important relationship for us and we had no doubt Focus would prove to be an ideal fit for the next stage in our journey. Our valued customers are set to benefit from an exceptional range of technological products and solutions while our dedicated team is looking towards a promising future.”
Doug Woodburn is editor of IT Channel Oxygen
