SCC’s future growth will “come from being brave”, its Chairman said after the “challenging” economic backdrop dented its UK annual performance.
The Birmingham-based IT reseller saw total revenue for its year to 31 March 2026 rise 14.6% to £4.03bn amid surging product sales in France.
In his results commentary, SCC Chairman James Rigby labelled SCC’s UK performance “disappointing”, however.
SCC’s main UK subsidiary, SCC Plc, sunk to an £8.3m operating loss on sales that inched up 2.3% to £795.2m. It includes the recently hived up Visavvi business.
The wider SCC UK business – which also encompass Rigby Capital, Nimble and Vohkus and employs 7,300 staff – posted an £8.3m operating loss on revenues that rose 8% to £1.1bn.
“The UK performance was again disappointing mainly due to weaker Enterprise business although the development of our Digital, Cyber and Al offering started to show some real progress towards the latter part of the year and will serve as a basis for our new global Digital services strategy,” Rigby said.
September 2023 acquisition Nimble “has not performed in line with the original business plan”, Rigby conceded.
France on fire
France “more than compensated” for the UK shortfall, Rigby said, however, as revenues and adjusted operating profit there soared 10% to €3.3bn and 13% to €68.7m, respectively.
This was built on the “continued strength” of SCC’s French product business, as well as services momentum gained from its success helping deliver the Paris 2024 Olympics, Rigby said.
SCC’s Spanish arm saw turnover rocket 54% to €193.8m, with recent acquisition Omega contributing €61m to the total.
This meant SCC’s total £4bn revenue haul was “broadly in line with forecast”, even as total adjusted operating profits slid 28% to £45.5m.
The wider Rigby Group, which recently jettisoned its airports division – hit revenues of £4.2bn in fiscal 2026. It also houses Rigby Group Technology Investments, which in December sold the hardware activities of Nuvias UC and rebranded it as Konekt, as well as a Real Estate division.
“Being brave”
2027 will “no doubt be a defining year” for SCC following its recent decision to invest £20m over two years to “make SCC a leader in AI,” Rigby said.
In the next 12 months, SCC will hire AI experts that will boost its own usage of AI, not only at the edge but also to transform some of its core businesses processes (including quote to cash), Rigby said. It will also be launching a new “AI Solutions” global practice, he added.
The UK business – which hired a new CEO in January in the form of Russell Brown – is expected to “recover to profitability” in full-year 2027 as recent overhead savings take effect, Rigby said.
As a family business that last year turned 50, SCC will “continue to be focused on the long term”, Rigby said.
“Our growth will also come from being brave in the face of emerging opportunities and we are already well advanced to expand our geographical footprint across the United Arab Emirates and United States of America,” he said.
