Softcat is a Marlow-based IT infrastructure provider founded by Peter Kelly in 1993. Martin Hellawell is the CEO. Colin Brown is the current managing director. It has UK offices in Bristol, London, Manchester, Leeds, Marlow and Glasgow. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and it is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.
History
Softcat was founded by Peter Kelly in 1993 in High Wycombe, under its original business name 'Software Catalogue'. Initially a mail order operation serving home and business customers, in 1996 it switched focus to the business-to-business market, and in 1998 changed its name to Softcat. In 2001 it became a Microsoft Large Account Reseller. In 2006 it moved its headquarters to Marlow, Buckinghamshire, opening a further three offices in Manchester, London and Bristol in 2009, 2011 and 2014 respectively. As of 2014, it has a client base of 8000 customers and a turnover of £500m. In September 2014, it announced it would open an office in the northern city of Leeds, UK. The company was the subject of an initial public offering on the London Stock Exchange in November 2015. The most recent addition to the Softcat offices is Glasgow, which was opened in February 2016.
Workplace environment
Softcat's offices have been described as 'quirky' and are reported to have an unusual work culture.
Charitable activities
Softcat has raised in excess of £1.2 million for various charities since 2007, through both company-wide initiatives and individual efforts. Four of its staff ran the 2013 London Marathon, raising £11,000. Softcat's 2014 May Ball raised £236,000 for Dreams Come True, the charity for terminally ill children. In March 2013 it raised £37,000 for Comic Relief.
Softcat has a 'Green Team' managed by chairman Martin Hellawell, which has implemented energy efficient sensor lighting, tea bag recycling and a car pool scheme. Employees use a fleet of energy efficient 'car pool' cars to attend meetings. Its activity was featured on a Channel 4 documentary covering green credentials of UK businesses.
References
External links
- Official website
