Dutton Moore assist with ESP Systax expansion
Dutton Moore successfully completes major buy-in for Hull’s ESP Systex expansion
Hull’s ESP Systex, the UK’s largest and most technically advanced smart card service bureaus, has successfully completed a major expansion programme and taken a controlling interest in Journeycall.
Through a substantial six-figure sum investment ESP Systex in Holderness Road, Hull, has acquired the majority shareholder stake of Scottish business Journeycall, through a successful buy-in conducted by Dutton Moore Chartered Accountants and Business Advisers in Silver Street, Hull.
ESP Systex has been established in the city for more than 12 years and has acquired a 59 per cent stake in Journeycall, with its head office in Laurencekirk, Scotland. Journeycall is a specialist call centre and information services business operating in the transport and public sectors.
ESP Systex employs 70 core staff in Hull and up to a further 200 contractors when a major contract is being undertaken. ESP’s facilities encompass six independent bureaus split across two sites in both Holderness Road and Hull’s Shine Innovation Centre. They supply smart card personalisation, issuing and card management services to both the transport and public sectors.
The buy-in to Journeycall means a further 80 members of staff with two call centre facilities in Scotland, based at both Laurencekirk and Brechin.
Terry Dunn, managing director of ESP Systex and now chairman of Journeycall, said: “This major investment and expansion broadens our capabilities and means we can offer a complete package to the rail and bus sectors. As a group we now offer a unique service, from call handling and travel ticket booking direct to the consumer to our current smart card business. We are growing as a business and that in turn means that the coming months and years will see further expansion and employment opportunities for the business as a whole. This can only benefit our Hull operations. As always we are very pleased with the work that Tony Bullock at Dutton Moore Chartered Accountants has done to make this process straight-forward and successful.”
Between both businesses, they will now work with all of the UK’s major transport owning groups, which operate in excess of 80 per cent of the transport network in the UK - Stagecoach, National Express, Arriva, First Group and Go-Ahead.
Tony Bullock, joint managing partner of Dutton Moore, has led the acquisition for ESP Systex. He added: “This has been a successful buy-in programme for ESP Systex and their business plan for the majority shareholder stake. I have worked with ESP Systex for over a decade and I am delighted at their latest acquisition. It’s a huge investment for this Hull-based company and certainly very positive news in the light of the current general economic climate.”
PICTURE:
Left to Right – Tony Bullock, joint managing partner at Dutton Moore with Robin Ellis, chief technical officer and Terry Dunn, managing director at ESP Systex and chairman of Journeycall.
