South West telecoms firm acquired by Focus Group

Datasharp, a prominent telecoms and IT specialist in the South West, has been acquired by Focus Group, as they continue to expand their offering in the region. 

The transaction was led by, Scott Hill Corporate Finance Manager, Mark Neath Corporate Finance Partner, and Shona Eustace Corporate Finance Analyst, with support from the wider Corporate Finance team and members of Old Mill’s specialist Tax team, David Maslen and Stephen Martin.

Scott Hill CF Manager said: "We were privileged that Jane (MD of Datasharp) saw us as the trusted team of people to help her though this once in a lifetime process, particularly as Datasharp had not been an Old Mill client previously.

"We worked with the shareholders to ensure we not only secured the best outcome for them personally, but also the best future the business. Once the desired outcome was clear in our minds, it quickly became apparent that Focus Group was the buyer best positioned to take Datasharp forward on the next stage of its exciting journey.

"It was an absolute pleasure to advise Jane and the highly skilled senior management team to deliver this transaction. Likewise, it was great to be working with a highly professional buyer and skilled advisory teams on both sides."

Jane Cockcroft MD of Datasharp said: "I will miss my daily calls with the wonderful Scott and team. I think every seller should work with Old Mill. Your expertise and calm, professional approach has been 10/10 every step of the way. While it might sound obvious, you only do this once and it’s an awful lot of unknowns. It was invaluable to be able to put my trust in a team that I knew only had my best interests at heart. 

"With regards to the future, it’s rare to find a company like Focus that can match our dedication to our customers and their business technology. When I spoke to the Focus team, I was excited to see that they shared our core values and I’m most excited about what that means for our customers."

Brian Lodge, Regional Director at Focus Group said: "We are thrilled to welcome Datasharp into the Focus Group family. Their longstanding presence in the industry and loyal customer base makes them an invaluable addition to our group. This acquisition presents exciting opportunities for us to leverage our combined expertise, expand our service offerings, and drive continued success – particularly in the South West. Most importantly, the Datasharp people, capabilities and culture are an exceptional fit with our team."