Greater Manchester-based LIMA Networks, an award winning leading technology services and infrastructure provider and DataCentre UK, experts in delivering data center solutions (“LIMA Group”) has received private equity investment from Maven Capital Partners (“Maven”) to support its ambitious growth plans. With a team of highly experienced technical consultants, LIMA Group specialises in delivering intelligent solutions across a wide range of sectors and industries, from SMEs to enterprise level and public sector organisations.
Increasingly complex IT requirements are driving a need for specialist providers to design, implement, and monitor and manage critical enterprise infrastructure. Adoption of cloud technology continues to gain traction with the prospect of lower and more controllable costs alongside improved and more secure performance. Maven’s investment will assist LIMA Group to upscale its offering in Cloud and Managed Services and undertake selective acquisitions.
The injection of capital will initially see LIMA expand its senior management team to lead the growth, which has commenced with the appointment of David Pearce as Chief Financial Officer. David joins the Group’s executive committee and board with more than 10 years’ experience in senior finance roles, including at Akzo Nobel, owner of the Dulux brand.
New board members also include Chairman, Stuart Lees and Maven representative, Ryan Bevington. They sit alongside Lisa Thornton, CEO, Paul Almond, Director and Ryan Ratcliffe, recently promoted to Chief Sales Officer having worked his way through the LIMA ranks over the past seven years.
The board is supported by a senior management team, all of whom have remained in post during and following the PE process. In the wider company, a further 18 new positions have been created and are being advertised across all departments, including 10 positions within the newly restructured Support Services team.
A bolstered and experienced team will see LIMA expand its portfolio of large infrastructure projects, drawing upon its technical consultancy, installation and project management expertise for the benefit of new and existing clients.
Meanwhile, an acquisition strategy will support rapid growth and will enable LIMA to offer a truly nationwide technical installation and service delivery.
Lisa Thornton, CEO and founder of LIMA Group, commented: “We are extremely proud of our solid reputation as a leading IT provider, which is thanks in no small part to a hard working team, our unparalleled technical expertise and the refusal to compromise on quality customer service.
“However, we are unrelenting in our ambition to become the UK’s ‘go to’ cloud and managed service provider and Maven’s investment firmly underpins this position. We will now harness the partnership to broaden our portfolio and expand the business through a combination of organic growth and strategic acquisition, while also continuing to focus upon innovation.
“Maven’s culture, values and ambition for LIMA Group perfectly reflects our own vision for the future so we are pleased to welcome them as partners as we seek to expand our already impressive place in the market.”
Ryan Bevington, Investment Director at Maven, said: “As technology advances and customer requirements evolve, IT innovation is becoming more imperative to the success of an organisation and its future growth. LIMA Group is enabling its clients to gain a competitive advantage by designing and implementing IT solutions, which perfectly match their organisational structure and business objectives. The market drivers for this type of specialist and highly technical service are overwhelming positive and Maven are excited to support the Group’s Senior Management Team on the next phase of their growth journey.”
David Pearce, Chief Finance Officer, added: “I’m delighted to join LIMA at such an important time in its growth strategy and look forward to working closely with the board and colleagues across the business to achieve the next phase of growth. It is an extremely forward-looking organisation with clients and colleagues at its heart.”
