10:50am Sunday 21st March 2010
By Chris Hopper
AN IT firm plans to create new jobs this year after tying up deals with some of the world’s biggest computer firms.
Lanway, based at the Network 65 business park in Hapton, has prestigious Microsoft ‘gold partner’ status and was recently named an approved repair centre by US giant Hewlett Packard.
Now, after making seven redundancies during the recession, the company, which offers IT packages to schools and businesses, says it is ready to grow again.
Managing director Steve Ackers said 2010 could see as many as new 10 recruits.
He said: “I see this year being very positive for us and I foresee us taking on new people.
“We have got areas of the business that we need to grow, such as the technical side, and we will look to fill those areas.
“Microsoft see us as a key partner in the UK and that is very important to our future.”
Lanway was founded by Mr Ackers in 1986 as a technology store in Brierfield which soon had sister outlets in Burnley and Blackburn.
However, its huge growth did not begin until a £1million move to Network 65 in 2000 and a concentration on kitting out schools and businesses with computers.
Since then, Lanway has grown every year and now employs 70 with a turnover of £15million.
However, Mr Ackers puts his firm’s success in the past decade down to Lanway’s shirt sponsorship of Burnley FC between 2001 and 2004.
He said: “During that time, we tripled in size because before that we were just known as the company that ran computer shops in town centres.
“But sponsoring Burnley got us in the papers and we got our name out there.”
In recent years, Lanway has opened an office in Bracknell, Berkshire, to give it a South of England base, and now advises other firms on IT solutions.
It all makes optimistic Mr Ackers positive about the future
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