UK’s Access Group Expands At Home and Overseas

If November’s activity is any indication, UK-based Access Group has embarked on a serious growth campaign. In just the last three weeks, the company announced its first overseas acquisition, two more deals at home and topped out its new headquarters.

First, Access Group acquired Access Group acquired Attaché, an Australian financial management and payroll software provider focused on domestic mid-market companies.

Because it had already established a “small foothold” in the Asia-Pacific region, Access Group said acquiring Attaché was a logical next step for its business. Attaché has more than 2,800 customers based in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.

At the time of announcement, CEO Chris Bayne indicated the acquisition signaled his intent to move more aggressively into the Australian-Asian market and “[commence] the process of extending Access’s success in the mid-market business software sector beyond our home base in the UK.00” Noting that some 100,000 businesses worked in Australia’s mid-market, providing a third of the country’s revenue and jobs, “the potential for Access Workspace is huge.”

Access Group’s Moves at Home

This week, Access Group announced the acquisition of two other British HR tech firms: PeopleHR and payroll solutions provider Pay Service Company. Access said buying the companies will allow it to serve a wider range of customers.

People HR has more than 5,000 customers using its platform to transform themselves into “social enterprises.” As for PSC, Access Group called it one of the market’s “mainstay” payroll companies. PSC has been around for 45 years, and has 1,300 customers.

“The addition of these two strategic acquisitions further enhances our presence in the HR and payroll solutions market, particularly in the small to medium market,” said Bayne. Delivering People HR’s and PSC’s products through the Access People Solutions suite, he said, will make Access “extremely well positioned” to take advantage of the market for HCM technology world-wide.

Access says it’s among the fastest-growing UK tech businesses in the world. For the year ended June 30, 2019, it reported more than 40 percent growth in both revenues and EBITDA and said it has grown profitably for 11 consecutive years. The 2,100-employee company has 20,000 customers using its Access Workspace product.  

The company is building its new, 100,000-square-foot headquarters in Loughborough, more than 100 miles north of London. More than a third of the company’s are located in the region, said Chief Sales Officer Jon Jorgensen.

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Image: Access Group