Supporting a business as it grows is one of the most satisfying aspects of our work. Polymedia, strategic PR specialists, were at Onecom’s side when founder Darren Ridge launched the company with the merger of two business telecoms companies in 2013.
Now, almost a decade later, it is the largest independent business telecoms provider in the UK, with nearly 100,000 business customers for its mobile, fixed line and managed cloud services. Key relationships with industry giants such as Vodafone and Samsung, along with a focus on technical solutions and customer service, have driven its mission to secure a market-leading position.
In July 2019, Onecom received a £100m funding package from LDC, the private equity arm of Lloyds Banking Group, to support an ambitious programme of growth through acquisition. Since then the company has added four businesses to its portfolio.
The two most significant came within weeks of each other in February and early March 2021 when Onecom acquired its closest rival, Olive Communications, and then snapped up two businesses from 9 Group to add a further 5,000 telephony customers along with 450 established IT channel partners.
In the words of CEO Martin Flick: “For the Onecom team to have made two such important acquisitions in such a short space of time, and during the pandemic, is testament to the strength of our team and our ability to drive growth and consolidation in this competitive market, with strong support from our investment partners LDC. I am hugely excited to be leading the team in growing and developing the strategy to the benefit of our mutual customers and channel partners alike.”
It is an indication of Onecom’s success and way it is communicated that these deals made a huge splash in the mobile and tech industry. The Olive deal alone reached news sites with a combined readership of more than 16 million, with key industry outlets such as TechRadar, Comms Business, Mobile News, Comms Dealer featuring the deal alongside broader business outlets such as Business Insider and the regional media.
As well as media, Polymedia has supported Onecom throughout its growth with a range of services including customer-focused messaging, social media, blogs, design, and internal communications.
