Award-winning digital agency, CTI Digital, have acquired Lancaster-based eCommerce specialists, Nublue. The announcement comes after 6 months of negotiations and in-depth business analysis, to match both organisations’ strategic future. The acquisition aims to strengthen a joint eCommerce service offering, whilst retaining separate brand identities.
CTI Digital have acquired Nublue as part of a growth strategy, supported by Cowgills and Brabners LLP. By working with Nublue, CTI plan to increase their service capacity for pan-European clients within the eCommerce space. Going forward, working alongside CTI Digital will allow Nublue to keep pace with emerging eCommerce markets by diversifying existing services and taking on new technologies such as Shopware, Shopify and AWS.
Nublue will retain their Lancaster presence, only merging the existing Manchester office with the CTI Digital Manchester Head Office. Following the acquisition, the organisation will reach 150 staff members within 2019. The organisations will maintain their current structure with all senior management retaining their current positions.
The combined company has forecasted turnover to reach £8 Million in 2019.
“When we began negotiations with Nublue, we identified a striking strategic and cultural alignment. The team of experts Mike and Tom have built at Nublue are a credit to their knowledge and understanding of the eCommerce landscape. Collectively, we have a host of exciting projects ahead and this announcement is just the start. I’m extremely happy to welcome the Nublue team to the CTI family.”
Nick Rhind, CEO at CTI Digital
CTI Digital have been providing web development services for over 15 years. The agency has seen significant growth since expanding their technology stack and diversifying to provide additional services, such as Marketing and Digital Consultancy. Following CTI Digital’s 2018 Management Buy Out, the Manchester-based agency have made a significant financial investment to continue to grow the agency’s commerce capabilities.
Nublue, have been working in eCommerce since 2005, specialising in Magento since its launch in 2008. After steadily growing their hosting and support offering, the certified agency have embraced the acquisition to keep pace with emerging markets and expand their existing services to cover a range of eCommerce offerings. The acquisition aims to provide them with these increased opportunities and reinforced stability as the market matures.
“From our first meeting with Nick, it was very clear that our businesses had real synergy. We recognised the great opportunities that would be made possible by working together. Our shared ambition, along with the depth of knowledge and capabilities within our businesses, makes our future possibilities really very exciting. We're all looking forward to seeing what we can achieve collectively."
Michael Ashworth, Managing Director at Nublue
“The eCommerce industry is continually shifting throughout all verticals. From the acceleration of SaaS platforms to the proliferation of artificial intelligence, merchants are always looking for new ways to increase efficiency and produce a greater ROI.
With Magento 1 end-of-life sitting one year away, we're delighted to be bolstering our capabilities further. The acquisition of Nublue means that we're able to react quicker to client requests whilst also providing a greater range of products and services to our clients.”
Ian Cassidy, Commerce Director at CTI Digital
“CTI has a superb reputation in the industry. Nublue is experiencing strong growth in the eCommerce space. Joining the CTI family at this time couldn't be more exciting and will significantly enhance the service we offer to our clients.”
Tom Ashworth, Technical Director at Nublue
“Our Commerce offering has become so much more than development, it’s a strategic ecosystem. Nublue will be a critical partner in our move towards a 3 step success process that will enable us to help businesses create their brand, run their operations, and grow their presence in the market.”Tim Edwards, Commercial Director at CTI Digital
