Bowker IT geared for growth

Morecambe-based Bowker IT has been growing steadily in the 15 years since it began trading, and 2019 could be a best-ever year after investing in developing its online presence and hiring its first ever sales and marketing manager.

Stuart Errington is one of the founders of the company in 2005 securing his first customers from his network of contacts. Bowker IT has since grown through reputation and word-of-mouth, and further expansion is on the cards. “It’s about time we let people know what we do,” said Stuart of the company’s plans for the year ahead.

Bowker IT is the younger sibling of Chris Bowker Ltd, the Hot 100-ranking business which provides mechanical and electrical services, including fire and security installation, optical fibre installation and control panel wiring, as well as testing and maintenance.

Chris Bowker Limited is run by, amongst others, brothers Richard and Simon Bowker. They knew Stuart, and had been trying to convince him that their business would benefit from an IT division and that he was the ideal candidate to run it.

Stuart previously maintained networks at Cannon Hygiene and BusinessServe. Later, he provided consultancy for a local accountancy which showed him how he could use his big-company expertise to help SMEs.

“Then, one day, it felt like the right time,” said Stuart. “I called Richard and said, ‘I’ll start Monday.’”

Bowker IT launched in February 2005 with little more than Stuart’s expertise, his contacts book, and a handful of loyal clients that would go with him. The business developed over the years, soon taking on staff and expanding its support and maintenance services designed for businesses and schools, handling computers, networking, CCTV, internet telephony and more.

Adding cabling to the company’s expertise helped Bowker IT take a major step forward. This had previously been undertaken by subcontractors, but with the help of Chris Bowker Limited, the company was able to bring the specialism in-house, saving money and allowing for more competitive pricing.

Since then, the companies have won significant contracts, including work on Space Studios Manchester, where TV shows such as Cold Feet and Dragons Den are filmed.

“That was a very prestigious contract for us,” says Stuart. “The technical aspect of a modern TV studio is quite complex and there was a lot of copper and fibre cabling required. We handled that, as well as project managing the CCTV installation.”

To begin 2019, Bowker IT will begin work with on the new Warrington Time Square development, installing cabling for a major new project including council offices, a market, a leisure suite including cinema, and public spaces.

But despite these major contracts, Stuart says Bowker IT still exists to serve SMEs in Lancashire.

“We want to help the businesses around us,” says Stuart. “We’re very good at the technical stuff, but we don’t talk jargon. We’ve got the ethos of a family firm and smaller businesses find us approachable.

“Our customers get peace of mind. We’ll help you get the most out of your existing set-up, or if you’re looking to upgrade we can help advise the best and most cost-effective way of doing it.”

Of Bowker IT’s goals for the year ahead, Stuart says: “Our goal is to be the go-to IT service provider in the north west, and we’re working towards that be offering simple, honest solutions. We’re ahead of the curve in terms of innovations, but we won’t bamboozle you, just amaze you with our service!”

Kim Brown joins Bowker IT

Bowker IT has appointed experienced sales manager Kim Brown.

Kim will bring more than two decades of experience working in sales to the role, and a passion for serving clients and the community.

Kim says the family-firm ethos played an important part of her decision to join the company.

“I like to be where everyone works to a ‘common cause’,” said Kim. “For Bowker IT, that’s about supporting local businesses and schools to perform seamlessly as much as possible.

“I love the fact that the team here have such good relationships with our clients, that our reputation is so important and that the whole team are passionate about the Bowker name.”