Marketing specialist QBase is planning to expand following a management buyout.
Founders Ian and Anita Johnstone have sold a 77.8 per cent majority ownership of the Warrington company to chief executive Rob Jones, operations director Tracey Barker, technical solutions director Nick Kelly and consulting director Paresh Patel.
Ian and Anita Johnstone will retain a minority shareholding and seats on the company鈥檚 board.
鈥淭he data services market is growing rapidly as companies realise its potential and value as a business asset and Qbase is in a strong position to take advantage of the opportunities the market currently provides,鈥� said Jones.
鈥淭he aim of the management team, and all of Qbase鈥檚 staff, is to continue to grow on our current trajectory by building stronger and broader partnerships with data technology providers to deliver services across broad markets, including manufacturing and retail.鈥�
Anita Johnstone said: 鈥淭he management team at Qbase has helped to develop the company into the high-growth business it is today.
鈥淐ollectively, all four have worked for the business for nearly 60 years and we鈥檙e confident that we leave Qbase in strong hands, poised for future growth.
鈥淲e鈥檙e retaining a minority stake as testament to the trust we have in the team to continue to develop the company.鈥�
The new owners aim to grow the business by 20 per cent annually with a 拢10m target turnover by 2025.
Qbase鈥檚 customers include HSBC, Arriva, Trust Ford (Retail), Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity, WWF and Everton Football Club.
It supplies data services such as data management and migration, data quality and governance, business analysis and insights and marketing automation.