IT Recycling Firm Expects £9m Revenue As Demand Surges

A thriving computer recycling firm based in Newry is set to rake in over £9 million in the next two years as demand accelerates.

The combined effects of Brexit uncertainty and the introduction of GDPR have boosted demand for AMI's services in the UK, Ireland and the EU as firms seek out experts in data destruction, IT hardware recycling and relocation support.

Established in 2001, the company securely manages so-called IT 'retirement' and has more than doubled sales to £6.6 million since 2017. Its clientele boasts over a third of Ireland's top 200 ICT user companies.

Some 96 new customers secured this year will generate an additional £910,000 in 2020, with 15 new staff recently recruited and the firm on track to employ 90 people by 2021. Recruitment is currently underway for roles in marketing, sales, compliance and business development.

AMI can help companies with data compliance through its services by eliminating all residual data from unwanted IT equipment when disposing of the devices. As it continues to prosper, a three-year outsourcing agreement was recently agreed with charity Camara Education, providing an additional 122 new customers.

AMI CEO Philip McMichael said business uncertainty around Brexit and a growing awareness of data compliance has contributed to the boost in demand.

He explained: "Businesses are more aware than ever that failing to cleanse their old desktops, laptops and hard drives of all data can lead to a breach of sensitive customer and company information.

"We are experiencing a corresponding surge in demand for our secure services, especially given the high rate of return we can offer customers through the resale of their equipment. Last year we returned £2.2 million to our customers."

Since launching last December, AMI's deployment and relocation support service visited 140 sites across Ireland to help them install new IT systems and manage office moves. In its first year, the service is up 300 per cent on expected revenue – benefitting from the closure and relocation of businesses affected by Brexit.

Mr McMichael added: "While we've seen some short term benefits of Brexit through our deployment and relocation service, we are also examining new income streams to maintain our position in the market long-term.

"The Republic of Ireland has become a major hub for data centres and Brexit has seemingly accelerated this growth. Processing high volumes of data and with a high equipment turnover, this market represents an obvious and lucrative opportunity for AMI and is one we are actively pursuing."



(JG/CM)