Carphone: ‘HSC is not for sale’

The Carphone Warehouse has taken its airtime distribution division Hugh Symons Communications off the market, after rebuffing offers for it earlier in the year.
Carphone UK trading director George Dymond said last week Hugh Symons was recording growth in the channel, and was now considered essential to Carphone’s operations.
Dymond said: “We had a strategic review across the business. One of the areas we were looking at was Hugh Symons.
“We did have the opportunity to say ‘adios’. There were offers.
“But we changed our mind. We decided, strategically, we want to keep Hugh Symons as we think there is a growth story there. And that growth story is being demonstrated here and now.
“Hugh Symons is in good shape; it is healthy and growing, which is a rarity in this market.”
Dymond said Hugh Symons is hooked up to Carphone’s purchasing power, and dealers should expect ready availability of exclusive stock, as demonstrated already with early high street and dealer dibs on BlackBerry handsets.
“BlackBerry is a clear demon-stration of how Carphone and Hugh Symons are working together. When the Bold came out, it went to Carphone and Orange first, and so to Hugh Symons,” said Dymond.
Hugh Symons business manager Bob Sweetlove said: “We have a strong customer base, and a strong identity. We are not making bold claims about new markets, but we want resellers to choose us as their first port of call if they want to get into mobile. Hugh Symons differentiates itself on service; our quality will rise to the surface in this market.”