Canadian comms giant Telus Corporation has taken ‘significant control’ of UK service and repair organisation iSmash.
Telus is an organisation with $16 billion (£11.6 billion) in annual revenues and 16 million customer connections.
According to Companies House, Telus iSmash founder Julian Shovlin ceased to be a “person with significant control” in September, while chief operating officer Chris Murton stepped down as a director along with Matthew Price and Max Price.
Matthew Price, Sky’s retail director, became an iSmash director after Sky took a small stake in the company a year ago to open some co-located stores.
Shovlin declined to comment on the deal, except to say: “We haven’t sold the business and I remain a director.”
The company now has two new Canadian directors – Jonathan Wolkin, director of Telus Ventures; and Tim McGuire, CEO of Mobile Klinik, described as Canada’s largest and fastest-growing store network of professional smartphone and tablet repair services.
Its last financial reports from December 2019 recorded turnover of £15.8 million, a dip of 25 per cent on the previous year.
The company was set up in December 2014 by Irish entrepreneur Shovlin, who perceived a gap in the market for convenient same-day mobile service and repair.
A plan for 50 stores began in 2018, with 31 established by May this year – including key retail sites such as Westfield and transport hubs such as King’s Cross and Fenchurch Street stations.
