The board of Kalamazoo Computer Group plc, the west Midlands based supplier of computer solutions, has conditionally agreed to dispose of its trading activities to US firm Universal Computer Systems (UCS).

The move, announced as a 'merger' fulfils UCS's goal to expand into Europe where Kalamazoo has a strong market presence.

“European expansion is a key part of our growth plans.” said Bob Brockman, UCS chairman. “We had set up a small office in the UK but when we looked into what Kalamazoo had to offer, it was a perfect fit. The quality and professionalism of their people, the excellence of their products and their geographic coverage all exceeded our expectations.

“Kalamazoo is our springboard to attack the key market of Europe and we believe that by investing both in its infrastructure and in its product strategy we can accelerate Kalamazoo's growth.”

Fred Wright, Kalamazoo's chief operating officer, said: “We have always believed that developing a suite of products that not only meet but exceed our customers' needs both technologically and geographically was the correct way forward.

“This approach coupled with the investment from UCS will enable us to set the standard for the industry and to maximise all of our European opportunities.” he went on to say. From talking to our customers we already know that our product strategy is what the market has been waiting for and that both our service and quality levels continue to improve. Working with UCS will enable us to establish ourselves as the market leader.”

Mr Brockman said: “This is an important step within the rapidly changing retail automotive industry, the synergy between our respective product and service portfolios and the dedication and the focus of our organisations will make us a powerful force in the marketplace.”