A HYDE-BASED education company has announced it has bigger aims after deciding to rebrand.
Findel, whose headquarters are on Gregory Street – just off Ashton Road – has decided to alter to enable the expansion of its current service offer for educators and provide the platform for sustainable growth.
Now known purely as Findel, the brands Hope, GLS, Philip Harris and Davies Sports have also been rebranded.
These provide resources for primary school, secondary school and early years teaching as well as school business managers, science teaching resources and PE and sport equipment respectively.
Findel say the rebranding programme, ‘brings together a clear and distinct modern set of customer-facing educational resources brands sitting under one corporate brand.’
Now the company, which can be traced back to 1817, offers more than 32,000 products to the UK UK and overseas, with the business exporting to 130 countries.
And its new brand positioning line is ‘Growing education for generations.’
As well as rebranding, Findel – which employs 250 staff in Hyde – is actively expanding its service offer through new initiatives and acquisitions of complementary education sector businesses.
Findel was acquired in April last year from Studio Retail Group following a management buy-out (MBO) supported by Manchester-based private equity firm Endless.
Since then, and in addition to the rebrand, the company has implemented a multi-million pound investment programme.
Initiatives include recruiting 30 more people to cope with increased demand in key areas such as technology and digital marketing, transforming Hyde’s office accommodation and developing new digital and ecommerce technologies.
At the same time, it continued to improve customer experience and distribution centre systems to meet new customer requirements.
Chris Mahady, Findel’s chief executive, said: “Since the MBO, independent ownership has allowed us shape the business as we want and begin to realise its full potential.
“The rebrand project is a critical element of achieving that goal and it heralds a bright new dawn for Findel.
“This was not simply about refreshing some logos, it was about undertaking a thorough strategic review of our business over a six-month period.
“The process involved distilling our brands’ distinct qualities and points of difference so we can communicate them clearly with direction, both internally and externally. This, in turn, will underpin our sustainable national and international growth plans.
“Most importantly, it means we have made buying easier for schools through great websites, increased convenience and enhanced procurement tools.
“We now have a new strategy, vision and direction that will drive us towards becoming a highly successful, multi-faceted, national and international education resources business and a trusted and valued partner to our customers.
“What we have done has energised and inspired everyone at the company.
“Colleagues now fully understand our business and brands and, most importantly, what they mean to our customers. We now have a collective purpose, clarity and strength about who we are and what we do.
“This will play a huge role in the delivery of our expansion plans.”