IT firm signs €1.6m contracts

Belfast-based Wellington IT Solutions has signed two contracts with a potential value of €1.6m over five years.

Wellington has become a niche IT supplier to the drinks industry, emerging from the computing arm of Guinness. The company now supplies solutions to some of the largest drinks companies in Ireland.

One of the contracts is with the company Contract People, with the aim for Wellington of improving efficiency and strengthening product traceability.

The second contract is with Fox International subsidiary Fox Trading. This project will involve the replacement of the three current systems in Fox-owned companies across Jersey and Guernsey, to amalgamate them into Wellington’s core enterprise resource planning system.

Fox Trading imports a range of global brands which include confectionery, soft drinks, and toiletries, and distributes to over 1,000 outlets in the Channel Island marketplace.

The business is also the Channel Islands’ distributor for global tobacco manufacturers such as British American Tobacco, Philip Morris, Japan Tobacco International, Hunters & Frankau, Agio, Villiger, and Davidoff.

Sales and marketing manager at Wellington IT Solutions, Kevin Bradley, said that it had struggled through difficult times in the drinks industry and the company is hopeful that these new contracts mark a return to growth for the industry.

“Over the past six years we have witnessed some very tough trading conditions for the Irish drinks market,” he said.

“During this time we have provided our customers with the tools to help them successfully trade through a low margin market. I am delighted to see these shoots of growth.”