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Fruits of labour pay off for Orchard's Peter [Newcastle Journal (England)](Newcastle Journal (England) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) NORTH East computing pioneer Peter Hunt's outstanding career has seen him win business across the entire UK but always remain true to his North East roots. Newcastle-based Orchard Information Systems is today a thriving independent provider of specialist software solutions to the public and housing sectors, turning over Pounds 15m per year. But back in 1979 when Peter started off his business, computer technology was in its infancy. "He began his Orchard business from the front room of his family home in Blaydon 35 years ago," said John Hunt - Peter's son and a director at Orchard. "After a career with IBM which took him from Glasgow to Newcastle, via Menlo Park in California, he felt the market was ready for customised software solutions." Early wins for Peter included successful North East businesses such as Parmley Graham, David Price and Greggs, where his stocking system is still used more than 30 years later, scheduled to be finally replaced by SAP this year. One early customer was Sedgefield Borough Council which in 1992 commissioned a small rent accounting package to run its council housing division. Little did Peter know at the time but this marked Orchard's first foray into social housing that would later become a mainstay of the business. Sedgefield Council's social housing operation, now called livin, is still an Orchard customer today, having recently marked 22 years running an Orchard system. Once the company decided to focus on social housing, growth started to accelerate and Orchard won flagship clients in the North East including Gentoo in Sunderland and Fabrick and Vela in Teesside - now Thirteen Group. National success occurred at the same time with Orchard Housing managing properties across the country. Key customers include City of Westminster, which is operated from a data centre in Sunderland, City of London and the UK's largest social landlord the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. "Orchard today turns over Pounds 15m per annum, has a healthy cash balance and has no external debt," said John. "Indeed, the business has been built with only one round of external financing, which was paid back long ago." Peter, as executive chairman, is still involved in the daily running of the business, and it is the strong ethos and culture he instilled into building Orchard over the past three decades which underpins the firm's success today. This is borne out in the strength of the company's management team and a high staff retention rate - more than 50% of staff have over five years' service at Orchard and 28% 10 years' service. (c) 2014 ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved. |