A COMMUNICATIONS, data and networking specialist looks set to break the £4 million revenue barrier this year as it experiences rapidly growing demand for its radio division.

Pennine, based in Salford Street, Bury, has seen its trading figures for the first six months of 2018 jump 25 per cent ahead of where the firm was 12 months ago.

The stats highlight just the latest wave of growth experience by the business, with Pennine’s sales figures almost doubling in just two years between 2015 and 2017.

Growth has been secured by Pennine in both radio sales and hire, however the greatest sales surge has been enjoyed by its managed services business with revenue from the the division growing year-on-year by almost 175 per cent between 2016 and 2017.

Over all Pennine's turnover has already surpassed £8 million this year.

Pennine’s managing director, Andrew Roberts, said: “We’ve seen a major shift in the market with managed services proving an increasingly popular option, much as hosted solutions have in the telecoms sector.

“Not everyone wants or is in a position to commit to capital investment for two-way radio projects. Managed services provide an excellent alternative, with clients able to benefit from knowing exactly what their operating expenditure will be over the term of their contract.”

Originally founded as a two-way radio specialist in 1976, Pennine has risen to become of the biggest players operating in the communications market.

In the 1980s the firm quickly expanded operations to become an authorised Motorola reseller before the business reaped the benefits of market liberalisation and moved into new areas such as telephony.

Pennine now offers independent consultancy services, working with a range of key suppliers from Hytera to Microsoft.

As wells a strengthening revenue margins Pennine has seen its client base blossom, spanning from SME’s through to the public sector in the NHS, education, facilities and nuclear sectors.

Last month Pennine announced it was in the frame to win up to £10 million in public sector contracts through the Scottish Government and Crown Commercial Service.

Selected as a supplier on two procurement frameworks, Pennine can bid for contracts awarded by central and local government, universities and colleges, health service providers, third sector organisations and other state bodies.

In April the firm acquired Durham-based MTelecom for an undisclosed sum integrating the radio business’s portfolio into its own radio division.

The move came just months after Pennine acquired Bristol-based Co-Channel which is currently managing services at EDF Energy’s Hinkley Point nuclear power station as well as working with Bristol Airport.

While in May, Pennine entered a partnership with leading Hungarian artificial intelligence developer Xdroid, which will give clients access to sophisticated automated speech technology