New jobs will take Comtec around the world

A company whose products are the business backbone of many of the UK’s leading travel agents and tour operators has the world at its fingertips after announcing the creation of 20 new jobs to help it develop overseas markets.

The software development roles have been created by Cwmbran-based Comtec, a travel technology company which develops and installs sophisticated searchable booking solutions of holidays and related products for customers including Thomas Cook and TUI Travel.

The jobs have been created with the support of a Single Investment Fund grant from the Welsh Assembly Government, secured with the assistance of professional advisors Broomfield & Alexander, who prepared the company’s business plan and guided the application.

Comtec emerged when its founder, Simon Powell, set out in the mid 1990s find ways of making his father’s successful South Wales travel business, Holiday Express, more competitive.

The company’s initial product for travel agents has long been surpassed in sophistication, but the basic principle has remained the same – seeking to harness the power of software to make the task of identifying and packaging holidays easier for the trade, and a more pleasurable experience of the holidaymaker.

It now supplies retail travel selling and management systems, tour operator reservation systems, e-commerce booking solutions and travel CRM solutions with increasingly sophisticated off the shelf and custom-made travel software.

Systems now make use of tools such as video, Google maps, and advanced search capabilities and offer users seamless access to a range of related products and services including flights, hotels, car hire, ferry journeys, transfers, parking and insurance products.

The firm has grown to employ 160 people, with staff in Canada and Northern Europe, supplying almost 400 customers, and - following a management buy-out in 2008 - has a £14m turnover, generating revenues from the initial sale of a system, ongoing maintenance and commissions.

More recently, it has expanded into new markets in Northern Europe and North America, and its strategy is to continue its growth by supplying these relatively unsophisticated markets with the levels of technology which has made it a UK leader.

Matt Wakerley, Comtec’s chief financial officer, explained that the company’s success had come about because it was rooted in the travel industry.

“We don’t just understand software, we understand the travel industry. That’s been at the heart of our business from day one,” he said.

“Our strategy is very much about being the global travel technology company of choice. To do that, we have to build on what we have produced for the UK market and develop it for the overseas markets – initially Canada and Europe, but in due course, the United States and, of course, China.

“A lot goes into that – dealing with date formats, different tax regimes in different countries, and just different content. We want to undertake that development work here in Cwmbran so that we keep our sector knowledge close. We are very grateful to the Welsh Assembly Government for the grant, which is key to us being able to fulfil that desire.”

Seamus Gates, Broomfield & Alexander’s corporate finance director, said Comtec was a company with huge potential, as it had the capability to replicate its product offer around the world.

“The creation of these jobs with the support of WAG is good for Comtec and good for South Wales. They will be well-paid jobs and will help maintain the company’s ability to perform at the top level in a field it has made very much its own,” he said.

Ieuan Wyn Jones, Minister for the Economy and Transport, said he was pleased that support from the Welsh Assembly Government had enabled Comtec to expand and create new jobs.

“The Assembly Government is working with companies of all sizes across Wales to help them during the recession and to ensure they will be in a position to make the most of the opportunities when the economy upturns. It is particularly good news to hear that Comtec will be carrying out its software development in Wales and driving its international growth from their headquarters in Cwmbran.

“It’s always good to see an indigenous company making its mark on the international market and continuing to grow and expand, making a positive contribution to the Welsh economy.”