Granite Digital acquires Dublin-based Willows Consulting

Digital agency Granite has acquired Dublin-based ecommerce specialist Willows Consulting as it pursues its strategy of becoming the largest independent digital agency in Ireland.

The cost of the acquisition was not disclosed but it is believed to be a six-figure sum. Further acquisitions are expected in the coming months.

The deal will see Granite Digital add 120 customers from across Ireland, the United Kingdom, the United States and Asia, including National Gallery of Ireland, Bord Na Móna, CityJet, Fexco and the FAI.

Willows Consulting will become a wholly owned subsidiary within the Granite Digital group.The company, which was founded in 2002 by Sean Owens and Aine Williams, offers ecommerce website design and development services to companies in Ireland, the UK, US and Asia.

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“By joining forces with Granite, it gives us the scale and expertise to grow at pace and provide our customers with an even wider range of ecommerce and digital transformation services,” Mr Owens said. “We’re very excited by the opportunities that lie ahead for us.”

Granite, which provides digital solutions in areas such as strategy, web design, web development, digital marketing, search engine optimisation, “pay per click” advertising consultancy and managed hosting to its more than 1,400 clients, is forecasting revenue growth of 25 per cent to €9 million in 2022, once the acquisition is complete.

The agency grew revenues by more than 20 per cent to €7.3 million in 2021. Among its clients are Irish and international brands such as Lidl, Dalata Hotel Group, Bord Bia and Huawei.

The acquisition of Willows Consulting is another step in the company's growth strategy, which has seen Granite acquire and integrate Connector, Webtrade, MediaOne and Apps Made Easy.

Its team now consists of 80 people, with Granite hiring an additional 20 web developers, UX designers, project managers and performance marketing specialists in the past year.

"Our latest acquisition provides us with much-enhanced ecommerce skills and capabilities, as we strengthen our offerings in this area. Willows Consulting brings 20 years of ecommerce expertise and deep relationships with an impressive customer base from across Ireland, the UK and further afield," said Conor Buckley, chief executive of Granite Digital "We expect 2022 to be stronger again as we look to accelerate our business expansion through organic growth and further strategic acquisitions."