KCS Acquires Pro-pay

KCS, a UK based supplier of HR and payroll software and services , has acquired Pro-pay, a payroll bureau based in Sussex with over 300 clients.

Pro-pay was established in 1997 by chartered accountants and business advisers Ashdown Hurrey in Bexhill-on-Sea. Its seven employees are headed by Alison Godwin who joined Pro-pay in 1997 and has been tasked with its ongoing development.

ìItís a great step forward for the team here and provides a platform for our future growth,î comments director Alison Godwin. ìKCS now gives us a UK wide infrastructure so we can really capitalise on the business issues that matter for employers irrespective of location. Our service differentiated itself by the way weíve helped companies gain ownership of issues that matter to employees ñ for example, understanding the child care vouchers system and these are issues that some the more traditional - payroll houses are struggling with.î

ìPro-payís acquisition makes great business sense for us,î believes Andrew McErlain, managing director of KCSís outsourcing business. ìNot only have we kept together a great team of people who built this business, but we have provided the momentum and resources to take this on to the next level. For Pro-pay that means the ability to develop their service offering to a far broader customer base. For KCS it strengthens our ability to develop ërightsourcedí solutions that give companies far better control over outsourcing. Our objective is straight-forward, to build the most innovative and client focused HR and Payroll Services Business in the UK. The acquisition of Propay is another important step in reaching that objective.î

Pro-pay is the first acquisition KCS has made since completing a secondary management buy-out in June 2005. ìOur ambitions are a matter of record, but for the company who can offer real flexibility and service at the right pricing model there is huge untapped potential for HR and payroll solutions,î Alan Snell, Group CEO of KCS adds.