Brightstar Corp Invests £50 million to Step Up UK Operations
Brightstar Corp shells out £50 million worth of investment to ramp up its UK operations based in Crewe, Cheshire.
The location is the technology firm’s center hub for its United Kingdom and European operations, employing over 700 members.
The new funding will be used for the relocation of existing Crewe operations to an automated facility called Advance Fulfillment Center. Additionally, this will feature state of the art operations technology and artificial intelligence.
The newly-built center will house all device processing information, including logistics, trade in, mobile accessories, and mobile insurance services. Consequently, two new call centers dedicated to provide services to the firm’s customers will be built in the coming months.
According to the tech giant’s chief executive, the move showcases their commitment to secure Brightstar Corp’s position as the leading provider of holistic services to the mobile industry in the UK.
The announcement of the new hub came after the Softbank subsidiary acquired majority of stake in a UK smartphone and repair service, WeFix. Moreover, this signifies its commitment to position itself as one of the key industry players in a geographical location outside its home country the US.
Brightstar Through the Years
This is not the first time that the wireless service provider will be taking on a European technology company.
In 2014, the firm officially acquired the European mobile provider 20:20 mobile. It distributes mobile accessories and develops streamlined services for the mobile supply chain process.
Brightstar Corp is a privately-owned company founded in 1997 based in Miami, Florida.
Furthermore, in 2013, along with the growing Softbank ventures into telecommunications, the Japanese firm acquired 57% stake in Brightstar Corp for $1.26 billion.
In 2018, the company has reportedly reached $147 billion in debt. This made Softbank’s founder contemplate on whether to sell the company to pay down the discrepancy.
In fact, Brightstar Corp yields $10 billion in revenue annually however it is a costly, low-margin business.
