TradingPost Group acquires Service Central as part of growth strategy
TradingPost Group acquires Service Central as part of growth strategy
The team of Aussie online entrepreneurs that recently acquired the iconic TradingPost from Telstra has followed up with the acquisition of popular jobs & services booking website ServiceCentral.com.au. Service Central was founded in 2005 by father and son duo Bruce and Danial Ahchow, and quickly gained a first-mover advantage as trade and service businesses began reallocating their advertising spend from print to online.
The idea for Service Central was born after the founders experienced frustration trying to find tradesmen via advertisements in local papers and phone directories. The company’s mission was to provide an easy, convenient and free way for consumers to get competitive quotes from reputable service providers - without the hassle of ringing around to get a response.
ServiceCentral.com.au quickly became a hit with both
consumers and tradespeople, growing steadily and ultimately generating millions
of dollars’ worth of job requests for Aussie tradies and service businesses
every month.
Commenting on the deal, TradingPost.com CEO Geoff Holmes said “We are
extremely happy to be the winning bidder for Service Central. Bruce & Danial
have built a great business which is an excellent strategic fit for our growth
plans here at TradingPost. We see many opportunities to build on the Service Central
offering and provide even better results for consumers, while giving trade and
service businesses greater advertising exposure and increased lead generation
at lower costs.” Mr Holmes added “This acquisition is consistent with our
growth strategy for TradingPost and the trades & services category in particular, which we look forward to
rolling out over the coming months.”
Service Central’s outgoing CEO Danial Ahchow
said “It is fantastic to see Service Central move across to such an iconic
brand. The passionate and experienced team now at TradingPost are well
positioned to take Service Central into the next era of growth and expansion.”
www.tradingpost.com
www.servicecentral.com.au
