Paul Bell (Hot Mustard)
Company-X is buying Takapuna-based Hot Mustard’s agribusiness-focused Sales App Centre app development business effective 1 September.
Hot Mustard has two divisions, Diamond Media for marketing and campaigns and its digital development arm, Sales App Centre.
A new Hot Mustard business unit, Hum, will continue developing client websites and Hot Mustard would continue to work with Sales App Centre through Company-X.
Company-X said the acquisition came about after Sales App Centre's managing director, Paul Bell, approached the company.
“We were a specialist software company focused on agribusiness with a small team looking for an opportunity to work with a larger development company with more expertise and resources,” Bell said.
“One of the reasons we approached Company-X is that it has some agribusiness clients, and a very good understanding of the agribusiness sector.”
Company-X, for example, built a global e-learning solution for long-term client DeLaval, a leader in milking equipment and solutions.
Sales App Centre was founded in 2012 and developed the first mobile apps for Ballance Agri Nutrients, DairyNZ and Zespri International.
“We specialise in apps for agribusiness, including a lot of farmer-facing apps that need to work in the field where there is no internet connectivity," Bell said.
Other Sales App Centre clients include CRV Ambreed, Farmlands Co-operative Society, Giltrap Engineering and Primary ITO.
Company-X will assume responsibility for app and systems development, including the associated databases and application programming interface (APIs).
Bell said Sales App Centre clients would benefit from the acquisition as they will be working with a larger, better resourced, broadly experienced team with a proven software development track record.
Company-X also delivered testing and support services.
Business analyst Adrian Searle, who has worked on almost every Sales App Centre project in the last seven years, joined Company-X in the acquisition and will continue to support clients.
“We recognise that Hot Mustard’s key strength is media and design and having Company-X own the software development space lets the two companies work to their respective strengths," Company-X co-founder and director Jeremy Hughes said.
