WhiteGold boosts Melbourne operation

Specialist distributor WhiteGold Solutions has expanded its Melbourne operation, doubling the size of its premises and hiring a Victorian state manager following 300 percent growth over the last financial year.

Jonathan Odria, sales director at WhiteGold, said the security distributor had moved to new premises twice the size in Melbourne.

Previously, WhiteGold had worked out of Melbourne via one person whose sole role was answering the phone from a serviced office, he said.

"This will give us the ability to hold stock," Odria said. "We've seen about 300 percent growth [in revenue] from the last financial year, ending July."

He said WhiteGold would now offer same-day delivery, for example, for Melbourne customers. The distributor used to serve Victoria from its Sydney office.

"In July and August last year, beginning the new financial year, we put on our hardware vendors -- the likes of Watchguard, Fortinet and Barracuda," he said.

Odria said WhiteGold's growth had stemmed primarily from that boost to its partner ranks.

WhiteGold has appointed a sales person -- Victoria state manager Natalie Gilbert -- and expected to hire an engineer for the Melbourne office some time in the next three months, he said.

"Melbourne's the big push out of [home site] Sydney. We're also planning a push up to Queensland and potentially Perth," Odria said.

Queenslanders could expect a WhiteGold presence in Brisbane to appear some time in the next quarter. Perth might be targeted in 2006, he said.

Gilbert had worked at defunct ISP Comindico and networking distributor LAN Systems, Odria said.

"The scope for growth for us here is enormous," Gilbert said in a pre-prepared statement.