A specialist software company which has gone from its founder’s bedroom to a business with a near £3.5m turnover is expanding again.

IT Retail Systems Ltd was set up in 1992 by Tanveer Mirza at his home in Birkby.

After a number of moves the firm, which specialises in electronic point of sale software (EPoS) for convenience stores, has bought office premises at Cartwright Court on the Bradley Business Park in Huddersfield.

Over the last six months or so the firm has taken on 13 new staff including four degree apprentices, taking its total workforce to 35.

The company has exciting plans for the future which will include more recruitment and extending the office building to cope with the expansion.

Jag Sidhu, one of the first employees of the business who has recently returned as head of business development, said it was exciting times for the company.

Jag said the company currently supplied EPoS software to 1,400 convenience stores and supermarkets, working with many of the big names including Nisa, Costcutter, Booker and Londis.

IT Retail Systems. Pennine Business Park, Bradley. Zia Khan (left) with apprentices, (left to right) Mel Griffin, Harran Sidhu, Joe Squire and Liam Holiday.

All the software, which runs the tills and back-office systems, was written by the firm and its own engineers installed the hardware too.

The next step in the expansion was to create specialist software for petrol station forecourts, which currently has to be bought in. The firm has written its own software and is now awaiting approval before it is rolled out.

The company is also looking at the hospitality industry – restaurants – and self-checkout software for convenience stores.

“It’s a very exciting time for the business,” said Jag. “The potential is massive.”

The firm is particularly proud of its new intake of apprentices. They will be studying at Leeds Beckett University for a Bsc Hons degree in Digital & Technology Solutions over a four-year period. The course is entirely funded by the Government apprenticeship scheme and they are salaried throughout by IT Retail Systems.