Abacus Data Entry Ltd was a mainstay in Luton for 40 years and it was heart-wrenching for staff when they received their redunancies after it went into liquidation.
Luckily, company founder Robert Murphy was determined to salvage the firm and approached former business partners to rescue the much-valued brand.
Now trading as Abacus Data and ScanningLtd, its doors have reopened and 13 highly-trained staff have been brought back to help re-establish the firm as it begins a new chapter.
Newly-appointed commercial director Stuart Hawkins said: “It’s actually been a breath of fresh air. Everyone has put a lof of effort in and in many ways it’s been like starting from scratch.
“I didn’t have to win the staff over, they were all happy to be here. It was a huge benefit for us and our customers that we could offer business as usual.”
Senior programmer, Tracey Carter, 52, has worked at Abacus for 24 years and was one of the staff who was rehired.
She said: “It was devastating when the company closed, it came out of the blue. I had never thought about looking for another job.
“We didn’t know what was happening. The only comfort was that we were all in the same position.
“When I got the phonecall to come back, I felt relieved and optimistic. It was a great feeling to ring everybody and offer them their old jobs back. They were the best phonecalls to make!”
Abacus convert data - typically fromsurveys and market research - into an electronic format, allowing clients to use the compiled data to draw statistics.
Clients include high-profile institutions such as University College London and King’s College, as well as international corporations.They are one of few companies to offer data entry services within the UK.
Founder Robert Murphy said: “I cannot recommend them highly enough. I am confident they will continue to offer an excellent service.”