modis Incorporated, the US services company, has bought a batch of UK companies to create its European arm, it announced yesterday. modis International is a mixture of eleven IT services and recruitment companies, with estimated sales of £210 million for 1999. Based in Tottenham Court Road, London, it has three operating units, modis Consulting, for IT recruitment, modis Enterprise Solutions, including ERP and SAN packages, and modis Technical Solutions, including data warehousing. modis Inc. has been acquiring companies for the venture over the last 18 months, according to newly appointed modis International MD Ross Eades. "modis International aims to be the UK’s number one IT services provider. After this first stage in the UK, it will target the rest of Europe," said Eades, former MD of Hunterskill Howard, the largest company brought into the group. The UK company will be a subsidiary of modis Inc, and aims to take on rivals Spring and Delphi Group. Growth will be through acquisition as well as organic growth. "We will make more acquisitions in the UK, and are looking at IT companies that provide specific solutions, not just staffing companies," said Eades. Hunterskill Howard and Cope Management will be the fist companies to take on the modis branding, effective from 21 June. The other companies that will make up the 800 staff company are Avalon Systems Development, CSD Europe, FTR Recruitment Consultants, Intelligent Solutions, IT Link, RCsM, Software Knowledge Limited, Software Knowledge Systems and UIS Limited. There will also be around 2,400 consultants employed. modis Inc. is part of US services giant Modis Professional Services.®