A SOFTWARE firm is planning a North American expansion to strengthen its international reputation and ward off Brexit uncertainty, The Northern Echo can reveal.

Indigo Software hopes to open a support office across the Atlantic, with a sister sales operation included in the blueprint.

Mark Leavy, sales manager, last night told the Echo that the hub, which could open next year, will give the company scope to secure new contracts and provide a trading buffer to cushion any complications arising from Britain’s impending EU divorce.

Mr Leavy was speaking after revealing Indigo has picked up a new agreement with US-based animal product supplier Coastal Pet.

He said Indigo’s warehouse management software apparatus will be deployed in the coming weeks at the Ohio firm, with Coastal Pet saying it will improve storage and delivery operations across its 7,500-product catalogue by freeing up workers to carry out other duties.

“The contract is a big win for us because we were up against some big competition”, said Mr Leavy.

“We put a lot of hard work in.

“We have got a customer base in North America and are making a concerted effort to push into the market there a little bit harder.

"If new sales go to plan, then probably later this year we would start looking at opening a support office.”

However, Mr Leavy said Indigo, which previously founded a base in Hong Kong to secure work across the Asia Pacific region, also sees the move as a safeguard to any impact from Brexit.

He said: “In many ways, it is a reaction to Brexit – we need to be resilient and prepared.

“We can do that by looking at North America, and also Asia Pacific, as growth markets.”

Referring to its contract with Indigo, Dana Duff, IT director at Coastal Pet, which is known for supplying retailers and distributors with goods such as dog collars, leads and harnesses, said the business will be able to vastly improve operations.

He said: “We felt very confident that choosing Indigo as our technology partner meant we would minimise risks and maximise business continuity.

“The company’s consulting team have quickly developed an indepth understanding of our business and how processes could be improved using their technology.”

Indigo’s warehouse apparatus is also being used by Alphamega Hypermarkets, Cyprus’ largest supermarket group, to improve storage and delivery operations.

Last year, it revealed Philippinesbased Ionics EMS had invested in its management software.