“Our goal is to help your business run smoothly and securely”

Neil Schwemm sits down with Eileen Leahy to talk about celebrating 25 years of his business CHS Networks and reveals the triumphs and challenges of running a specialist tech firm where people and professional solutions are at the heart of everything it does…

Situated at the top of Judd Road, just a short walk from Tonbridge station, is the smart head office of CHS Networks.

The specialist IT support business will be celebrating its 25th anniversary next year, so I am here to meet its founder, MD and Head of Telecoms, Neil Schwemm, to discover how far the business has come, the challenges it faces in an ever-changing tech landscape, and to hear about Neil’s plans for the future of the company.

If you’re not familiar with it, then in brief CHS Networks provides its wealth of clients – which range from fledgling start-ups to global logistics companies – with a veritable smorgasbord of IT support. From setting up traditional telephone systems to installing hi-tech cybersecurity, this award-winning business can meet all your technical needs – however big, small or unique your company is.

Courtesy of its experienced staff, the business offers premium tech support and professional IT solutions that have kept it thriving in a pretty competitive sector for nearly 25 years. I particularly like the business’s strapline: Tech problems? We’re on IT.

In addition to its accumulated industry experience, Neil tells me that CHS Networks is committed to staying one step ahead of the IT game, which is why he invests so heavily in training and technology.

“We want to stay ahead of the curve so your business can too,” he explains, before adding that it’s not just all about the IT solutions. “Giving our clients outstanding service underpins everything that we do. Our goal is to help businesses run smoothly and securely.”

And Neil should know a thing or two about this ever-evolving sector as he has worked in it for nearly 30 years.

“I started working as an IT contractor. My last job, before setting up CHS Networks, was at Fidelity Investments. When I left there, I saw a gap in the market for reliable, customer-focused IT services.”

He goes on to say that at this stage the whole IT industry was very much in its infancy but, as an insider, Neil could see the need for establishing a business that would offer clients the support they would need early on.

“From fixing printers to sorting out emails and cabling to helping develop increasingly sophisticated software, I knew there was a need for this type of service – especially for one-man bands or SMEs,” explains Neil.

So he started CHS Networks in order to help businesses of all sizes grow and thrive in an increasingly tech-driven digital landscape.

But despite expanding his team to around 25 in just a few years, the financial crash of 2008 saw Neil having to rethink and restructure his business model. But this, he tells me, is something that helped him get to where he is now.

“The events of 2008 were a real wake-up call for me and then of course we had the Covid curveball to deal with, but I can honestly say that I have always learned from these experiences.

“I think if you were starting an IT company now it would be quite difficult because the level of investment required in people, training and software in order to compete is phenomenal. So being well established in the marketplace has been a real benefit for us.”

On that note, Neil says that although they do have clients abroad and some in London and the South East, he and his team are very much now concentrating on working with hyper-local businesses. And Tunbridge Wells is a market that he wants CHS Networks to move further into.

One of the areas that the CHS Networks team are especially experienced in is cybersecurity.

“Sadly, the security breaches such as the ones M&S and the Co-Op have had will only become more and more common,” he continues.

“We therefore provide a tailored service for our clients. The department is headed up by my colleague Craig MacPhee and delivers premier security solutions designed to safeguard your business, whatever its size or sector.

“As well as the necessary checks and identification of potential threats, we also carry out annual audits for our clients. Reviewing their security like this and keeping up to speed with all the latest developments is an essential part of keeping any business safe.

“We also advise clients too. If they’re putting a pitch together, then we’ll tell them to ensure they put information about the fact they have cyber protection right at the start of the proposal, as that’s a plus for any company. Doing so proves how serious you are about cyber threats. Luckily we’re in the position of being able to pass those skills and expertise on to businesses who might not have that intel.”

Neil adds that transparency, accountability, hard work and professionalism are other key hallmarks of what CHS Networks provides for its clients.

Aside from cyber threats, one of the other biggest challenges Neil faces is finding and retaining the right staff, which is why he has invested in an apprenticeship scheme for the past decade.

“It’s about keeping people motivated and wanting to stay. We’ll always take on at least two apprentices a year and it’s been really good for us to train people up right from the start of their career and shape them into a CHS team player.”

Currently the CHS Networks team totals18, but Neil says they are still looking to recruit further, as they have had another consecutive year of double-digit growth. This means that Neil eventually wants to move his growing team to bigger premises.

“This location has been great for us, but ultimately we need more space. Not just in terms of more offices but also breakout areas where staff can sit and chat or have their lunch. In an ever-evolving technical landscape it’s so important that people don’t lose those soft skills. We are very much about promoting the human side of our business – both here and with our clients.”

Interesting and impressive past projects CHS Networks has been involved in include the Crossrail development and the Olympic Park.

“We’ve also had many long-standing clients such as O’Keefe Construction for many, many years and we are still growing our portfolio. We’re all about excellent service and pedigree. This is probably going to be our best year in terms of turnover and bottom line.”

That success was certainly recognised a few months ago when CHS Networks was named Large Business of the Year at the TN card Tonbridge Business Awards 2025.

So how would Neil sum up the ethos of what CHS Networks does?

“I would say it’s that old adage of us being an extension of your staff – we are the IT department if you like. We are always at the end of the phone and are continuously exploring ways to use the best, innovative technology to improve your business.”

GET IN TOUCH:

Website:www.chsnetworks.com

Call: 01732 445566

Email: info@chsnetworks.com