With accumulated revenues of £630m over the twenty years, Stone has custom built, configured, and shipped over 800,000 Stone-branded PCs into the UK public sector and education market. Furthermore, its recent move to a 100,000 sq. ft. premises, home to a dedicated Environment Agency-approved Authorised Treatment Centre for recycling IT hardware, is testament to its ongoing commitment to a "cradle-to-grave" approach in which Stone manages the entire lifecycle of its hardware, sending 0% to landfill.

Stone's customers include public.-sector organisations such as Coventry City Council, Cardiff & Vale University Health Board, and all levels of education, e.g. , University of Nottingham, Wren's Nest Primary School and the Government's first UTC (University Technical College) JCB Academy.

The Stone portfolio offers innovative solutions for schools and colleges that includes its "Encore" and "@ccessability" schemes. Based upon refurbished PCs that include genuine Microsoft Operating System licences, Stone's "Encore" programme is designed to help educational institutions provide their pupils with access to technology without the significant financial investment that is typically required for new systems.

Over the last twelve months, 26,000 of Stone's units have been recovered and refurbished for a "second life" in the supply chain. Those that cannot be refurbished are broken down to their raw materials and redistributed back into the supply chain.

One of Stone's primary differentiators within the public sector and education ICT markets is the customer service and dedicated support that accompanies its high-quality hardware.

James Bird, CEO of Stone Group, comments, "Given these times of austerity and the level of cuts to public spending in recent months, it is a remarkable achievement for a business that is entirely focused on public sector and education to reach twenty years of trading. This has been possible by remaining dedicated to providing our customers with the best value and service, from the initial manufacturing of our products to the ongoing services and support. It is our intention to continue to uphold the high standards we have set over the last twenty years."

One of Stone's key achievements for 2011 includes being appointed as a listed supplier on the IT Recycling Framework Agreement from the NHS Shared Business Services Commercial Procurement Solutions (SBS CPS). By fulfilling the appropriate criteria, such as price competitiveness, robustness of process, financial stability, high levels of information security, and demonstrable customer satisfaction, Stone is included within the framework as a listed supplier and therefore is granted access to NHS Trusts across the UK.

Since its founding in 1991, Stone has forged close strategic working relationships with leading vendors, including Intel, Microsoft, and Apple. Not only is Stone Intel's number one partner in Europe, it is also the only Apple Solutions Expert in Education (ASEE) to employ a full-time in-house Apple Distinguished Educator (ADE), ensuring the successful delivery of Apple hardware and consultancy services into schools.

In addition, 2011 has seen Stone Group establish partnerships with Lenovo, a "tier-one" technology company, and Huawei Symantec, a worldwide provider of network security and storage solutions.

Bird concludes, "Our well-established relationships with clients and partners over the last twenty years have resulted in an admirable track record in delivering excellence to the UK public sector and education market. Partnerships are specifically chosen to develop the Stone portfolio and ensure that we are meeting market needs. The schemes set up in schools and the exclusive partnerships made are a testament to our longevity in this business and a clear indication of our intention to continue growing and developing our expertise."