Xeretec boosts market reach with First Copy buyout

This marks the company’s ninth acquisition

Wokingham-based managed IT services provider Xeretec has purchased First Copy Corporation to expand its production print capabilities.

This acquisition will aim to enhance Xeretec’s position and improve its reach to reinforce its place as one of the largest Xerox partners in Europe.

The company will also intend to strengthen First Copy community involvement and local services thanks to its national scale and capabilities across both print and IT and its experience in managed IT services.

“First Copy has built its reputation on trusted relationships and dedicated local service,” said Steve Hawkins, CEO of Xeretec.

“We’re proud to carry that forward while introducing the added strength of Xeretec’s broader offering.”

In a LinkedIn post, Hawkins added that “this is far more than a business deal.”

“It’s a meeting of shared values; trusted relationships, technical excellence, and a genuine commitment to doing right by our customers.

“As the UK’s largest Xerox partner, this acquisition strengthens our position as the top provider of production and office print, while opening the door for First Copy’s customers to benefit from enhanced services and a wider range of industry-leading IT solutions.”

In addition to printing solutions, Xeretec’s portfolio includes digital workspace solutions, cybersecurity, unified communications, software licensing, and IT hardware procurement.

The organisation also partners with vendors such as Barracuda, 8x8, UiPath, Lenovo, Kofax, PaperCut, HP, and Microsoft.

The buyout of First Copy represents the Xeretec’s ninth acquisition.

Over the last two decades, it has purchased Southern X, Digital Documents Direct, North East Reprographics (NER), Solution X, ROI Digital, Bytes Document Solutions UK (BDS), First Choice Business Systems, and Landscape Printing Systems.

In 2021, it also invested €500,000 (£434,000) in Donegal and Sligo, two counties located in the Republic of Ireland, to continue its “excellent relationship and deliver cutting edge technology to businesses in the Northwest of Ireland,” said the company at the time.

The firm currently employs more than 170 people across the UK and Ireland and has an average annual run rate of over £50m.