Managed print reaps rewards for Lancashire VAR

Ashton-under-Lyne reseller Printerbase creates new division

Specialist print reseller Printerbase is aiming to fuel its ongoing growth in managed print services sales by setting up a new dedicated division.

Peter Knight, managing director of the Ashton-under-Lyne VAR, said three of its 24 staff are being redeployed permanently to operate the new division, with "a couple" of new hires in the pipeline to take on their previous roles.

"Things are good for us; we are still growing every year," Knight said. "We are doing quite a bit on the managed print side, with Xerox PaperPack, and we are looking to develop it more."

Knight said the latest quarter had been quieter than previous recent quarters but the company is "still doing OK".

"Once the [MPS division] takes off, we will be looking to add more staff or perhaps even move into another building. We moved into a larger one about four years ago, and we are filling it up more quickly than we thought," he said.

Other areas of growth for the nine-year-old reseller include inkjet, where the message of technological improvement is finally getting out to more customers, according to Knight.

Brother A3 inkjet MFDs are proving top sellers for Printerbase - which primarily focuses on the B2B market - with Epson's new WorkForce line also doing very well, he said. Inkjets are currently about 30 per cent of Printerbase's business, Knight said.

Customers are also increasingly asking about mobile functionality when it comes to printing, he noted.