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MPS
Trade Copiers continues
on growth trajectory
The family-run company has taken
on new staff, expanded its fleet
of delivery and collection vehicles
and is embarking on phase two of
a major expansion programme that
will see it add two further extensions
to head office.
Managing Director Stephen Armistead
said that business is going really well.
“We are busier than we have ever been,”
he said. “Whilst we have enjoyed steady
consistent growth year on year, the past
twelve months has seen a significant
growth spurt. We’ve achieved 30 per cent
growth, we’re having to work really hard
to stay on top of demand, and I can see
that level continuing.”
To cope with the increased demand
from both the channel and OEMs, Trade
Copiers has boosted headcount, recruiting
five additional members of staff to work
across the business. New hires include
sales and warehousing personnel as well
as drivers.
New contract wins
Trade Copiers provides a pain-free way for
resellers to generate additional revenue by
simply selling the old kit they remove from
customers’ premises when upgrading their
fleet with new technology. 18 months ago
Armistead told
PrintIT Reseller
that he was
actively looking to expand the company’s
customer base and work with more dealers
nationwide.
“We deliver a professional service to
our customers and we pay fair prices,”
he said. “We offer dealers an opportunity
to earn more from each contract win, in
almost every case they have to take out
and dispose of the second hand kit they’re
replacing – we’ll pay them for it and collect
it too.
“We’ve been very successful in meeting
our goals and getting a much bigger
slice of the used market,” he said, adding
that over the past year Trade Copiers has
secured a number of big contracts with
some major suppliers.
Fleet investment
When Armistead set-up the company, he
started with a single van to do all of the
pick-ups across the country. Trade Copiers
now has a six-strong fleet of HGVs and
lorries that are on the road five days a
week, collecting used MFPs and wide
format printers which are then taken back
to HQ to have all of the data cleansed prior
to resale.
“We have recently purchased a new
HGV which has been wrapped in our
livery,” Armistead explained, adding that
he intends to place an order for another
HGV imminently.
Export sales
Trade Copiers conducts 98 per cent of its
business abroad, shipping used machines
by the container-load all over the world
to destinations including UAE, China,
Singapore and Malaysia. Sales in the EU
and to a lesser degree within the UK make
up the rest. “The volumes resold in the EU
are very small now, the big opportunity
is most definitely further afield,” said
Armistead.
In an average month Trade Copiers
exports in excess of 1,500 machines but
Armistead said that over the past six
months, overseas demand for second-
hand MFPs in full working order has
gone through the roof. “Export sales have
markedly increased, in particular within
Penrith-based Trade Copiers which buys used
multifunctional printers from a large number of dealers
and OEMs for resale all over the world is enjoying
sustained growth
Asia, the Middle East and Africa,” he
added. He attributes this to the weak GBP.
“Our customers are taking advantage of
the fact that sterling has fallen in value.
Whilst it’s not been great for us in the
UK, for the rest of the world, the UK is an
attractive market from which to buy from.”
Expansion plans
Trade Copiers began operating out of a
100 sq. ft. of rented space in a warehouse
and moved into new premises that
included a 25,000 sq. ft. warehouse which
houses around 3,000 machines at any one
time a couple of years ago.
“We invested £1 million to secure
a much bigger site which would grow
with us,” he explained, adding that the
move was part of a long-term plan to
build additional warehousing and office
accommodation to support future growth.
The company has already added two
extensions including a new loading dock
as well as completing a major office
refurbishment and is currently working on
phase two. “We are now looking to build
two further large extensions on the back
which will provide us with more storage
space,” Armistead said. Trade Copiers has
also acquired another unit locally that is
also be used for storage.
The company’s core business is
supplemented by a secondary branch
that supplies consumables. “This is an
additional service we offer to customers and
is complementary to our main business,”
explained Armistead. “We only deal in
original supplies, keep large up to date
stocks and offer fast delivery and competitive
pricing.” This side of the business has also
grown in line with the main operation.
We invested
£1 million
to secure a
much bigger
site which
would grow
with us
Stephen Armistead,
Managing Director,
Trade Copiers
