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Printing specialist Xerox Corp. announced the acquisition of Concept Group, aimed at expanding its reach in the small to medium-size business (SMB) market in the U.K. Concept Group, a supplier of digital document solutions, has nine locations throughout the U.K. Concept Group will carry the full range of Xerox office products and supplies, including all Phaser, WorkCentre and ColorQube printers and multifunction systems, which print, copy, fax and scan, and it will service Xerox devices.
Over time Concept Group will expand to carry Xerox’s light production printing products. Xerox said its managed print services would also be a market differentiator for the Concept Group team: Xerox managed print services are designed to help businesses reduce costs by up to 30 percent, increase productivity and enhance document and device security.
Concept Group will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Xerox, working in parallel with Xerox’s other distribution channels in the region. Colin Paterson, founder of Concept Group, will continue to lead the company, reporting directly to Douraid Zaghouani, president of Xerox’s indirect channels group. Concept Group will also maintain its name and keep its headquarters in Livingston, and its employees will continue to operate as part of Concept Group.
Xerox currently employs more than 4,700 people in the U.K., including 230 in Scotland, who are engaged in technical support, sales, service delivery and marketing activities. “Channel expansion continues to be a key aspect of the Xerox strategy for Europe,” said Zaghouani. “With Concept Group, we significantly increase our presence across the U.K., bringing the right talent, the right coverage and the right positioning to this vital market.”
Founded in 1984 and headquartered in Livingston, Scotland, Concept Group provides document imaging solutions and technical service to more than 3,000 customers from Aberdeen to London. Its more than 50 salespeople will begin selling Xerox’s document technology and services immediately, the company said.
Over the last three years Xerox has expanded its distribution to the European SMB market and has grown its managed print services delivery capability through two other acquisitions – Irish Business Systems, Ireland, and Veenman, in the Netherlands – and by broadening relationships with resellers and concessionaires in Europe.
“Our aim has always been to exceed customer expectations with regard to performance and cost savings,” said Paterson. “The acquisition means we’ll be able to do that even better by bringing our customers all the benefits of Xerox’s brand-leading products and managed print services expertise.”