Les Kerr, owner and Managing Director of Manchester-based ZenOffice, is celebrating his 25-year anniversary running the company and clocking up 30 years in the industry.
He set up the company aged 21 as Intrukt and made his first acquisition in 1999. The company has since grown to more than 3,000 clients across the North West and has over 80 employees.
In recent times, ZenOffice has had to adapt its product and service profile in the face of the recession, offering print and design services and joining forces with Interior Partners Ltd (IPL) to offer a complete range of commercial interior solutions.
In 2012, the company became the only Xerox Authorised Concessionaire in Manchester with Print Partner Services Accreditation and now provides world-class managed print services (MPS).
This year alone, ZenOffice has recruited 10% more staff, expanded its base by partnering with another local office supplies company Baron Stationers and was also a finalist in the Oldham Business Awards and the BOSS Awards for the Dealer Excellence category.
Les has seen a number of changes over the years. The market, he says, has developed in the mix of dealers, wholesalers, buying groups and products, with the arrival of buying groups changing the dynamic. In the mid-90s, the Internet brought speed to the company's operations and opened the door for new entrants into the market. The web has also helped ZenOffice market the business to a much wider audience and transact with customers who prefer to order electronically.
Within the business, Les says that the biggest change other than technology has been the need to adapt to the recession and broaden the scope of ZenOffice's offering. He says, "The specialist products and services we introduced – office interior design and fit-outs and managed print services – now represent around 35% of the £14m we will turn over this year."
Les believes that independent dealers will always have a place, despite consolidation at wholesaler/logistics provider level. He says, "The wholesaler will always have a route to market via a dealer base and potentially, at some levels, direct too. Breadth and service will be key going forwards – no matter how big and cheap superstores become, they will never compete with the flexibility of local service levels."
Looking to the future, Les has ambitious plans for ZenOffice. He concludes, "Over the next few years, I would like to see ZenOffice grow exponentially through acquisitions, creating value-added partnerships and expanding our portfolio of products and services."