The transactional print, hybrid mail and e-billing specialist has a long-term relationship with Ricoh, with the partnership between the two companies stretching back 20 years.
The latest investment includes two Ricoh Pro 7200 colour cutsheet printers, two Pro 8120 monochrome cut-sheet printers, and an additional InfoPrint 5000 duplex continuous-feed colour inkjet printer (pictured below).
A Hunkeler sprocket and perforation system has been installed inline with the IP5000 printer.
All the equipment has been installed over recent months and is now up and running.
PHD Mail business development director Kevin Dunn said the spend, of around £800,000, would allow the firm to scale up while also beefing up capacity at its back-up facility.
“We have grown to a level where we needed more printing capability and we wanted to replicate what we have at our primary site at our separate business continuity operation.
“Most of the new equipment will be used to bolster the capability of our secondary site,” Dunn explained.
The firm’s main operation is based at a 1,860sqm facility in Burton-on-Trent, with the 1,210sqm business continuity site located around three miles away. PHD has 56 employees working across the two locations.
PHD Mail has gained a number of substantial new contracts of late, including a multimillion-pound win for European mail.
“Our focus is mainly transactional work and we also offer electronic billing. It is all contractual and we have been winning new business based on our reputation. We believe we will be close to £10m sales this year,” he said.
“People say paper is in decline but I don’t see it. We will print 140 million images this year, and we do over a million packs a month through our hybrid mail service.”
PHD has also adopted Ricoh’s ProcessDirector workflow software, which helped seal a recent win.
“ProcessDirector was a major factor due to the synchronicity between the client and us, and Ricoh have been extremely helpful in integrating the client with our systems,” Dunn added.
“Ricoh have always been there for us and have understood we’re a growing company. They have invested their knowhow and expertise and there’s a massive bond of trust between us.
“They have always provided products at the right time, and whenever we’ve wanted to buy something, they’ve qualified it. They have an excellent knowledge of our business needs, and in the past have advised us against certain purchases, demonstrating they truly want what’s best for us.”
PHD Mail installed its first Ricoh IP5000 inkjet system just over four years ago.
Simon Isaacs, national sales director at Ricoh UK, said he was delighted at PHD’s success.
“It’s been amazing to work so closely with PHD Mail over the last 20 years, especially watching them grow from a company turning over circa £500k a year in 1999, to over £9.5m in 2020.
“One of our main goals at Ricoh is to provide the best possible service to our customers. Whether that’s advising them to, or not to, invest in our technology or connecting them with other businesses to develop new working relationships.”
Isaacs said that Ricoh’s forums and customer events brought together large corporate customers with commercial printers, bringing extra value to all parties.
The next step for PHD Mail will be a nine-month project to implement Ricoh’s Avanti MIS system, which will also work across both sites.
The company will celebrate its 30th anniversary this year. It is privately owned by managing director Colin Brooks and Dunn.
