When local managed print provider United Carlton opened its doors back in 1987, the internet hadn’t yet been invented and the first version of Microsoft Excel had only recently been released. Meanwhile, photocopiers were slow and cumbersome, and that’s all they could do too – photocopy. The thought of collaborative, document management systems and integrated multifunctional printers was fanciful.
Fast forward 34 years, and the rise of cloud-based software and ever-smarter document hardware has seen workplace technology develop previously unimaginable power and capability.
It’s clear that times have continuously changed in the world of workplace technology. And after a turbulent year for many organisations, even bigger changes have recently taken place for the business formerly known as United Carlton. In April 2021, the business was renamed Agilico.
Agilico is a name that reflects its customers’ mission to make work easy for their teams by deploying cutting-edge workplace technology. Agilico is the result of a combined group of UK technology businesses backed by Horizon Capital, including United Carlton, each with the same customer-first philosophy, local knowledge and relationships, with vast expertise in managed print services and workplace technologies.
Mark Bryce, Sales Director, Agilico. “This is an incredibly exciting time for us as a business. Ever since we originally founded United Carlton, both Warren Colby and I have been fully invested in the business and we remain so today. Our mission has always been to keep the customer at the forefront of everything we do, while ensuring we offer clients cutting edge workplace technology.
“We’ve thrived on building strong local relationships and we’re proud of the many trusted partnerships we’ve forged with organisations of all sizes from our offices in the North East, Yorkshire and the North West. Since receiving investment back in 2019 we have continued to grow, and our new name and enhanced capabilities reflect this. We’re now able to deliver our services with quality and consistency throughout the UK, while continuing to build and value our strong local relationships. I hope all of our customers and friends on Team Valley can look forward as we emerge from Covid, and wish everyone the best of luck as we do so.”
For those familiar with the staff at United Carlton, not much has changed. The same friendly faces are still present, and they’re still supporting local businesses large and small in the region. What Agilico now means is a much greater capability and service offering for local businesses to take advantage of. The change has also meant the business itself has been expanding its workforce in the North East and operates from 11 sites UK wide, providing a truly national reach and service capability.
Not only is Agilico now the largest independent Managed Print provider in the UK, it is also the only independent North East business within this sector to be awarded places on Public Sector frameworks. In doing so, it sits alongside some of the biggest manufacturers in the world, cementing its pedigree as the number one local provider for the education sector in the region, while also supporting organisations such as Durham Constabulary and the NHS. Agilico also supplies over 30% of the North East’s top 200 firms and is a trusted partner to the likes of Greggs, Sage and SCS, which is testimony to its service, ability and innovation.
With a tough year for hardware sales and the business service sector in general, Agilico has bucked the trend with some recent large contract awards from Northern Education Trust and Parkdean Resorts, for over 500 multifunctional devices. Huge strides in technology usage over the last decade have revolutionised the way businesses work, and rapid and continuous change has become the defining characteristic of our time. Agilico has been able to provide real value in this area and the business has consequently seen a record quarter in printer sales, as companies look for trusted workplace technology specialists to partner with. With people working from both their office and their homes, the buzz word in the office space at the moment is “Agile working”. Agilico’s customers are looking for innovative solutions to assist them with ways in which they can manage, post, scan, retrieve, sign and manipulate their documents in and around their organisations more efficiently and securely, wherever they are.
While continuing to provide market-leading managed print services to local businesses, which includes innovative carbon-neutral devices and much more, it now also delivers a wide range of complementary agile working solutions, referred to as its Agile Toolkit. These solutions have proved especially popular with customers as they look to introduce more flexible working practices.
Cloud telephony, hybrid mail platforms, information management systems and document digitisation tools are just some of the solutions which are allowing its customers to embrace new ways of working. Many of these tools can integrate directly with modern MFDs to deliver a truly agile working environment, allowing teams to stay connected, responsive and productive no matter where they are. For more information on these agile working solutions, visit www.agilico.co.uk.
