PCR Tech and IT retail, distribution and vendor news
Greater Manchester-based reseller Printerbase has passed the milestone of selling 75,000 Brother devices as the firm marks 20 years of partnership with the business technology vendor.
Printerbase has sold more than 25,000 printers and 35,000 multifunction printers since the company first partnered with Brother UK in 2003. A3 inkjet and mono laser printers have been the best-selling Brother devices for the reseller.
The reseller has also sold 10,000 label devices and 2,500 scanners from the vendor, with more than 250,000 ink and toner cartridges provided to customers. Businesses contracted to Brother’s managed print services (MPS) are supplied with consumables automatically when they’re running low and are also able to return used cartridges free of charge to Brother’s Recycling Technology Centre in Ruabon, North Wales, to be remanufactured.
Printerbase supplies 40,000 customers on average each year, ranging from dentists and GP surgeries, to construction and engineering firms, as well as small businesses and hobbyists needing print for crafting.
The partners say the relationship has strengthened since the reseller began offering Brother MPS in late 2021. Brother MPS now makes up more than half (58%) of all the print-as-a-service contracts that Printerbase agrees.
Khalil Hussain, sales manager at Printerbase, said: “So much has changed in the channel over the last 20 years. You just have to look at the technological improvements from the first devices we were selling in 2003 compared to today, as well as the whole shift towards print-as-a-service. But the reason we’ve been able to adapt with the times and be successful is by having a trusted, reliable partner in Brother.
“We trust Brother because of the level of service it delivers to our customers, from the initial purchase through to the ongoing maintenance and support. And they’re always flexible to customers’ needs – there aren’t any restrictions or hoops to jump through, and they’re able to build a tailored package for each business. This is exactly what our customers are looking for and it’s why Brother MPS has been so popular since we started to offer it.”
Chris Grimshaw, business manager – online partners at Brother UK, said: “The success that Printerbase has achieved over the last two decades is testament to the strong, collaborative relationships that we build with our partners. We actively invest in the Printerbase team to ensure they have the insights and training to deliver value to their customers and to strike new deals.
“Being able to respond to shifts in demand and new ways of working relies on being in a lock-step with partners, and this has certainly been the case when it’s come to providing MPS. Businesses recognise the benefits of MPS – the flexibility as well as the boost to productivity and sustainability it can provide – and resellers that are set to offer it are in the prime position to better support their customers.”
In March 2023, the two businesses announced a 50% year-on-year increase in MPS contracts sold in 2022, with Printerbase targeting a further 50% rise in sales in 2023. It attributes this forecast to growing demand for MPS and new flexible packages, such as Brother’s MPS Essential, which allow smaller businesses to access the benefits of print-as-a-service.
