Expanding Wrexham copier firm launches new IT division
A GROWING Wrexham copier firm has launched a new IT division creating four new jobs.
Rawson Digital, based in The Bridge Business Centre on Wrexham Industrial Estate, has created a new company to provide an IT support, consultancy, security and cloud service to new and existing customers.
The new firm, which will be known as Rawson IT Services and based next door to the existing Rawson Digital offices, has always been in the long-term plan for Rawson Digital managing director and founder Vaughn Rawson who set up his business from home, six years ago.
Vaughn now has a 19-strong team and a second base in Dinorwic Marina, Y Felinheli, near Bangor. His firm has doubled its turnover in two years to more than £2m, has supplied more than 1,100 machines to date and took on a record 160 new contracts last year.
It supplies and maintains photocopiers, printers, accessories with an aftercare service to firms in North Wales, the North West, further afield in the UK, and the Isle of Man.
Vaughn said:
“The firm has grown so rapidly that we have reached a point now, where we need to stop, think about our customer, what they need and how we can add value.
“It has always been in my mind, right from the start, that offering an IT service would be a natural progression so I am thrilled to be launching the new firm, expanding the business and creating new jobs.
“We have got the infrastructure in place to go for it, we have a good, loyal customer base and a great relationship with them and we believe this is something we can provide which will bring a fully comprehensive solution to all their IT, printer and copier needs.
“What is also allows us to do is to be competitive when we are approaching new customers. Many, larger copier firms offer this service and sometimes businesses are keen to bring on board a firm which can cater for everything, rather than having to deal with two separate companies for services which are intrinsically linked.”
The new string to the Rawson Digital bow will be run by Craig Davies who has spent his entire 14-year career in the IT industry.
Craig, who previously worked for The Queen’s School in Chester and three North Wales-based IT services companies, said:
“What we want to do for Rawson Digital customers is to remove that problem of having to think who they turn to if they need advice or support with their IT, printer or copier systems.
“It can be confusing when something is not working properly within a firm’s IT operation to identify where the fault actually lies – the problem might present itself at the printing phase but actually be to do with something going on in the overall IT system.
“By launching the new IT company, we are now able to offer a one- stop shop so customers will be able to contact the Rawson Digital offices and be put through to the right person who can help, whatever the issue might be.”
Craig, 33, who lives in Hawarden and is originally from Tattenhall, said his inside knowledge meant he had been able to strike up partnerships with industry leaders Microsoft and Dell.
But he added that he and his team would be well placed to support customers with the full range of IT stock of their choice and carry out comprehensive audits of their existing machinery to help them find the right upgrades for their needs when a decision is made to replace them.
Craig said:
“My aim is to build up a service where the customers find they do not even have to ring us because the automated services we have in place will be looking after the systems so we can spot potential problems before they even arise.
“Rather than them telling us their problems all the time, we are able to talk more to them about what we have been doing to ensure their IT systems are working as efficiently as possible.”
The news of the new Rawson Digital arm comes after the firm announced it had invested £50,000 in a major refurbishment of its main office to create a new meeting room, a secure toner store to house essential equipment, new office furniture, improved lighting, air conditioning and increased on-site parking. A new video conferencing system was also installed and the firm’s IT and Wi-fi systems were updated.