XBM Ltd has acquired Office Odyssey, a Midlands-based reseller of Epson single function and multifunction printers and digital document solutions across the UK and mainland Europe.
Following XBM’s rebranding in 2021, the business announced plans to expand rapidly through acquisitions and new business, and this is the fifth acquisition in the last two years. Adding Office Odyssey to the XBM family adds a further 500 European devices and more than 2,300 to XBM’s existing MIF base, bringing it to over 7,000 devices in the field.
XBM is Epson’s largest UK reseller and one of only two Epson Diamond Partners in the UK.
Office Odyssey set out to build a new kind of MPS service that places sustainability and social value at the heart of the business; to operate as a social enterprise and to only sell low energy, low waste technology. The business’s core mission is to increase employment for people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder or with other barriers to work, while minimising the environmental impact of clients’ print operations.
As part of this, Office Odyssey provide free hardware and support to small charities, social enterprises and special needs schools. The aim is to help them free up money spent on print so it can be re-allocated to their projects and services. To date, the business has provided 1,000s of hours of work and removed hundreds of tonnes of carbon dioxide from clients’ supply chains.
This is in keeping with XBM’s social mission, providing office print equipment and services to charities and not-for-profits across the UK.
Office Odyssey’s Paul Bellew will continue to push the business forward as sales director, which will operate as a separate unit within XBM. “When we started looking for a partner who could grasp both our mission to provide meaningful work for those excluded by autism or other barriers, whilst providing a wide range of clients with technology to help minimise their environmental impact, XBM stood out as the obvious choice,” said Paul.
XBM’s managing director, Richard Tayor, added: “With his clear and unique vision, Paul has created an exceptional social enterprise. I am excited to be able to work with him and continue developing the vision and providing support to accelerate the business’s development further.”
