XBM gains over 2000 machines with Office Odyssey acquisition

Sustainable office technology suppliers, XBM, have announced the acquisition of print resellers, Office Odyssey.

The purchase of Office Odyssey, a Midlands-based reseller of Epson single function and multifunction printers across the UK and mainland Europe, is the fifth acquisition by XBM in the last two years.

Acquisitions since XBM’s rebranding in 2021 include iDoc Solutions in September 2022, another Epson reseller.

Paul Bellew will continue as sales director of Office Odyssey, which will operate as a separate unit within the XBM family of businesses.

According to XBM, adding Office Odyssey to the company’s family of businesses will add a further 500 European devices and a total of over 2,300 to XBM’s total machine count, bringing it to over 7,000 devices in the field.

XBM is already reported to be Epson’s largest UK reseller and is one of only two Epson Diamond Partners in the UK, an award based on a set of criteria including product focus, expertise, sales, and customer support.

When highlighting other reasons for the acquisition, XBM also emphasised an alignment with Office Odyssey’s social mission including its focus on sustainability and philanthropy.

Office Odyssey’s aims to create a managed print service (MPS) that places sustainability and social value at the heart of the business. The company also seeks to operate as a social enterprise, and to only sell low energy, low waste technology.

Office Odyssey has also provided free hardware and support to charities, social enterprises, and special needs schools, with the aim of reducing costs spent on print so that the organisations have more remaining funding for vital projects and services.

XBM has also provided office print equipment and services to charities and not-for-profits across the UK including the Fountains Arts CIC3 in Scunthorpe, which aims is to increase arts engagement by utilising unused commercial spaces for projects, studios, and learning.

Commenting on the acquisition, XBM managing director, Richard Tayor, says: “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. As Epson resellers and supporters of charities and community organisations, XBM and our management team are excited to partner with Paul and his team.”

Bellew adds: “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.

“As they are Epson’s number one UK reseller, they already have the deep understanding of the benefits of Epson’s Heat-Free print technology and are actively engaged with a number of charities and community groups. We look forward to growing the business together with Richard and his team.”