Wide-format print remains one of the key focus areas for Ricoh as we strive to provide enhanced technology to the market and continuous support for our innovative and forward-thinking customers.
Our committed team of wide-format specialists plays an important role in this strategy, working hard to develop new solutions to help customers in the UK continue push the boundaries of what is possible in wide-format print.
Two of the key UK team members are Yucel Salih and Callum Wilson both of whom are devoted to helping customers achieve their wide-format print goals.
Yucel Salih has been a major driving force in the development and establishment of Ricoh’s wide-format business, working hard to make Ricoh one of the leading voices in wide-format print.
“I joined Ricoh in 2017 to set up its wide-format portfolio and go to market from scratch,” Yucel Salih says. “To begin with, it was difficult as Ricoh had no knowledge of wide-format print or how to go to market, with its infrastructure mainly geared towards cut sheet.
“However, over the past five years we have worked extremely hard in this sector. We now have a hugely dedicated wide-format team and offer first-class support from service and operations, all of which has helped us gain market share.”
Callum Wilson is a relative newcomer to the wide-format side of the business, having initially worked in the private sector selling the full Ricoh portfolio of solutions such as office equipment, document management, ITS and cyber security, before moving to the Ricoh Graphic Communications Inkjet at the start of 2021.
“The Inkjet side of the business has grown rapidly on the back of our tried and tested proprietary Ricoh Gen-5 Printheads, and it’s showing no signs of stopping,” Callum says. “Covid-19 was obviously demanding but we were in a fortuitous position that Ricoh has always championed hybrid working where work is what you do, rather than where you go, so we were able to continue to work productively from home last year.”
Dedicated to the customer
Both Yucel and Callum are in customer-focused roles, where they work closely with clients to not only help them select the most suitable machines for their business, but also to ensure the printers are operating at their maximum potential and delivering first-class printed material.
“My role sees me liaise with direct and indirect sales forces on all matters related to wide-format sales on a consultative basis, with direct interaction with customers and resellers,” Yucel explains.
Callum adds: “As the Wide-Format Sales Specialist for the North of the UK for Ricoh, this means that I work with account managers and Ricoh Graphics Communications salespeople to sell the best-in-class Ricoh Pro L5100e Latex Roll-to-Roll series, the award-winning Ricoh TF6251 Hybrid printer and the highly acclaimed Ricoh Pro T7210 UV Flatbed solution.
“Historically people thought that Ricoh “only” sold office print equipment and cameras, but we’re now one of the biggest IT companies in the world, and one of the market leaders in production print.”
Taking into account their close work with customers and the roles they have both played in helping establish Ricoh as a wide-format print leader, Yucel and Callum said they have plenty of highlights from their time with Ricoh.
“For me, it was initially getting wide-format print off the ground and selling the virtues of wide-format to all the salespeople within Ricoh,” Yucel says. “The only way this project was going to succeed was by gaining people’s trust and respect.”
Callum adds: “I’ve been Ricoh UK’s top commercial salesperson in Scotland in FY19, FY20, and FY21, which gave me the opportunity to come and join the Ricoh Graphic Communications Team. But the main highlight for me would continuing to work with customers on a day-to-day basis during the pandemic; it was a really challenging time but there were some customers who were still looking to invest and move forward with new solutions, and I’ll forever appreciate them putting their trust in us during a difficult and uncertain period.”
Looking Ahead
With an ongoing commitment to address market trends and meeting changing customer demands, both Yucel and Callum have one eye on the future when it comes to speaking with customers about how they can grow their business with Ricoh kit.
“Customer demands for shorter lead times has helped develop and shape technology to produce faster and more innovative systems, coupled with workflow solutions to greatly enhance productivity,” Yucel says.
“The shift from analogue to digital solutions has had the greatest impact and more recently the demands for personalisation and very short batch runs in wide-format has helped our clients gain extra revenues and higher margins.”
Callum picks up on the increasing importance of the environment and how Ricoh’s leading wide-format print kit can help customers achieve their green goals: “I’ve not been in the industry anywhere near as long as some of the more experienced guys, but a regular trend that’s never going to go away is environmentalism. I’d like to think that Ricoh’s offering reflects this.
“The Greenguard-certified latex inks on our Pro L5100e roll-fed series have such a low energy consumption, from 50/60°c, and as a company we undertake a wide variety of ESG initiatives to help communities prosper and significantly reduce our customers’ and our own environmental footprint.”
Having knowledgeable staff such as Yucel and Callum is one of the primary reasons behind the immense success of the Ricoh wide-format business since its foundation. Their commitment to the company and determination to help customers succeed will continue to drive the business forward for many years to come.
To find out more about Ricoh’s wide-format solutions, please click here
