The Mailing Room’s Continued Growth Fuelled By Franking Direct Acquisition
OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE – 13th AUGUST 2018
Continuing its ambitious programme of growth, aimed at doubling the size of its business within five years, The Mailing Room of Bury, Greater Manchester, has acquired another independent franking machine supplier, this time Franking Direct of Brentwood in Essex. The acquisition strengthens TMR’s market presence in the outer London area and provides ongoing revenue through the provision of mandatory inspection and maintenance of franking equipment, as required by the Royal Mail, and the sale of inks, labels and other consumables through its online and telephone support services. Unlike Franking Direct, which relied upon manufacturers to provide routine machine inspection and maintenance, TMR is a Royal Mail-licensed servicing organisation able to offer direct technical support for its users anywhere in the country, through its own team of factory-trained mobile engineers.
Currently celebrating its 20th anniversary in the UK mailroom sector, TMR has demonstrated consistently strong growth over the years, supplying a comprehensive choice of mainly Pitney Bowes-based franking machines, folder-inserter systems and, more recently, parcel shipping solutions, and it is recognised as the country’s leading independent distributor. Headed by ex-county cricketer, Ian Davidson, who was formerly a senior executive for Pitney Bowes, TMR employs more than 60 experienced personnel, divided across the head office team and field-based account managers and service engineers, and has been responsible for the installation and servicing of more than 8,000 user sites.
Following the recent purchases of West Country independent supplier, Mailing Systems Limited, and Sussex-based MailServe Limited, TMR is enjoying a strong period of business expansion, through acquisitions and organic growth, and the addition of Franking Direct continues that trend. As with the earlier company purchases, Franking Direct’s business will be seamlessly integrated into the Bury head office operation, allowing them to benefit from the economies of scale available at TMR, along with access to one of the most professional and technically-capable mailroom support teams in the UK.
“This acquisition brings excellent profit growth both in the short and long terms, due to the increased customer number and recurring revenue from maintenance income and consumables sales, whilst giving us further geographical reach in the south east,” says Group MD, Ian Davidson. “We look forward to supporting the new customers alongside our existing TMR clients, by continuing to provide high service levels, increased access to innovative technology and improved post room efficiencies.”
The Mailing Room’s acquisition was supported by Jean Bevan, head of Bevan Kidwell’s Corporate Commercial Department, and from the Manchester office of audit, tax and consulting practice RSM, AltFi’s Consulting and Corporate Advice Firm of the Year.
“It’s always a pleasure to act for ambitious, acquisitive companies and we were delighted to advise The Mailing Room on their third acquisition in 12 months,” says RSM Corporate Finance Partner, John Gillibrand. “This latest deal strengthens TMR’s market position and share, in what is an exciting time for the company.”
