This is the first in a series of guest articles by Gordon Sheppard of KONICA MINOLTA Business Solutions (UK) Ltd.
Here he reminisces on his early career and his move to Capital Copiers.
Like many in our industry, I arrived in the world of copier sales and service almost by a “happy accident”.
Working as a 20 year old in a dead-end government office on low pay and with a dull future, I bumped into the girl of my dreams and decided I’d better get a haircut and a proper job.
It was just as well I sharpened up as I did eventually marry Julie, and we have just celebrated our 25 years of marriage this year!
Capital Copiers
A couple of years previous to this point in time, I’d written to a small office equipment company who’d advertised for a trainee service engineer in the local Evening News recruitment column inches. I was interviewed, but didn’t get the job, so I took up the government office job.
That office equipment company was Capital Copiers, who had not long moved from a small premises in Abbeyhill to a spacious new office in Broughton Market and were looking to become the number one choice for office equipment supply in Edinburgh.
When Capital Copiers advertised again in late 1984, (and I was love-struck), I applied for a second time on the basis that a “car would be handy!” I got the job this time.
Nineteen Eighties: sharp suits and crazy shoes
For the next nine years, and through the move into their current premises at 101 MacDonald Road, I began to build a career.
I look back on these years with great fondness. There was a lot of fun being involved with such an ambitious business that was so keen to make itself the standard for excellence in the industry.
There were some great moments when financial and other targets were smashed and we all celebrated the victories – the sales and admin teams and the directors together. A Peebles Hydro Hotel weekend wearing our nineteen eighties sharp suits and crazy shoes in particular comes to mind (see photo!).
Posted in About Us, From the Archive, Konica Minolta
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