Tuesday, 01 Mar 2016 09:49 GMT

Phil Dowson

Jo Golding talks to Phil Dowson, managing director of Nth Degree Imaging, about how their new premises, dealerships, and eagerness to expand their team has seen them grow

With intense competition in the wide-format reseller market, what is Nth Degree Imaging’s long-term strategy for growth ?

Nth Degree Imaging looks to distinguish itself from competitors by providing outstanding customer care. We do not simply ‘sell products’, but provide solutions through our extensive experience and unparalleled technical understanding. We offer unrivalled post sale support that prov-ides our customers with peace of mind and an abundance of industry know-how.

We do not simply ‘sell products’, but provide solutions”


We are always looking for ambitious and energetic people to join the business so that we can continue our impressive growth. Nth Degree also spends a lot of time investigating and researching new technologies so that we can offer the very latest solutions and products to our customers.

We aim to grow by creating strong and long-lasting customer relationships and enhancing our already first class reputation.

How has your product portfolio grown over time?

As the business has grown we have slowly added products and services from trusted suppliers. We were originally a dealer for Epson and have since become an approved Epson service partner. We have also added Roland and Canon dealerships to our portfolio. This allows us to operate across the wide-format market and provide the best possible service to our customers.


Nth Degree is a key supplier of Roland DG’s wide-format print technology, including its flagship SolJet Pro XF 640

 
We are also constantly testing and trialling new medias and substrates so that our customers have solutions that meet their needs and are ready to use immediately after install. We want to be at the cutting edge of quality and provide solutions of the highest standards. We spend a lot of time on market research to make sure what we offer is in line with the current technology and hits all the latest standards. We have huge experience in providing colour management and we feel our existing customers trust that expertise.

We are also constantly testing and trialling new medias”


What do you do to ensure you retain a happy customer base?

Our whole business ethos is based on keeping the customer satisfied. We like to be challenged by our customers in order to resolve any issues they may have. Nth Degree Imaging does not just want to provide the equipment but also the expertise. Helping our customers resolve their problems and being a technical resource to them as and when they need it.
 
Our technicians like nothing more than a challenge. That may be a question about which machine is best suited to a particular job or it may be an issue surrounding colour management. We have huge trust in the prowess of our team to find the answers. This support is vital in building trust and it is this trust that allows us to cement our relationships with our customer base.

As Sign and Digital UK 2016 draws closer, what are your plans?

We will be taking the opportunity to highlight our on-going partnership as a Roland official dealer. On display will be the latest Roland VersaUV LEF 300, a large flatbed printer that is twice as fast as its predecessors.
 
Literally ‘hot off the press’ we have just agreed to showcase the exciting new Signracer 2500 H-LED Hybrid flatbed printer. This next generation printer has five print heads, two media tables, and can handle thicknesses up to 50mm whilst delivering a superb print resolution of 1,200dpi. The maximum production speed is an impressive 44sq m/h with double row print heads.

Additional equipment present will include the Canon inkjet based system that uses specialised software for creating negative and positive films for use in the creation of plates for flexographic printing.

Re-enforcing that Nth Degree is not just a hardware sales business, we will be presenting a range of consumables to help achieve a high quality finished product. Under the brand name Euromedia from FujiFilm, Nth Degree Imaging offer media for every printing system and every application. This is complemented by our own ‘Positiv’ range of print media.


With a number of feathers in its cap, Nth Degree stocks Fujifilm’s Euromedia range of sign-making materials
 


Visitors to the stand will also be able to see the very latest T-Flow Production Software, which allows the user to automate repetitive pre-press tasks and automatically modify and optimise files for different printing conditions and technologies.

What is Nth Degree Imaging doing to strengthen its team?

Nth Degree has experienced rapid growth and is always looking to invest in energetic and ambitious people. We are currently looking to recruit a new salesperson that can help us cover more of the UK and continue the expansion of Nth Degree Imaging.
 
We have recently taken on new premises in Peterborough that give us a central hub from which to operate from. This will give us more space for storage, demo equipment, new staff, and a central location for customers and suppliers to visit.
 
The management team is also always looking for new opportunities with like-minded businesses whether it is through partnerships, mergers or acquisitions. Nth Degree is a young and ambitious company that is eager to grow.

How has Nth Degree Imaging developed as a business?

Nth Degree started as a very different entity back in 2008. At that time, I personally had very little experience in the industry and the business was purely a media distributor and operated mainly in the North East. I was playing rugby for Newcastle Falcons and when I moved to Northampton Saints I knew that I needed to invest more time and effort in order to move the business on.
 
The catalyst for change was undoubtedly the introduction of Matt Crowther and Ian Prosser into the business. Both immediately became directors and shareholders and both instantly took to revolutionising the company. Since then the growth has been incredible. The experience and industry knowledge that these men possess is second to none, and couple that with their energy and ambition and we have a team that is determined to succeed.
 
Matt and Ian have also created the business model that we believe will be successful, equipment and consumable sales will always be supported by our outstanding technical department. The depth of knowledge about software, work flows, and colour management is a market leader in wide-format print and we believe this will allow Nth Degree Imaging to continue to expand—building on its already impressive foundations.



Key stats

  • Nth Degree started in 2008
  • Nth Degree will exhibit at SDUK 2016
  • Trading for 8 years
  • Nth Degree will show the VersaUV LEF 300 at SDUK



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