As a family-run business, SEDO (South East Drawing Office) has a particular understanding of the importance of maintenance, service and customer support. Having launched its Disaster Recovery service last month, the graphics and technical print specialist supplier has appointed Mike Vincent as its Head of Technical Services, making him the person on point for all technical support enquiries.

Although only 38 years old, Mike has a lifetime’s experience in the wide-format industry, having led Xerox’s national technical specialist team for nearly two decades. Having started his print career at Ardleigh Green College with a BTec in electrical engineering and communication, Mike was selected for an apprenticeship with Xerox, quickly working his way up through the ranks from engineer to regional product specialist. After three years in that role he moved into a national position, facilitating the work of engineers and resellers with support escalations, site visits and service calls.

SEDO was one of those resellers; Mike has known Brian McGuinness, company director, for 15 years, so was the clear choice when the Basildon-based vendor made the decision to launch its new division in March 2016.

“A major part of my work is making sure that every element of a machine’s operation is run efficiently,” explains Mike. “Having worked with SEDO since its launch, I know that the company has exactly that ethic, which is why I’m excited to join the team. We are looking forward to expanding our support relationship with customers, many of whom already see us as the first line of defence for any maintenance or technical issues.”

On a daily basis Mike will address the various technical issues that customers face – with telephone calls, site visits and, where applicable, remote software access. Since officially starting the role on March 1st, he has completed a training course with KIP to ensure that clients benefit fully from the advanced greyscale management, certified application drivers, modular finishing and special effects units, and System K software endemic to the range.

SEDO supplies the full range of CAD-ready machines made by KIP, from the entry-level KIP 700 multi-functional printer to the popular KIP 9900, which can produce 22 A1-size prints per minute at a resolution of 600 x 1,800dpi. Mike’s training makes him particularly qualified to support the new KIP 800 series, an economical range of colour CAD printers that sports multiple folder and roll options and can be supplied with a scanner. However, he will also work to restore and optimise the fleet of Canon, Epson, Mutoh and other printers currently installed with SEDO clients around the country.

“We’ve provided technical support for some time and have always wanted to formalise this into a full department,” comments Andy McGuinness, Director. “SEDO has counted on Mike many times in his previous role and knew that he was looking for a new challenge to fulfil his technical appetite. We’re really happy that he’s chosen to join our team and are delighted that our customers are already profiting from his experience.”