Stephen Armistead

Stephen Armistead

Title:                    Director

Company:          Trade Copiers Ltd

Location:             United Kingdom

Industry:             Office Equipment

Member since    2003

Stephen came up with the idea of refurbishing and trading in used photocopiers back in 2002, when he saw an opening in the market for a quality provider with strong logistics capabilities.  Since then sales have steadily increased year on year. 

Initially exploring the possibility of exporting in 2003, within 12 months of listing on Alibaba, Trade Copiers had achieved export sales of over £250,000.  The company now turns over more than £1,000,000 per annum with export sales representing over 50 % of annual revenue.  Trade Copiers now stocks thousands of brands and models of used copiers at any one time in a warehouse that occupies more than 22,500 sq feet.  In 2006, Trade Copiers was named Business link Exporter of the Year, on the back of its accelerating growth.

Stephen believes the support of the UK Government Agencies, Business link and UKTI, helped him get his business off the ground, but the environmentally friendly aspect of his business, combined with the cost-savings customers enjoy through buying refurbished copiers is really what has driven the success. 

Being transparent and straightforward is the key to trading online, says Stephen, “We believe we have built our reputation through a blend of modern E business techniques and traditional service values.  We have never advertised a product online that is not in stock or cannot be delivered within the deadline agreed with the buyer. We store and distribute the used products at our own premises and have an open door policy for prospective buyers to visit and view the stock before ordering.  In fact we’ve welcomed visitors from all over the place, including, China, Germany, UAE, India, Singapore, Egypt, Israel, and Saudi Arabia to name just a few.”

Stephen is keen to highlight that Ecommerce has brought Trade Copiers to the attention of a much wider global audience than would have been possible using offline trading alone.  “It has enabled us to grow our international business to a higher level and significantly quicker than traditional and resource intensive practices would have allowed,” he says.  

ECommerce and specifically the company’s presence on Alibaba.com has enabled Trade Copiers to export to countries all across the world, including among others UAE, China, Pakistan, India , Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Syria, Israel, Spain, Italy, Greece, Poland, Holland, Tanzania, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Ireland, Romania, Senegal, and the Philippines.