ACCO Brands Debuts 2018 Range

ACCO Brands brought together customers, partners and business leaders from across the UK and Ireland last week to unveil some exciting new developments at its exclusive ‘Designed for Growth’ event.

Hosted at the Jaguar Experience Centre in Birmingham, UK, on 14 March, the venue was the perfect setting to debut ACCO’s latest product ranges and outline plans for the future of the UK side of the business.

The day kicked off with presentations from the ACCO team, including SVP of Sales EMEA Nigel Gunn, Regional VP of UK & Ireland VP Mark Wilkinson, Regional Marketing Manager Elisabete Wells and Country Manager David Richardson. The talks focused on how resellers can collaborate with the group to boost sales and what the future of the OP industry may hold. It was also a chance for the company to showcase the progress it had made since its takeover of Esselte last year.

Guests were then treated to a first look at the new products for 2018, including the Leitz MyBox storage and NeXXt stapling ranges, and Rexel’s Auto Feed shredders with SmarTech, alongside existing bestsellers.

There was also a special preview of the innovations that are set for release in 2019. These included the introduction of a coordinated range of desktop and filing products, shredders and the world’s first widescreen whiteboards.

The highlight of the event for many was an inspirational keynote speech by celebrity entrepreneur Baroness Karren Brady, famous for her high-profile involvement in West Ham football club and a starring role on the BBC’s Apprentice series.

She told attendees how her primary focus had always been to create an iconic brand, revealing her six factors to make a successful business: leadership, ambition, determination, attitude, direction and positivity.

After a networking lunch, guests were invited on an enlightening factory tour of the Jaguar facility, with a chance to see the iconic F-TYPE being constructed by robots.

Wilkinson said the event was a "huge success", commenting: “We will continue the hard work at ACCO Brands by maintaining this momentum and working together towards growth […] in collaboration with our brands, confirming why we are their chosen partner.” (OPI)