Profile - Adrian Fitzpatrick: Taking storage of documents into a new arena brings hope on jobs

AS Arthur Miller noted, there's more to salesmanship than a shoeshine and a smile.

Adrian Fitzpatrick, the Arena Group's managing director, knows that selling is a maligned art. But if you do your homework, there's more chance the potential buyer will give you a sympathetic hearing.

"I heard one businessman say the other day that he'd rather repair his decrepit photocopiers 50,000 times than speak to a photocopier salesman,'' he recalled. "When he met us, the penny dropped. It's not about photocopiers but finding someone who understands documents and the most efficient and cost-effective way to process them."

Photocopiers are the essential props for any modern office.

In the internet age, we also need to keep electronic documents in a safe place. You never know when a client might have a query about an order from the distant past. Law firms have to keep files in "deep storage" for years. People may choose to litigate over disputes lost in the mists of time.

This is where the Arena Group comes in. It helps to ensure that files are found quickly, because delays can be costly.

The Arena Group was established in a recession, which means the company is an old hand at dealing with slumps and market jitters.

After a period of steady growth, partly driven by acquisition, it aims to double in size over the next five years. By 2015, it could have about 250 staff and turnover of 25m.

So Mr Fitzpatrick, who has been with the firm since it was founded in 1991 with 10 people, is preparing for the challenge of his professional life.

The Wakefield-based copier, printer and electronic document management business prides itself on being a great place to work. It has the trophies to prove it. In 2006, it won the Best Company to Work for Category at the Yorkshire Post Excellence in Business Awards. Judges were impressed by an internal group, known as the "apostles". The group of 12 staff from across the organisation works with management to discuss issues which affect all departments.

Mr Fitzpatrick is a passionate advocate of staff development. If your employees leave en masse, there's a good chance your customers will follow them.

"Customers really appreciate getting to know individual employees and having someone who knows their business,'' he said. "You can't offer that kind of service if people are leaving all the time."

The early days were tough. The recession of the early 1990s wiped out many fledgling businesses. Mr Fitzpatrick recalled: "We had no customer base and it was a case of drumming up business quickly. It has stood us in good stead and helped us to understand the importance of being thrifty."

The former Bradford Grammar School pupil became a trainee photocopier salesman after a brief stint in the civil service.

Along with six partners, he founded Arena Group after spotting a gap in the market for a company that "wanted long- term relationships and not quick buck sales wins".

"We've grown through a mix of organic growth and acquisitions and now have five offices across Yorkshire, Lancashire and Derbyshire,'' he said.

"The decision to go down the acquisition route was a big one. It allowed us to build the business fairly quickly."

In seven years, the Arena Group bought seven companies – including Sterling Business Systems, based in Thorp Arch, and Sheffield firm WRG. It now has 130 staff.

Mr Fitzgerald said the acquisition of a document management business, Mitral Systems, in 2006 was the final piece in the jigsaw. "It enabled us to be a one-stop shop," he said. "Turnover was about 12m this year. The last three years have been fairly static. We have had a period of consolidation. But now we see the business being twice the size in the next five years."

So how is he going to go about doing this? Arena Group has a number of services that it plans to sell to its existing customers to help them be more efficient.

Mr Fitzpatrick is keen to focus on Arena's managed print service. "In essence, it's an outsourced service for customers,'' he said. "We take away a big headache and save them money in the process. We've invested heavily in technology and people to do that. Document management is a growing issue for corporates, lawyers and housing associations – we can help to address issues such as storage space and manage email filing."

The company can also speed up the processing of documents so a business can get its invoices out more quickly.

He also hopes to win more work in the education sector, as schools have to handle more paperwork to show they are hitting performance targets.

"We have a thriving apprentice programme and are looking to expand that,'' he added.

According to Mr Fitzpatrick, many Yorkshire businesses have survived the recession because they were sensible about borrowing. But he cautioned: "Times are tough and the public sector cuts are bound to have a knock-on effect. But the private sector companies we are working with have re-focused and are seeing business increase. I think the region will continue to be okay, but we aren't going to see dynamic growth for some years."

Unlike many of his peers, Mr Fitzpatrick has plenty of experience at dealing with testing economic headwinds.

"We started in a recession which means we have always run the business in a lean way,'' he said. "We've got cash reserves and a fantastic bunch of people who have ramped up their efforts."

Adrian Fitzpatrick

Date of birth: April 27, 1964

Title: Managing director of the Arena Group

Education: Bradford Grammar School

First job: Department of Health and Social Security clerical officer

Favourite song: Strange Town by the Jam

Last book read: Competitive Advantage by Michael E Porter

Car driven: Golf GT diesel

Favourite holiday destination: Portugal

The thing he's most proud of: His three children