That distinction matters, because it explains why the company’s long-standing relationship with Ricoh has become such an important part of its growth story.
“We’ve worked with Ricoh for quite a few years now, and we have a number of digital presses supplied by Ricoh,” says Smith, who adds: “One of the best parts that comes from working direct with them is that we can actually have a conversation – what our requirements from Statex are. So we’ve got a very good relationship. If we have a problem we contact them straight away, and the problems are resolved in a fast manner, which suits us because obviously Statex are a major print innovator and we want to be able – at the cutting edge – to actually make sure that we hit every box out of the client’s requirements.”
That drive to stay at the sharp end of innovation runs right through the company. Statex has built its model around the idea that clients no longer simply want print; they want ideas, agility, added value and outcomes. Rather than seeing itself as “a printer as such”, the business has consciously evolved into something more consultative – an extension of the client’s own capability.
On the cutting edge
In practice, that means investing time in research and development, exploring new applications, and looking for ways to create work that stands apart from more standard market offerings. Smith’s view is clear – when a print business can bring something different to market, everybody benefits: the provider, the client and the end customer.
Part of that approach has been choosing technology that supports not only production, but ambition. “So we buy directly from Ricoh and to us that’s a far better solution, because they’re very, very attentive to our needs – and they’ll help us get to the results that we need as a company,” says Smith, who continues: “We have a 9500, which we just recently installed, which is a fabulous bit of kit – colour’s fabulous. The actual speed is fabulous, and we’ve also put a complete booklet making system on the back end of that, which has allowed us to be far more flexible and produce artwork and personalised information very, very quickly.”
That investment appears to have widened Statex’s capabilities in a meaningful way. Smith explains that the business assessed the market carefully, looking not just at its own needs, but at what would best serve clients. The conclusion was that innovation requires the right tools behind it. For Statex, this is not simply about keeping up with competitors, but about creating headroom to expand as both a print company and a broader solution provider.
It also aligns with the business’s wider philosophy that print is far from a “one trick pony”. Statex sees print as a growth market when used imaginatively – not just as something flat and functional, but as a medium that can move across formats, surfaces and environments. From brochures and booklets to large-format applications and integrated campaigns, the company is working to show clients how print can operate as part of a much bigger communications and procurement ecosystem.
Personalised print power
Personalisation is central to that vision. Statex has developed workflows capable of producing highly tailored materials at speed, turning what would once have taken days into processes measured in minutes. A sixty-page personalised brochure, for example, can be generated from client-supplied data in around three to four minutes and placed straight into production. From there, the workflow can carry it through print, stitching, mailing and tracked delivery direct to the recipient’s door.
That compression of time is significant, but so too is the effect on what clients can realistically ask for. Complex, fully personalised multi-piece jobs become commercially viable in a way they simply would not be under more traditional workflows. In that sense, the technology is not just improving throughput – it is changing the scale of what Statex can offer.
Smith also credits Ricoh with helping the business keep pushing forward: “We also like to think of ourselves as, you know, pushing the boundaries out and, Ricoh, there in the background to allow us to make that happen. And that’s one of the beauties of the relationship between the two of us.”
That outward-facing ambition can be seen clearly in Statex’s own client acquisition strategy. Rather than relying on generic promotional materials, the business has built targeted campaigns for carefully selected prospects. One example is its so-called Wow Box – a personalised, premium direct mail piece designed not just to impress, but to demonstrate capability in a tactile, memorable form.
The box itself is designed as a showcase. Personalised outer packaging, foil blocking, soft-touch lamination and bespoke merchandise all help make it feel more like a curated brand experience than a standard sales sample. But the real strength lies in what happens next. Each piece is linked to a personalised QR code that takes the recipient into a tailored online environment known as The Easy Life – effectively a demo site built around that individual and their business.
This creates a powerful bridge between print and digital. The printed piece becomes the trigger, while the online layer deepens engagement and gives Statex valuable insight into who has interacted with the campaign. That, in turn, enables smarter follow-up from the sales team and opens the door to a branded procurement environment shaped around the prospect’s likely needs – whether in automotive, retail, education or beyond.
Driving impact for customers
The wider proposition is clear: a fully personalised procurement service designed around the specific requirements of each client from beginning to end. Smith says that approach has already helped the business win significant new accounts, and it points to a model in which print, ecommerce, data and fulfilment are increasingly interwoven.
“The flexibility working with Ricoh and developing going forward can only bring far more benefits,”
That confidence is rooted in what Statex has already built. The company now operates not only business-to-business print procurement websites, but business-to-consumer platforms too. These allow personalisation to run deep – across covers, text, imagery and internal pages – turning even relatively standard printed products into highly customised items. In effect, Statex is no longer simply selling books, brochures or printed matter; it is selling the ability to tailor printable products at scale.
That extends into mailing and fulfilment as well. By combining automation, data handling and production efficiency, the company can act almost as an end-user mailing house for clients it may never even meet in person. The emphasis is on delivering a first-class service through an integrated workflow, supported by a culture that is visibly energised by innovation.
There is also, in Smith’s account, a genuine affection for the medium itself. He speaks not only about efficiency and automation, but about tactility, smell, finish and the beauty of the final outcome. That matters, because it reveals something deeper about Statex: this is a business where the commercial logic of technology is still being driven by a human passion for print.
That combination may be its real differentiator. Statex is not rejecting print’s traditional strengths; it is amplifying them through technology. By connecting print with website creation, personalisation, large-format and procurement systems, the company has built a model designed to solve broader client challenges, not just produce individual jobs.
