Opening the floodgates to service and quality
For over 80 Years, MJ Flood has been providing its customers with the highest levels of customer service
MJ Flood is one of those firms that epitomises the ‘Irish success story’ moniker that businesses all over the country strive for. Established in 1935 and privately owned, the company is the largest indigenous supplier of digital technology, copiers, office furniture and interiors in Ireland. Multiple recessions and an evolving market has seen the company reinvent itself several times over the years but with one central tenet that has never changed – the customer comes first.
MJ Flood’s head office is situated in Dublin’s Baldonnell Business Park and consists of purpose-built offices, showrooms and warehouse. Its HQ is supported by eight regional branches in Athlone, Belfast, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Sligo, Wexford and Waterford; each branch employs local staff, underlining the company’s commitment to the local areas it operates in.
Phil Schueler, Production Print Manager at MJ Flood, has been with the company since 2010. Before moving to Ireland in 2007, he worked directly for Konica Minolta in the US for several years. “MJ Flood is the exclusive distributor for Konica Minolta in Ireland so even before starting at the company, I had that knowledge and experience of the brand. I actually started at Konica before Minolta and Konica were even one company.” MJ Flood’s partnership with Konica Minolta reflects the company’s long track record in delivering quality print management solutions and technical expertise to the Irish market. “Providing a value that extends beyond the sale for our customers is probably our main aim here at MJ Flood. That service starts before the sale and it doesn’t end once the sale is complete. My most important role begins once the machine is installed. We want our customers to feel supported throughout the entire process and long after the press has started operating.” MJ Flood customers range from small to medium sized print firms. “Over the years, I’ve had customers entering the industry with very little experience. They might have been operating shops out of their house or garden. Then on the opposite side of the spectrum, I’ve had customers who have been in the print trade for years. We cater for all kinds of firms; finding the right solution for each company, regardless of its size, is key.”
Hard work has gone into building and maintaining a loyal customer base. “We have quite a lot of repeat business. I’ve been lucky enough to have customers that have stuck with me and the product that we supply for several years but at the same time, we’re always expanding into new business. This year alone, we have gained an additional 10 new customers. That repeat business and those new clients require a lot of hard work, word of mouth and phone calls, which is still essential in this business.”
MJ Flood has been selling Konica Minolta machines in Ireland for over 45 years. The brand is known for its innovation, efficiency and quality. “We’re very happy to stand over the equipment we supply. We provide a vast range of digital printing systems from the Konica Minolta range. These digital print machines are ideal when it comes to servicing the needs of central reprographic departments, print-for-pay providers, commercial printers or any production printing environment.” Right now, higher volume machines are in demand. “We’re finding that customers are opting for the AccurioPress C6085 and the C6100. These machines are both high volume units; they’re affordable yet score highly when it comes to functionality. Quite a few of the entry level machines are also proving popular at the moment, including the AccurioPrint C3070L.”
The print industry has changed dramatically over the past 10 years. “It’s certainly gotten bigger and more crowded but there’s been a huge amount of innovation as well. I think that today, you could start a print shop based around digital printing at a much lower cost than what it would have cost a few years ago. The print industry has opened itself up and digital has opened the door for more entrepreneurship in the print trade.” Regardless of the changes that are set to shape and mould the print industry going into the future, MJ Flood will be best placed to cater for those shifting requirements. “We’ve been around for a very long time. Our customers buy from us because they know that as their chosen equipment provider, we’ll be here to take care of business for many years to come.”
