After celebrating 35 years in business last year, Woodbank Office Solutions is set for year-on-year growth for 2025. We talk to founder, Janet Bowden, about the company’s history and how she forged the company from a solo venture.
“ For me marketing and communications is about ‘telling the story’, and Woodbank has a great story to tell. It’s great to be able to support everyone in the business and our partners, helping keep our customers and prospective customers up to date and informed. I’m passionate about creating an environment that helps people get to know what makes our business and the people in it so special and who we are
Away from the office: Melanie is a lover of exploring and travelling to new places. We also know, Mel is a bit of a gardener and loves to cook. If she’s not there she’ll probably be out enjoying the Peak District, where she lives.
Something not many people know about me: “ I once ran a professional recording studio and was lucky enough to have Michael Buble, The Script and Plan B record there.”
”The most important part of my job is supporting business development by creating opportunities for our Account Managers. I take pride in reaching out to companies and building those connections. The best part of my job, though, is booking those appointments and knowing that I’m introducing people and businesses to the fantastic solutions we provide our customers and I’m keeping the team busy.”
Away from the office: Scheryll enjoys quality time with her family, especially her daughter and grandchildren.
Something not many people know about me: Scheryll is a huge foodie, having developed her culinary skills serving as a chef in the RAF.
”The most important part of my job is looking after the customer and making sure when we commit to something, we deliver. I believe in treating the customers and the team with politeness, respect and fairness. The best part of my job is the relationships I have with our customers. I’ve been here 18 years and I love it that customers don’t just ask for the service department, they ask for me.“
Away from the office: Louise has entered a new and exciting chapter in her life and enjoys spending time with her twin grandchildren who keep her quite busy.
Something not many people know about me: “I wanted to be an HGV driver when I was younger which was a rare ambition at the time!”
”As a solutions consultant my job is to solve problems. It’s something I love doing for customers. By keeping up to date with the latest products and technology, when a prospective customer or one of our existing customers come to me with an issue, I know I can provide them with a range of options. My favourite part of the job is the fact we really do work as a team. I love that we work together, collaborating and always trying to figure out things that will benefit our customers and provide exactly what they need.“
Away from the office: Lee is a big family man so weekends are busy. When he’s not being the great dad he is, Lee enjoys watching a game of football and relaxing in front of the TV.
Something not many people know about me: “My best subject in school was actually French.”
”Whenever I’m working with a new or existing customer, whether it’s a small business or large, I always want to give the customer value and make a difference for them in some way. In the 26 years of doing this job, working with customers for me is about honesty and doing what I say I’m going to do.“
Away from the office: When Dave’s not spending time with his family, he loves a round of golf and, no-one can doubt the joy he expresses when his team, Liverpool Football Club win. He’s also a bit of a dab hand at cooking.
Something not many people know about me: “In 1975 I was featured in the Liverpool Echo as the heaviest baby born at the former Myrtle Street Childrens Hospital, weighing in at 11lb 11oz.”
“ For me managing our sales team is about working closely with them and learning how I can support them in achieving their objectives as salespeople and Account Managers as well as supporting them in their personal and professional development. The whole team is focused on one thing and that’s building great relationships with customers and each other. I personally love going out and seeing existing and potential customers, uncovering opportunities where we can make a real difference to their business operations. I love winning business based on merit, not on price, providing customers with solutions which add ‘real value’ to them. It’s about providing a customer service experience in the true spirit of a partnership.”
Away from the office: Carl is an avid golfer with not only 1, but 3 hole-in-ones to his name!
Something not many people know about me: “As a youngster, I was a long-distance runner at county level for Lancashire. I mostly ran 10Ks bust also did some Fell and Trial running.“
“I’ve been working in the Photocopying, Print and Document Management business since my early twenties. I founded Woodbank in 1989 and 30 plus years on my Head office is still based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. We now have regional offices in Liverpool & Leeds and our partners are Konica Minolta, Kyocera and as of 2022 we added Sharp to our office technology portfolio. We’ve over 1000 customers here at Woodbank. In 2022 I acquired Datatech Systems, now part of the Woodbank Group and we’re still growing. I feel very lucky to still love what I do as much as I did when I first started this business. I’m also blessed and proud that most of my team have been with me for 8 years or more. If you ask them, they’ll tell you I still love being hands on, as it is very important to me to understand what our people need.”
”I enjoy talking to businesses, learning about how they operate, how I can help their time and cost management and what’s causing them the most frustrations and stress. My biggest satisfaction is knowing I’ve taken the time to thoroughly look at the ins and outs of their business and the final result is they are happy. I then work with my customers to make sure what their office technology gives them the ability to be flexible and changes to me their business environment needs. I’m motivated by the challenge of navigating the rapidly changing needs in a businesses, and turning obstacles into opportunities for success. Building lasting relationships is also a driving force behind what I do. I’m passionate about understanding my clients and developing partnerships that extend beyond just a transaction.“
Away from the office: James is a keen fisherman and you’ll often find him exploring the beautiful rivers and lakes that Wales has to offer with his Cocker Spaniel Walter. Away from the fishing rod, James is a huge Evertonian, regularly visiting Goodison Park with his family.
Something not many people know about me: “I lived and worked in Sweden for 6 months. My lasting memory is very clean, lots of bikes and expensive beer.”
“I love solving problems for our customers. Whether that’s improving efficiency, tackling servicing issues or cost saving. To solve a customer’s problem is the driver for me. I know I’m doing my job right when I know that the right solution is in place and giving the customer exactly what they need.”
Away from the office: Josh is all about sport. He’s 1st team Captain for Heaton Mersey Lacrosse, loves watching (in his words) ’the mighty man city’ and, he’s so mad about golf he not only plays it he does a podcast on the subject.
Something not many people know about me: “I represented the UK at Lacrosse under 19 championships in Finland in 2012 and scored a goal against the Czech Republic.”
”I care and like to go above and beyond for customers as often as I can. If I can help I will. If I’m called to see a customer and I discover they need a part for a machine, wherever I am, I’ll drive back to the office, pick one up and drive back to the customer to fix the problem. The most rewarding part of my job is knowing that I have helped people, whether that’s the customers or anyone of the Woodbank team. We’re all part of a family.“
Away from the office: John is a master craftsman. You’ll often find him in his shed at the bottom of the garden woodworking. He produces high-quality bowls, cabinets, ornaments, decorations, chopping boards. If you want something beautifully made from wood, John is the man.
Something not many people know about me: “In the early 2000s I spent my weekends as a Peak District Ranger, doing guided walks and supporting people enjoying the outdoors when needed. I can now read maps down to a meter which stops me getting lost.”
”Good customer experience is very important to me. I’ve been on the other end of bad service in the past where companies have promised and not delivered, so for our customers I make sure I do everything I say I will do. I really like that everyone here supports each other and that we can always contact each other when we’re out in the field. I also love working in a team where everyone in it is very experienced.“
Away from the office: Alex loves to travel. One of his favourite places is Kraków, as he loves to experience the architecture and history. He even got married abroad in Ayia Napa. His got his eye on the Caribbean next.
Something not many people know about me: “As a teenager, I was in the local paper in Charlsworth, Glossop, trying to save our picturesque wooden bus stop from destruction. Sadly I failed.”
”To me it’s all about what I can do for the customers and how efficiently I can do it. After years’ of experience doing this job, you get a good ear for issues. I take pride in being quick and efficient as it cuts down on any disruption to our customers on an install or on a fix. The best part of my job is being out and interacting with our customers. I like to keep them informed and advise when it might need parts or what areas they might want to consider upgrading; I know this helps the Account Management team who look after them also. It’s all part of what we do.”
Away from the office: John is big into his music, especially the music of the 60s. He loves listening to music at home and has quite an eclectic collection across many genres. Eating out he prefers foreign cuisine, especially good Indian food.
Something not many people know about me: “I once hitchhiked around Europe for 6 months. For 3 of those months I lived in Mechelen, Belguim and worked as a lumberjack for a power station. No check shirt required.”
”I make sure all the accounts are running smoothly, from invoicing to ordering. One of the benefits of working at Woodbank for over a decade is that I know the company and customers inside out; The best part of my job is that customers know they can come to me if they have any questions and they know that I always do my best in everything that’s asked of me.“
Away from the office: Emma is kept busy with her two boys and likes to go on days out with the kids. She also likes to socialise with friends and attend the odd wine-tasting event.
Something not many people know about me: “I’m completely self-trained in any manual labour job you can think off, thanks to Google.“
“My main objective is for every one of our customers to know that they’ll receive great service and support from me and my team. For them to have reassurance that whether it’s new machines being installed, they are upgrading, have a service need, or they simply need toner, we will always deal with it professionally, quickly and efficiently. We’re here to make sure that our customers’ work environment runs smoothly and we minimise any disruption to their business. With over 98% customer retention as a business and our team of engineers achieving consistently over 90% first-time fix, we set our standards high and have a lot to be proud of.”
