The decision to replace the office copier/MFP is one to take seriously. It is an important piece of equipment that keeps your office running smoothly and can sometimes represent a significant investment (as we break down in our article on the cost of a copier).
When making any large purchase, Maritimers want to know they can trust the organization they are buying from. To help you get to know the key manufacturer brands you are likely to see when shopping around for a new copier, we put together this list of the best office equipment manufacturers available in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and PEI.
Some of these brands sell directly to businesses, while others sell through a network of local dealers.
The Top Office Equipment Brands in Atlantic Canada
Ricoh
Founded in 1936 in Tokyo, Japan, Ricoh is the largest copier manufacturer in the world. Ricoh is passionate about information mobility and the role it plays in the changing ways people work and communicate. Beyond imaging technology (copiers and printers), they also produce cameras, projectors, interactive whiteboards and document management software.
Xerox
Originally named “The Haloid Photographic Company,” Xerox was founded in 1906. From their headquarters in Norwalk, Connecticut, Xerox has one of the most recognizable brand names in the office imaging industry. They produce a wide variety of office equipment including copiers, printers, scanners and digital printing presses. Xerox’s goal is to “reinvent the way the world connects, communicates and works.”
Konica Minolta
With their headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, Konica Minolta was born in 2006 when the two imaging manufacturers, Konica and Minolta, merged. They believe that their purpose as an organization is to contribute to society by creating innovative products and solutions. Konica Minolta focuses primarily on office equipment and software such as printers, MFPs (multi-function printers) and workflow automation solutions but they have also spun off several divisions which produce optical components, healthcare imaging equipment and light control and measurement technology.
Kyocera
Kyocera was first established in 1959 and have their headquarters in Kyoto, Japan. They are committed to creating new value by continually remaining on the cutting edge of technology. Over the past decades, Kyocera has diversified their products to now produce solar power systems, industrial ceramics, semiconductors and cutting tools in addition to their office equipment such as telecommunications systems, copiers and printers.
Canon
Since 1937, Canon has been creating a variety of imaging and optical products from their headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. Outside of their office technology offerings of copiers and printers, they produce steppers, cameras and medical equipment. Canon strives to find innovative solutions to the real problems businesses face.
Toshiba
Toshiba is also headquartered in Tokyo, Japan and has been manufacturing a wide range of consumer and business electronics since their founding in 1875. Their slogan is “leading innovation,” and they strive to live up to this motto across all six of their principal business domains (Electronic Devices & Components, Lifestyle Products, Energy & Infrastructure, Community Solutions and Cloud Solutions). With over 598 subsidiaries, Toshiba is regularly included on the list of the world’s 100 largest companies.
Sharp
Headquartered in Sakai, Japan and founded in 1912, Sharp has been designing and manufacturing electronics for over a century. While they produce a wide variety of products, Sharp’s core business focuses mainly on projectors, monitors, cash registers, copiers, printers, TV, mobile phones and solar panels. They challenge themselves to create products and solutions that enhance people’s lives at home, at work and everywhere in between.
How to Choose an Office Equipment Brand
All the major copier manufacturers are large, multinational firms with decades of experience in the industry. In general, they all make great equipment, offer warranties on their devices and have a wide range of sizes and models.
While there are indeed differences in the exact features and benefits one brand may offer compared to another, we have found that selecting the correct size and model device for your business can be just as, if not more, important than your choice of manufacturer.
Working with a local dealership is one of the strategies you can use to help refine exactly which model device best meets your specific requirements. We dive into this in much more detail in our post on whether to buy direct or through a dealership, but ultimately it boils down to what the manufacturers are best at (designing and manufacturing great products) vs what the dealers are best at (acquiring and servicing local customers).
Ultimately, there is no one-size-fits-all, correct answer, to which brand you should buy or who you should buy it from; it depends on what works best for your business.
Office Interiors Can Help You Find the Right Solution
At Office Interiors, we have helped thousands of businesses of all sizes find the office equipment that best solves their challenges and requirements. Our customers give our service a Net Promoter Score of 87 and have awarded us the Consumers Choice Award for every year since it arrived on the east coast in 2010.
Not ready to commit to working with Office Interiors just yet? We also put together lists of the top office equipment dealers in Nova Scotia and the top office equipment dealers in New Brunswick.
Have you had your fill of research and feel prepared to move forward with selecting the device to keep your office running for years to come? Fill out this form for your FREE office technology consultation.
Cory Porteous
Marketing Manager
Office Interiors
