Cantec Turns 30! From Photocopiers to Managed Print Services
Thirty years ago, in 1994, Cantec began its journey in Waterford as a small photocopier dealership. Grainne and Shay Tuohy founded the business with a simple goal: to help businesses run more smoothly by providing reliable office equipment. Back then, it was just a small team of three, little did they know, they were laying the foundation for what would become one of Ireland’s leading providers of managed print and technology solutions.
(Pictured: Shay and Grainne outside the original Cantec office)
Cantec’s very first customer? Fieldmaster on the Quay in Waterford, now known as OfficeMaster, still with us after all these years! They remain one of our longest-standing relationships, marking 30 years of partnership! Back then, the tech landscape was a bit different. One of our cutting-edge offerings in the ’90s was a fax machine with a built-in answering machine! We’ve come a long way since those days of fax tones and busy signals.
As the business began to grow, Shay and Grainne brought their children, Greg and Éadaoin, into the fold. From an early age, Greg and Éadaoin were part of the Cantec story, learning the ropes of the family business.
(Pictured: Greg and Éadaoin working in the upgraded Cantec office)
We expanded into managed print services with our first big client, Teva Pharmaceuticals. Shay and Greg were often seen delivering boxes of paper directly to individual printers throughout the plant. It wasn’t just a business; it was a family affair. Fast forward to now, and we’re managing nearly 6,000 machines for over 2,000 customers nationwide. That’s quite a leap from our modest start with fewer than 50 machines!
Growing and Thriving
From those early days with just three people, our team has expanded to 52 members (plus 10 more in our sister company, SmartOffice). We’ve grown beyond our original Waterford location, opening offices in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, and Mullingar. While we started as a small local business, our team has grown not just in size but in diversity and expertise, helping us serve a wide range of businesses with professionalism and a smile.
Taking Printing to New Heights… and Depths!
Over the past three decades, we’ve installed printers in some unexpected places. But the most extreme? Over 1 kilometre below sea level at the bottom of Tara Mines. Cantec has truly taken printing to new depths. Whether it’s an office, a school, or a mine, we’ve been there!
Lessons
One key lesson we’ve learned in our 30 years? Respect. Respect your colleagues the way you want them to respect your customers. This simple principle has guided us through three decades of growth and success.
Celebrating 30 Years
As we celebrate our 30th birthday, we’re reminded of the many milestones we’ve achieved, the customers we’ve served, and the memories we’ve made. If we had to choose a theme song for this milestone, it might be “You’re just too good to be true, CANTEC my eyes off of you…” because these 30 years have been a remarkable journey. From our first photocopier sale to becoming a leader in managed print and technology solutions, we’ve evolved, but our core mission remains the same: to support our customers with the best service possible.
If you’d like more information on how to maximise your business’s print efficiency, contact us on enquiries@cantecgroup.ie.
