THE world's leader in digital imaging has returned to the Basingstoke area.

Canon UK opened its state-of-the-art Canon business Centre Southern England, at Linden Wood, Chineham Business Park, as part of the company's strategy to roll out 14 Canon Business Centres across the UK and Ireland.

According to Jon Barrett, head of Canon Business Centre Southern England, the move will enable the company to get closer to its customer base, by creating sales and service teams with a local identity.

Mr Barrett said: "As a business, we are setting up a European model - and the Chineham office is one of the first in the UK where customers can view the latest document management and printing technology.

Commenting on the company's new regional strategy, Mr Barrett said: "We understand that local businesses need the proper level of support, and by having Canon teams in the area companies can feel more confident that any problems they may experience will be dealt with quickly and efficiently."

The centre covers the area from the whole of the M4 Thames Valley corridor and the M3 corridor, from the M25 down to Poole.

"Basingstoke is an ideal location, because we are right in the middle of our region and we can get to all our customers or our customers can get to us within 60 minutes," added Mr Barrett.

"For many years, up to about 1997, we were in the Basingstoke area - in Chineham Business Park - but then the company went through a process of consolidation and our sales and service team moved to Bracknell. So when I had the choice of where to relocate, Chineham Business Park seemed the ideal place.

"We don't have a huge showroom, but we have become increasingly involved in IT solutions in terms of using our equipment as scanners, document-management accessories and printing machines.

"Our showroom boasts the latest Canon range, giving our customers an experience of what ultimately they could be doing in their own businesses. Here we can show people how we use the products ourselves."

To book an appointment to visit the showroom, call 01256 372800.

First published: Thursday, October 13, 2005