This week, we’re getting to know a bit more about our team in Inverness and how they have been supporting customers across the Highlands and Islands for over 50 years.
Over that time, they’ve built lasting customer relationships, developed deep knowledge of the region and helped generations of engineers build their careers. Today, that local experience is combined with the wider resources, technology and expertise of Agilico.
In May 1974, Bill Main co-founded Highland Office Equipment (HOE) in Inverness with a simple but important idea:
to truly support businesses across the Highlands and Moray, you need local people who understand the region.
More than 50 years later, that principle remains at the heart of the business.
Now part of Agilico, the Inverness team continues to support more than 1,000 organisations across the Highlands and Islands – from independent charities to major regional employers – combining decades of local knowledge with the wider expertise and resources of one of the UK’s largest independent workplace technology providers.
As Alex Main, Bill’s son and an account director at Agilico, puts it: The name has changed, but the local team and its commitment to Highland customers remain.”
“It has always been important to provide the highest level of sales advice, backed by the best service and products, to build and maintain those relationships.”
And that’s what makes the Inverness operation worth celebrating. It’s not simply about having a local office. It’s about the people, relationships, knowledge and community connections that have been built here over five decades.
Local knowledge matters
The Highlands and Islands are a beautiful and geographically diverse region, and supporting our customers there requires an understanding of the area that goes beyond what you can find on a map.
Nick Mackintosh, a logistics manager who has been with Agilico for 32 years says,
“The Highlands’ geography presents unique challenges, whether that’s supporting an installation on Barra, making a delivery to Ballachulish or carrying out servicing in Buckie.
Overcoming those challenges with a great team brings its own rewards.”
That local presence also means experienced engineers, account managers and support teams are based in the region, with engineers in Inverness, the Western Isles and Shetland.
Consumables and spare parts are held locally too, helping the team respond quickly when customers need support.
For customers, that means having people nearby who understand not just the technology, but the environment in which it’s being used.
People who know the region
The strength of the Inverness team comes from the experience of the people behind it.
Field Service Engineer Kenny Adie began his career with Highland Council in the 1990s and has worked across every corner of the Highlands ever since.
There are also colleagues who have spent much of their working lives building relationships with customers across the region. James Gibson recently celebrated an incredible 45 years with the business, having originally joined through a Youth Training Scheme.
What has he enjoyed most over those 45 years? The relationships he’s developed with customers, the places the role has taken him and, importantly, the colleagues he’s worked alongside.
Those long-standing relationships are a reminder that local service isn’t just about geography. It’s about people who know their customers, understand their businesses and are invested in getting things right.
Nick Mackintosh and James Gibson
John Bisset
Dominic Wilson
50 years of relationships
Some customer relationships have lasted nearly as long as the business itself.
MacGregor Industrial Supplies has worked with Highland Office Equipment, now Agilico, for more than 20 years. Their experience reflects the value of having a team that takes the time to understand the businesses it supports.
It’s a sentiment echoed by customers across the region.
RJ Macleod praises the team’s ability to support its remote locations, while Gordon & MacPhail describes the Agilico team as helpful and knowledgeable.
Investing in the next generation
Celebrating 50 years isn’t just about looking back. It’s also about making sure the knowledge and skills our team has worked so hard to build over those decades continue into the future.
The Inverness workshop is helping to do exactly that, with young engineers developing their skills alongside experienced colleagues.
Logan Hart joined the company two years ago and enjoys getting involved in different aspects of the role, from working in the workshop to supporting colleagues in the field.
“I enjoy getting involved in different aspects of the job and the opportunities it brings,” he says.
“Whether that’s working in the workshop or supporting colleagues in the field, I’ve grown in confidence, met people from across the business and been encouraged to contribute my own ideas.”
Logan Hart
Ryan Cleary, who has also recently joined the business, says the most rewarding part of his role is simply keeping customers happy.
For the Inverness team, developing this next generation of engineers is about more than creating career opportunities. It’s about retaining valuable skills within the Highlands and ensuring the region continues to benefit from experienced technical people for years to come.
Local expertise, backed by wider technology
Being local doesn’t mean working in isolation.
Since becoming part of Agilico in 2022, the Inverness team has combined its regional knowledge and established customer relationships with the resources of a much larger organisation.
The team works closely with leading technology manufacturers including Konica Minolta, Ricoh, Canon, Sharp and HP, as well as a range of software and technology partners.
Kevin Edrich, Regional Sales Director says, “That ensures our teams receive certified training directly from the organisations developing the latest workplace technology solutions.
“This allows our engineers, technicians, sales professionals and support staff to remain at the forefront of industry developments, while giving customers confidence that they are working with highly trained specialists.
“Training at Agilico extends well beyond technical expertise. We invest in customer service, leadership, communication, cybersecurity, health and safety, and professional development, creating well-rounded professionals who understand not only the technology itself, but how it can solve real business challenges.”
For young people joining the business, this provides a clear career pathway. Whether they aspire to become field service engineers, technical consultants, account managers or future business leaders, they are supported with continuous learning throughout their careers.
As workplace technology continues to evolve, ongoing training is essential. By combining the strength of Agilico’s manufacturer partnerships with the experience of our local teams, we are developing talent, retaining valuable skills within the Highlands and ensuring customers continue to receive the highest levels of expertise and support.
Local people. Regional knowledge. Wider expertise.
It’s a combination that gives customers the best of both worlds.
Part of the community
The team’s connection to the Highlands extends beyond its customer relationships.
Agilico has supported An Comunn Gàidhealach and the Royal National Mòd for many years, helping to celebrate and promote Gaelic language, music and culture.
The Inverness team also supports local organisations, charities and initiatives through volunteering, fundraising and partnerships.
This includes sponsorship of local sporting teams such as Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Ross County and Highland Rugby Club, as well as working with schools and non-profit organisations. The team also supports organisations including Moray Chamber and Cash for Kids, helping to contribute to the wider communities in which its people and customers live and work.
Being part of the Highlands means more than serving local businesses. It’s about playing an active role in the communities around them.
”Agilico has been a valued supporter of An Comunn Gàidhealach and the Royal National Mòd for many years. Its continued sponsorship helps us celebrate and promote Gaelic language, music and culture, while supporting the communities that make the Mòd so special. We greatly value the relationship we have built with Agilico and its team.
Peigi MacLennanChief Executive, An Comunn Gàidhealach
A local approach to sustainability
The Inverness operation is also playing a part in Agilico’s approach to creating a more sustainable future.
The site is home to a specialist Agilico Zero refurbishment centre, where experienced engineers prepare lightly used multifunctional devices for a second life avoiding over 97.5% of the CO2 emissions associated with manufacturing a new device.
This gives customers the choice of a lower-carbon alternative to buying new technology, helping them support their sustainability goals while contributing to a more circular approach to workplace technology. By refurbishing devices within the Highlands, we’re also able to reduce the transport involved.
It’s another example of how local expertise can support wider ambitions – combining the skills of experienced engineers with a more circular approach to technology.
The people behind the technology
Technology will continue to change. The way businesses work will continue to evolve. But some things remain just as important as they were when Bill Main opened the doors of Highland Office Equipment in 1974.
Knowing your customers.
Understanding the region.
Investing in your people.
Supporting the communities around you.
And building relationships that last.
More than 50 years on, the name may have changed, but the principle remains.
Agilico Inverness is still putting local people, local knowledge and local relationships at the heart of workplace technology.
And with a new generation of engineers developing their skills, long-standing customer relationships continuing to grow and the wider Agilico organisation behind the team, there’s plenty to look forward to over the next 50 years.
Making Work Easy for organisations across the Highlands.
Discover Agilico Inverness
Find out more about our Inverness team, the services we provide across the Highlands and how we support organisations throughout the region.
