Whitbread PLC is the UK's leading hospitality company, managing the number one brands in hotels, restaurants and health and fitness clubs.  These include Premier Travel Inn, Brewers Fayre, Beefeater, Costa, T.G.I. Friday's and David Lloyd Leisure.

Whitbread employs 45,000 people in its businesses and has 1,400 outlets across the UK.  Whitbread's strategy is to create value for its shareholders by focusing on growth in expanding sectors of the hospitality industry, primarily in the UK but also in selected international markets.

Its facilities management company Johnson Controls introduced Whitebread to NRG, as it felt it could make improvements on its current solution.  Nigel Trotman, Business Relationship Manger for Whitbread explains: "The business was reducing the number of head office locations and it was time to look at the services we had in place to meet the varying needs of both our own teams, senior managers and our customers.  We met with NRG who looked at the business as a whole and analysed our requirements.  They then worked out a solution that best suited our needs."

"We moved from stand-alone printers and copiers in our head offices to networked multifunctional products (MFPs) which can print, scan, copy and fax.  We're really pleased with the result, the user feedback has been fantastic and we've saved money."

Nigel continues: "We've had a major office move recently, changing from three to two locations in Luton and Dunstable.  We conducted a printer rationalisation exercise, which we couldn't have done without the introduction of MFP's.  We saved a lot of space as a result and following the reorganisation, we now have more people and less equipment in the same amount of space."

Regarding service and support Nigel adds: "Johnson Controls handles the day to day service issues and I only get involved when there's a problem, which means I hardly deal with NRG at all!".

David Lloyd Leisure is the UK's number on health and fitness club brand with thousands of members across 60 clubs.  As well as the extensive range of sporting facilities available, customer service is crucial in retaining members.  NRG is now involved in a programme of replacing copiers for customer use with its 25 - 45 page per minute colour copiers.  The new equipment is being introduced as the contracts expire on the old machines.

NRG is also installing copiers in other parts of the Whitbread family, for example, Premier Travel Inns, the UK's biggest hotel brand.  Some Premier Travel Inns operate a meeting facility called "Touchbase", which requires reliable printing and copying equipment; these are now being supplied with new colour printer/copiers from NRG, which can product 25 - 45 pages per minute.

Nigel Trotman concludes: "I'm very pleased with the solution that NRG has provided for us.  It has enabled us to work more effectively and save money.  The MFP strategy is definitely the way forward the our head offices and we're looking to broaden our relationship with NRG to see what other improvements and efficiencies we can make."