AFTER discovering a natural talent for sales, Simon Wood never looked back.

Following nine years in the army, he took a trainee sales role at an office supplies company in York in 1995, where he worked his way up to sales manager after just two years.

From there, he was head hunted to a role with national brand Eurocopy before discovering Xerox, the brand and product range that really resonated with him.

He joined a Xerox reseller in Leeds, where he managed a team of ten people. When Xerox asked whether he’d consider opening a business in York in 2002 he jumped at the chance, and Document Logic was born.

From a standing start, and with 20 years’ experience of selling office equipment under his belt, Mr Wood grew the business to a team of 16 and opened additional offices in Newcastle and Leeds. When the recession hit, he consolidated the team into a single office - with the firm’s headquarters in Dunnington.

Today, the Document Logic has 500 customers nationwide, including McCain Foods, Engage Mutual Assurance and the parent company of household brands Parker Pens and Irwin Tools.

In 2014, keen to help businesses gain even greater productivity benefits, Mr Wood introduced document management and IT support services to the Document Logic portfolio. He acknowledges that photocopiers, printers and document management aren’t typically areas business owners focus on, but in fact the products and technology available today offer significant, tangible business benefits.

“So many people simply aren’t aware of just how much time and money the latest technology could be saving them – in many cases without costing them any more."

What job would you like to have other than your own and why?

"I love horses and horse racing, so it would be involved in the horse racing industry. Unfortunately I‘m too tall to be a jockey, so the dream would be to run a stud farm, breed race horses and ultimately breed a Derby winner!"

Greatest achievement?

"My greatest achievement is my children, being a father to four children is an achievement in itself!"

What makes you most angry?

"Making silly, avoidable mistakes. I tend to rise to the challenge of larger problems, but making silly mistakes when you know better really makes me mad."

Biggest mistake?

"Trying to grow the business too quickly and over investing in areas without carefully considering a business plan and strategy. I tend to go with my gut feeling, which isn’t always the right decision!"

What do you need to make life complete?

"Getting that work/life balance right. My life is fantastic, and I am very fortunate to have a great family and business; it’s just getting the balance right between the two. The stud farm would also make my life complete."

Why do you make a difference?

"I care about my business, my staff and our customers. I try to create a working environment where everybody enjoys coming to work, our customers enjoy doing business with us and we build long term relationships. I pride myself on low staff turnover and good customer service. I want everyone who has anything to do with Document Logic to feel part of something special."

What would your epitaph be?

"Always doing."