Williams Lea

Williams Lea is a global company that offers business process outsourcing (BPO) to large companies. Although founded in 1820 as a company providing printing services to the financial industry, the company has undergone a number of reinventions and nowadays offer 'corporate information solutions', a term that covers the full customer communication lifecyle from mail management, bulk mailing, reprographics, design and document management services to marketing solutions.

Williams Lea has undergone rapid expansion in recent years in consequence of the trend within large organisations to outsource support functions. Growth has been largely organic, although the company has made acquisitions in Europe, the US and Asia.

Although for many years a privately held company, in 2006 a majority stake in the company was taken by German postal and logistics company Deutsche Post, parent company of DHL. In Q1 2009, the company employed approximately 11,500 people with a turnover of approx £1b per annum.

Interestingly former Enlgand and British Lions rugby union player Tim Rodber is CEO of Willaims Lea's Americas operations.

Acquisitions

• In October 2004, acquired US-based Bowne Business Solutions for $190.8 million.^[1]
• In August 2005, acquired US-based Uniscribe for $36.1 million and Australian-based Creatis for $7.7 million.^[2]
• In November 2006, acquired UK-based The Stationery Office for £130 million.^[3]
• In 2007, Deutsche Post rebranded its German service lines document management, transactional print, mailroom services and direct marketing / fulfillment as Williams Lea Deutschland. These service lines were re-integrated in Deutsche Post in 2010. Currently Williams Lea in Germany offers Marketing solutions and presentation services.
• In November 2007, Deutsche Post acquired Centric LPO, a legal process outsourcing (LPO) company for an undisclosed sum.^[4]

External links

• Williams Lea home page
• Williams Lea history

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References