Sir Speedy Inc. Makes Move on Europe Market : Printing: Acquisition gives Mission Viejo firm franchises in Netherlands, France and Austria.

Looking to capture a bigger chunk of the growing international printing market, Sir Speedy Inc. said Wednesday that it has acquired the European operations of a Toronto-based producer of business forms.

The acquisition of Moore Corp.’s MultiCopy International B.V. will give Sir Speedy 19 company-owned locations in the Netherlands, France and Austria, as well as 78 franchise operations in the Netherlands. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“The acquisition of MultiCopy gives us the foothold in continental Europe we have been looking for,” said Don Lowe, president and chief executive of Sir Speedy.

He cited Germany as a top target for expansion. “Germany can support just as many quick centers as the U.S, but their market is not as developed,” Lowe said.

Although the acquisition represents the Mission Viejo company’s strongest move into the European market, Sir Speedy has been aggressively pursuing other foreign markets in recent years after experiencing a slump in domestic sales.

Since 1990, the company has opened outlets in a dozen countries, including Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Taiwan and Brazil. It has become one of the biggest printing and copying franchisers, with 800 copy centers generating more than $400 million in sales throughout the world.

“All those European and Asian markets are just much riper now than ever before,” said Dan Witte, director of education for the National Assn. of Quick Printers in Chicago. “Like any other business, you look for fertile ground.”

In the United States, Witte said, printing and copying companies face increasing stiff competition. “Everyone’s competing for business, including service bureaus, office supply stores and copier dealers,” he said.

In 1992, Sir Speedy had 875 wait-while-you print stores, but shop closures began to outnumber new franchises.

Last year, the company opened 36 stores worldwide, but 25 to 30 Sir Speedy operations did not renew their franchise license or were closed. Still, sales rose 11.7%, Lowe said.

The Mission Viejo quick-printing company’s best international success story, according to executives, has been in South America.

Sir Speedy opened its first South American outlet in 1990 in Colombia, and now has operations in Brazil and Argentina as well.

“Business printing was behind [by] 20 years in South America,” Lowe said. “It often took two to three weeks to get a job done.”

Although the European market is more advanced, Lowe said, he expects the market to boom.

The MultiCopy outlets being acquired by Sir Speedy will retain their name, he said.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Rapid Expansion

Mission Viejo-based Sir Speedy Inc. began expanding outside the United States in 1984 and recently entered the European market. Sir Speedy openings outside the U.S.:

1984: Markham, Ontario (Toronto suburb)

1985: Mississauga, Ontario

1988: Brantford and Concord, Ontario

1989: Stoney Creek, Ontario

1990: Bogota, Colombia

1991: Two shops in Monterrey, Mexico

1992: Enters Brazil and opens three locations in Spain

1993: Enters Argentina and Taiwan

1994: Enters Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Peru

1995: Enters Guatemala, Costa Rica and El Salvador

1996: Gains European foothold by acquiring European operations of Moore Corp. Ltd. of Toronto with 19 company-owned locations in the Netherlands, France and Austria as well as 78 franchise operations in the Netherlands

Source: Sir Speedy Inc.; Researched by JANICE L. JONES / Los Angeles Times