FROM its humble beginnings as a dilapidated printing facility serving British Rail, DocQwise stands on the threshold of an exciting new era.

By managing director Jan Eskildsen's own admission, the document services company he acquired in 1998 was firmly "entrenched in the past" and lurching uncomfortably into the 21st Century.

The affable, yet fiercely determined Dane came to these shores in 1995 and became Xerox's regional manager for the North of England and Scotland.

After being transferred from Copenhagen to Manchester, he enjoyed a hugely successful stint with the photocopying company, helping the organisation to grow by 25 per cent.

He created a £5m profit target which, in his final year, was exceeded by 151 per cent.

His work with Xerox would eventually identify an ideal business opportunity - the British Rail in-house print facility, in York. A successful management buy-out followed.

And after seeing the company in action - nine people operating out of West Offices, in Station Road - he decided it was time for change.

That led initially to £500,000 investment in the latest technology, making DocQwise a nationally-renowned document man- agement and supply company, offering a range of hard copy and digital print-related services.

But the most significant injection the firm received was a transformation of attitude and working practices.

"Before, it was very much a nine-to-five attitude," said Mr Eskildsen. "But I need motivated people and I don't get motivation if they're working nine-to-five."

Continuous improvement is a key feature of Mr Eskildsen's long-term thinking and will be crucial for the challenges which lie ahead.

Working closely with companies for a range of industry sectors has already given DocQwise's 22 employees - there are more to come at a new Leicester operation - a wealth of experience.

Network Rail, GNER, Corus, KPMG, the Department for Work and Pensions, and the Department for Trade and Industry are among the satisfied customers.

"We started to focus 18 months ago on working a lot closer with the public sector and, as a small company, we are doing significant work with both local and central government," said Mr Eskildsen.

That close association with local government will be put to the test this year when the firm links up with Darlington Borough Council for a pioneering project.

Darlington is one of 41 local authorities nationally which have been accepted to take part in a postal voting pilot scheme.

There will be no traditional polling stations this year. Instead, people will have to return the ballot papers they receive through the post in pre-paid envelopes to cast their vote.

With 76,000 voters in the Darlington borough, that represents a mammoth task for DocQwise, but one Mr Eskildsen is confident of meeting head-on.

"The market place is getting increasingly competitive and I believe that, if you don't make a real difference, you are in trouble.

"That is one of the reasons we were successful in getting the deal in Darlington," he said.

"We want knowledgeable customers who can assess the market place before deciding to go with us.

"There are 76,000 voters here and that is why Darlington council needs a business partner and not just a supplier.

"We were the ones who gave them the most focus."

Staff are already working to tight deadlines, with polling day coming up at the start of May.

But after a period of growth which implies DocQwise can do no wrong, it is a sure success.

Mr Eskildsen said: "We showed Darlington Borough Council that not only do we have a reliable track record, but we will go the extra mile."