The Week in Imaging Names Copiers Northwest Elite Dealer 2012
We thank The Week in Imaging for honoring us with the Elite Dealer 2012 distinction!
The piece on CNW is below; you can read the full article direct from their website here: http://www.theweekinimaging.com/elite-dealers/
Copiers Northwest
Seattle, WA
Year Founded: 1986
Number of Employees: 210
Approximate Yearly Revenues: $42-million
This Year’s Significant Accomplishment: The recent launch of BluZEBRA Technologies, a new division focusing on managed network services, cloud computing, hosted exchange, business process optimization and other non-hardware related services.
Primary Hardware Vendors and Solutions & Services Offerings: Canon, Sharp, HP, Lexmark, Kip, Océ, Xante, PrintSmart, Managed Print Services, Managed Network Services, Cloud Computing, Hosted Exchange, Nuance, Kofax, Sagemcom, LaserFiche, Captaris
Mark and Gregg Petrie, co-owners of Copiers Northwest
Here’s a fairly big dealer who is enjoying growth from managed print services and managed network services.
Clients appreciate that while the name is ‘Copiers Northwest,’ they can offer them so much more than just copiers. “We can be a one-stop shop for their business needs ranging from hardware and software to outsourced IT and business process optimization,” says Mark Petrie, co-owner. “We address changing business needs such as mobile printing and help them define their technology road map. They don’t pigeon hole us to a product or a brand and we don’t have to force their needs to fit our offerings.”
As a PROs Elite 100 dealership, Copiers Northwest has the unique opportunity to engage an industry defining third party to validate their service standards to their clients. “When engaged in an opportunity, the client contacts PROs Elite who will confirm the validity of our ‘our service is the best’ claim and educates the client on what it takes to become and remain one of the Elite 100,” notes Gregg Petrie, co-owner. “They also offer the client the ability to contact them any time to lobby on their behalf if the client feels we are not living up to the PROs Elite standard.”
While many dealerships were affected last year by the tsunami in Japan, Copiers Northwest experienced less of an impact. “It had all the ingredients to potentially cripple an organization with so many pieces and parts being manufactured over there,” recalls Mark. “Fortunately for us we have been diversifying our offerings in order to be true consultants. While we normally prefer to keep inventory levels lower, we placed orders early on from manufacturers who didn’t have plants and factories in the affected areas so that we were able to deliver offerings that weren’t backordered indefinitely. Being able to have product in stock was a big advantage to our clients.”
What’s also impressed us about Copiers Northwest was the launch of BluZEBRA Technologies, a new division focused on managed network services, cloud computing, hosted exchange, business process optimization and other non-hardware related services. “As business needs evolve, so must our offerings and expertise,” states Gregg. “We’ve transitioned into the HaaS and SaaS mode of thinking to the benefit of our clients.”
Sometimes the biggest wins are the most unexpected and Copiers Northwest had one of those lately. “Walking into what our rep thought was going to be a single machine placement became a much larger conversation when the rep began to ask all the right questions of a larger architecture firm,” explains Mark. “As she revealed pain points and offered solutions, she was able to guide them through an exercise where identifying issues and applying software could ease interdepartmental frustration and ease labor costs due to those frustrations, maximizing employee efficiencies. The company was so impressed and grateful, they continued the conversation to include outsourcing IT and hardware at all locations.”
On the charitable front one can’t help but laude Copiers Northwest for their support of the Northwest Kidney Foundation. “With one owner as the proud recipient of the other owner’s wife’s kidney, Copiers Northwest is proud to support Northwest Kidney Foundation and recently attended their annual breakfast, complete with photos taken with Sidney the Kidney,” beams Gregg. “It was an inspirational morning and one we are proud to sponsor every year.”
The dealership is also heavily involved with Evergreen Hospital and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, two well-respected and highly innovative locally based organizations.
As a dealership that’s been a model of success within the office technology dealer community they couldn’t be where they are today without thinking about the next steps essential to growth and profitability. “A lot of work that begin a couple years ago is coming to fruition today with the resources being committed to a strong infrastructure, a culture of entrepreneurship among our employees, the diversification of our product offerings, and the creation of our BluZEBRA Technologies division,” states Mark. “Not content to remain complacent in a changing market, we are confident we started the strong march to remaining relevant in not only today’s, but tomorrow’s business world as well.”
We agree and congratulate Copiers Northwest on their selection as a 2012 Elite Dealer.