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November

2012

Doing Good
Doing Well . . .

INDEPENDENTS
GIVE BACK
EVEN MORE
IN THESE TOUGH
ECONOMIC TIMES

PREVIEW:

United Stationers
2013 Marketing
Program
Page 38

THE

WINNERS’ Circle

Seventy Years and
Counting for American
Office Products, CA Dealer

In Good Times and in
Bad, Independents’
Commitment to
Giving Back Stays
Strong

Congratulations to Alan Bennett and his team at American Office Products in Canoga Park, California, who this year are celebrating their dealership’s 70th anniversary.
AOP started out in 1942 as a typewriter repair and office supply company with a retail store that operated under the American Typewriter
name.
The company’s typewriter business is long gone and today, reports sales
manager Dennis Watson, office supplies account for the lion’s share of
sales—about 70%—with furniture and a growing cleaning and breakroom business making up the rest.
As with most dealers, business has been challenging in recent years,
says Dennis, but he notes welcome signs of stronger growth this year,
particularly on the furniture side, with more project opportunities showing up as more customers decide they’ve put off that long-planned move
or remodel long enough.
That spells new opportunities for the dealership’s 28 employees and
they’ve been moving aggressively to make the most of them, adds
Dennis.

Chicago Area Chamber Endorses Local
Independent as Preferred Office Products Partner
Earlier this year, we had the unpleasant experience of reporting on the El
Paso Chamber of Commerce and the way it waxed loud and long about
the need to support local small businesses in its marketing materials and
then turned around and cut a sweetheart deal with Office Depot to endorse
the Florida-based big box as a preferred supplier for its members.
The good news this month, though, is that not all chambers share the El
Paso organization’s “bucks at any cost” mentality.
In Elmhurst, Illinois, just outside of Chicago, the local chamber has been offering a similar deal to its members but instead of going outside the community, they’ve partnered with Don Rathje and his team at locally owned and
operated West Suburban Office Products.
The deal has been in place now for about three years and, reports Don, it has
proved a genuine win-win-win for the dealership, the chamber and the customers they both serve.
“Having the chamber’s endorsement doesn’t guarantee we’ll get the business
but it has certainly opened doors and brought us new accounts,” he says.
That’s good news for Don and his team and also for the rest of the Elmhurst
chamber’s members. Unlike in El Paso, it’s nice to see an organization that
not only talks about the importance of supporting local businesses but also
is willing to do something about it!

This month we highlight an aspect of our industry that
makes it truly special: its commitment to supporting worthy causes and giving back to the community.
As reported elsewhere in this month’s issue, the industry
once again this year set a new record in fundraising efforts on behalf of the City of Hope cancer research and
treatment center.
Independents played an important role in that effort and
they’re also hard at work on similar causes in their own
communities.
Independents are some of the most competitive people
in any industry. Most of them know just one speed and
that’s pedal to the metal, 24/7. But they’re also some of
the most generous people you’ll ever find.
Running a small business has never been easy, and you
don’t need me or anyone else to tell you how challenging
it’s been over the past few years.
But none of that has stopped independents from helping
those in need. If anything, as reflected in this month’s
cover story, they’ve stepped up their efforts and found
new and innovative ways to do good at a time when it’s
needed more than ever.
And they do it all with a minimum of fanfare. Indeed, if
you asked most independents why they’re so involved in
the community, they’d probably be hard pressed to come
up with an answer.
Chances are, you’d either get something along the lines
of “We’ve always done it,” or a puzzled look that you’re
even asking the question.
So as dealers wind down their Breast Cancer Awareness
Month promotions and start preparing to collect Thanksgiving dinners for the homeless, adopt families in need
for Christmas and work on similar efforts, we’re proud to
recognize what is truly a remarkable track record of generosity and good citizenship.
And as always, if you’re doing something special that
you’d like to share with the rest of our industry, just drop
us an email and we’ll take it from there.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

NOVEMBER 2012

INDEPENDENT DEALER

PAGE 2

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WINNERS CIRCLE continued from page 2

Showtime at Gulf Coast Office Products,
FL Dealer

ship’s distribution center and furniture showroom and featured 18
different vendors, who all provided door prizes. Among the 50-plus
items up for grabs: office seating, shredders and coffee makers.
It was very much an order-writing show, Todd reports, with plenty
of show specials on offer to encourage attendees to get their
checkbooks out.

Porter's Office Products Announces Merger
with WY Dealer Knobe’s Office Supply
It’s been a busy couple of months for Mark Porter and his team
at Porter's Office Products in Rexburg, Idaho.
In our last issue, we reported on Porter’s acquisition of the commercial office products business of M&H Office Supply, another
independent in Blackfoot, Idaho.
Now comes word of another deal involving Knobe’s Office Supply
in Jackson, Wyoming. Knobe’s owner Chet Knobe has joined the
Porter’s organization and will serve as account executive for its
new Jackson customers.
There was plenty of interest in Gulf Coast Office Products’ ad specialty
offerings at their recent consumer show.
It was showtime and then some last month at Pensacola, Floridabased Gulf Coast Office Products, as Mark Wright and his team
hosted over 600 customers and prospects at their fourth annual
consumer show.
The turnout set a new record for the event, reports GCOP’s Linda
Malamo, due in no small part to the outstanding support provided
by the 22 participating exhibitors.
“All our vendors provided door prizes for the event and we had close
to 50 of them on offer,” says Linda. Prizes ranged from HP printers
and HON office seating to travel vouchers and gift certificates.
In addition, the show also provided an opportunity for the dealership to show its outstanding community spirit.
“Every year, we sponsor a local non-profit as part of the show activities and give them a table and organize a raffle to raise funds
for them,” Linda explains. GCOP also matches funds raised,
adding further support.
“Our show has become a great opportunity to give back to our
customers and to the community at large and everyone has a great
time,” reports Linda happily. Not surprisingly, she adds, the GCOP
team is already hard at work planning to make next year’s event
even bigger and better!

TN Dealer Evans Office Supply
Hosts Consume Show
Also hosting their annual consumer show recently were Todd Coffey and
his team at Evans Office Supply in Morristown, Tennessee.

“We’re delighted to welcome Chet Knobe and Knobe’s customers
to the Porter’s family and looking forward to sharing with them
our unique brand of Blue Cow service,” commented Mark.
The dealership brands itself with Blue Cows service because,
Mark says, blue cows are “rare, never before seen and unique,
just like the outstanding customer service provided by our dealership for close to 90 years.”

New Ownership Team at MD Dealer Rudolph’s
Office & Computer Supply
In Baltimore, Maryland, new ownership is in place at Rudolph’s Office
& Computer Supply. The dealership was established in 1985 and has
evolved to become one of the area’s most successful independents,
with a strong emphasis on state and local government contracts.
Heading up the new ownership team is majority owner Mai Anh Jones,
who will succeed founder Bonnie Rudolph as chief executive officer.
The company said Bonnie will stay involved with the organization as
chief operating officer, providing guidance and leadership as she has
for the past 32 years.
The transition came in the form of a stock purchase and it’s been business as usual at Rudolph’s, reports president Christina Ensley.
And just what does business as usual look like these days? “Wonderful,” answers Christina, pointing to the addition of a number of significant new contracts and solid growth in the office furniture and jan-san
categories for the dealership this year.
Also driving sales growth is a new business development effort on the
commercial side of the house, spearheaded by VP of new business
development John Wallace, who joined the dealership from Staples.

Evans’ fifth annual show drew some 350 attendees to the dealerCONTINUED ON PAGE 6

NOVEMBER 2012

INDEPENDENT DEALER

PAGE 4

WINNERS CIRCLE continued from page 4

Integrated Business Solutions, VA Dealer,
Finds New Technology Opens Doors to
New Furniture Opportunities

credenza sale and moving upstream to more project-oriented
business is not always easy, particularly with tight budgets and
limited resources.
But if Tom Hardee’s recent successes at Integrated Business Solutions in Virginia Beach, Virginia, offer any indication, the barriers
to more ambitious furniture sales may well be coming down some.
Tom recently closed a $10,000 deal for three offices and a conference room that previously, he says, would probably been out of
reach. What made the difference? United Stationers Visual Planner
software from Animated Vision.
Using Visual Planner, Tom was able to put together a 2D and 3D
view of the floor plan as well as a detailed proposal for the entire
project in less than 20 minutes. And just 48 hours after presenting
the proposal to his customer, he learned that the job was his!
“Furniture only accounts for about 20% of our business and having access to the design and specification tools to grow has been
a challenge,” Tom says.

One of the private offices in a recent IBS project
For many dealers today, office furniture represents one of their
best growth opportunities. But going beyond the basic desk-file-

“Visual Planner has certainly changed that,” he reports happily.
“It’s very intuitive and I really didn’t’ need any kind of formal training on the program before I was able to use it. It’s made life a
whole lot easier for us and opened the doors to some exciting new
opportunities, even in these challenging times.”

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NOVEMBER 2012

INDEPENDENT DEALER

PAGE 6

Think Independently
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The choice is always yours in terms of the content you want to feature on
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SECRETS OF SUCCESS:

Warren’s Office Supplies, Springvale, Maine
Exceeding Customer Expectations—Every Day
by Jim Rapp

states, “and everyone who works here understands that.
We focus on what we do well, repeat it over and over
again and try not to get distracted by what the competition is doing.”
Warren was an outside rep for a retail office product
store, then purchased the business in 1981. It’s grown
over the years, mostly through acquisitions—in Portland,
Maine, in 1998, Skowhegan, Maine, in 2003, and three
very small dealers recently—one in Bath, Maine, and two
in New Hampshire.

Staying Close
to the Customer
Warren, along with twin daughters Jen and Melissa and
every employee, follows a program that keeps them in
almost daily contact with customers.
The program includes periodic personal visits, even to
those customers who order online. Drivers don’t just
make deliveries. They talk with customers, ask if they’re
happy with the products and the service, regularly drop
off gifts and samples and report back about problems
or questions customers may have.
Some years ago they adopted the Pencil Man as their
mascot, using him in all their advertising and promotion.
“We do a monthly e-mail newsletter featuring the Pencil
Man, with contests and other means of feedback,
reports Warren.

n Warren Roberts,
President and founder
Melissa Roberts Bors,
Vice President
Jen Roberts,
Marketing Director
n Supplies, furniture,
printing, beverages
n Founded: 1981
n Sales: $3.5 million
n Employees: 16
n Partner: S.P. Richards, TriMega
n Online sales: 52%
n www.warrensofficesupplies.com

“With increased online ordering, we saw a need to use
new ways to stay in touch. The newsletter includes the
latest adventures of Pencil Man. We ran him for Governor during the last election. The newsletter always includes a trivia question, and sometimes has a coupon
for free Famous Amos cookies, recipes and so on.”

Warren’s is a true family business. President Warren Roberts with marketing director
Jen Roberts (standing) .and vice president Melissa Roberts Bors.

Warren says that much of the growth of the business
comes from new customers. “We know we need to go
out and see a certain number of prospects every day, and
everyone gets involved. Our drivers deliver welcome kits
prior to our rep going in for the initial appointment. We
also make phone calls to prospects introducing our customer service team. When we go in for the appointment,
the account is already set up, with their customer code
and password, and our rep delivers a complete information packet designed specifically for that prospect.”

Warren Roberts’ first words, when I talked with him for this article were, “I Warren, Jen and Melissa Roberts have built a very sucknow you’re going to ask, ‘What’s the secret of our success?’ so I’ll tell you cessful and growing family business in this mostly rural
up front: It’s exceeding customer expectations every day.”
coastal part of Maine. Their future looks great—another
After I heard more from Warren, I will tell you that this is much more than a fine example of what independent office products dealslogan. “Our livelihood depends on our customers’ satisfaction,” Warren ers are doing across the country.
NOVEMBER 2012

INDEPENDENT DEALER

PAGE 8

Special Report:
Independents Take a Hit from
Hurricane Sandy

Photo: NJ Governor's Office/Tim Larsen
By the time it was over,
Hurricane Sandy had
killed at least 90 people in
the U.S., left 8.5 million
without power and
generated damage and
destruction that one
estimate put at as much
as $50 billion.
The good news for the
office products
community—and it was
good news— was that
there were no initial
reports in the industry of
fatalities or serious injuries
caused by the storm. But
that was where the good
news ended, as dealers
from North Carolina to
Maine struggled to get
back to some kind of
normalcy in the wake of
an unprecedented
weather disaster.
With our thanks to
Independent Stationers
and TriMega for their help,
here’s a summary of
reports from dealers in the
states most affected by
Sandy on its impact in the
days immediately
following the storm.

NOVEMBER 2012

Day Three of the storm and still no
power and we have been told by
local authorities and our power
company that it could be up to 10
days for power restoration. We
have hundreds of downed trees
over power lines and over 20% of
local cell towers are still down, so
cell service is still very touch and
go. Phones are completely down, as
are UPS, USPS and Fedex.
—Chris Corday, Ace Depot,
Northvale, NJ

We were forced to postpone our Productivity Show but our offices are
open and working. Our Internet
lines and website are running at less
than 20% normal speed as Verizon
indicates 50% of their routers remain under water.
—Sid Lerman, Weeks Lerman
Group, Maspeth, NY

Our dealership was not too affected
by the storm but unfortunately
most of our employees have lost
electricity, hot water and heat and
have no gas for their cars. One of
our employees lost his two-story
home and another watched as his
car floated together with hundreds
others on Coney Island. I counted
130 cars standing in line for gas
yesterday and they were only dispensing $20 of gas per car. Sandy
has made a historic impression in
the Tristate area that we will never
forget.
—Michael Tsveitel, Plexon, Inc,
Brooklyn, NY

Power out but we are all ok. Operating on iPhones and iPads with
car chargers. We lost two days of
sales and we'll see what tomorrow
brings.
—Rob Mallin, Village Office Supply,
Somerset, NJ

My family and my staff 's families
are all well and safe. We are now
dealing with the inconvenience of
not having electric, phone, Internet
etc at home. I decided to drive into
the office this morning (the day
after the storm) and to my surprise
all services were available and two
of our three websites are up and
running with short staff.

Our New Jersey facility is totally
dark and probably will be for a
couple of days. Fortunately, we
transferred the phones to our
Kingston, New York, location so
we won't miss any NJ business (not
that there is any).

—Alex Minzer, BulkOfficeSupply.com,
Hewlett, NY

—Buzz McKernon, American Printing
& Office Supply, Kingston, NY

INDEPENDENT DEALER

We have power at the business,
however I am without power at
home and the house is unlivable
with about 3 to 4 feet of water on
our ground floor. Lots of fun.
—Jordan Kudler, Crest Office
Products, New York City

After getting hit with back-to-back
storms last year, we learned our
lesson and installed a generator
and put together a disaster recovery plan, so we were able to make
the appropriate preparations prior
to the storm. We closed Monday
and Tuesday as we didn’t want our
employees to have to drive through
the wild weather.
Deliveries continue to be difficult,
especially by the shore since many
roads remain closed and/or flooded.
We have offered assistance to our
customers and our trucks were used
by the emergency response teams in
surrounding towns to transport supplies to their shelters.
—Bob Shulman, Suburban Stationers,
Middletown, CT

No power at the business all last
week. It just came up today
(Sunday). We have been closed all
week and unless there is fuel on line
this coming week, business will be
at a standstill.
—Dave Garbus, Huntington Business
Products Centre, Long Island
PAGE 10

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New Lawsuit Seeks Triple Damages from
Office Depot for Alleged Overcharges
A whistle-blower lawsuit unsealed last
month in Los Angeles Superior Court claims
Office Depot overcharged dozens of government agencies by millions of dollars under a
contract it held with the U.S. Communities
state and local government agency purchasing consortium.
The case, according to the U-T San Diego
newspaper which first reported the story,
was filed under seal in March 2009 and
seeks triple damages for overcharges and a
$10,000 penalty for each inflated invoice,
possibly bringing the total damages sought
into the hundreds of millions of dollars, the
newspaper reported.
The newspaper said the case is known as a
qui tam proceeding, under which a whistleblower aids the government and benefits
from any penalty. Such cases start in secret.
The government investigates the claims and
attempts to reach a settlement before the
seal is lifted and litigation proceeds.

All governments participating in the contracts could receive a portion of any settlement or judgment, but some have joined in
active litigation — which could entitle them
to a larger share of any payout, according to
U-T San Diego. They include the cities of
Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Pomona,
and school districts in Merced, Stockton and
Monrovia.
“We believe Office Depot deliberately overcharged the city and are taking steps to recover the overcharges,” a statement from the
city of Los Angeles said. “We cannot comment further on matters in litigation.”
The lawsuit claims Office Depot intentionally misapplied discounts and changed
prices in violation of its agreements, the
newspaper reported. It also claims the
company failed to fulfill lowest-price guarantees and switched some customers to
an alternate pricing option without telling
them it would likely cost them more money.

If you have news to share - email it to
Simon@IDealerCentral.com

Nearly all of the lawsuit’s claims were investigated by the Florida attorney general
in 2010 and Colorado attorney general in
2011, the newspaper reported. Both attorneys general set aside all but the price
plan-switching allegation in settling with
Office Depot for a combined $6.3 million.
In 2011, Dallas County accused Office
Depot of not offering its lowest prices
through the contract, and is demanding
$1.8 million. Earlier this year, Detroit Public
Schools claimed it was overcharged at
least $1 million more than the company’s
lowest prices and received a settlement for
an undisclosed amount.
For more on Office Depot’s problems with
its state and local government business,
please visit the Depot State Contract Watch
section of the INDEPENDENT DEALER website
www.idealercentral.com/Pages/Watch_List.

Industry Raises Record $9.5 Million in
Support of City of Hope
S.P. Richards’ Wayne Beecham, outgoing chairman of the National Office Products Council,
congratulates Spirit of Life Award honoree Scott Lite while Dr. Michael Friedman, City of Hope
president and CEO, holds the check for a record $9.5 million that was raised by the office products industry during this year’s campaign.

The National Office Products Industry fundraising campaign for the City of
Hope celebrated its 30th anniversary in style last month, when it concluded
yet another record-setting year at the annual Spirit of Life Gala in Chicago.
Over 700 attendees honored this year’s Spirit of Life award recipient, Georgia
Pacific’s Scott Light, whose campaign raised a record $9.5 million.
Next year’s campaign, which will mark the100th anniversary of City of Hope,
officially gets underway March 11-12, with the annual City of Hope Tour.
For more information, visit www.cityofhope.org/nopi.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

NOVEMBER 2012

INDEPENDENT DEALER

PAGE 12

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Continued Dealer Growth, New
Programs Front and Center at
TriMega National Convention

vented progressive independents from
reinventing themselves to become more
effective e-marketers and grow share in
hot new categories like jan-san, managed
print services and ad specialties.
That was the message from TriMega president Charlie Cleary at the group’s 2012
National Convention last month.

At this year’s TriMega National Convention, the
group’s president, Charlie Cleary, gave members
kudos for their ability to become more effective
e-marketers and grow share in hot new product
categories like jan-san, managed print services
and ad specialties.
Even though margins continue to be
squeezed and new account acquisition is
tougher than it has ever been, those challenges and others like them have not pre-

TriMega took as its theme for this year’s
meeting Propel 2012 and the focus was
very much on generating forward progress
and plenty of it, as members gathered in
Orlando to hear updates on TriMega programs, meet with some 120 supplier partners on the tradeshow floor and learn from
industry experts and each other.
Citing mega-trends and developments
such as the entry of the big boxes into the
office products business, the emergence
of online ordering and consolidation of
players at every point in the channel,
Cleary said dealers have witnessed, responded to and at times created some

monumental changes in our industry.
“With the barrage of changes on a nonstop pace, we are still here to tell the story
because we’ve been hungry, we’ve been
resilient, we’ve been aggressive, we’ve
been decisive, and we’ve been relentless
in our focus to win market share,” he told
TriMega members.
“We’ve not been afraid of big ideas and
we’ve been fearless in our desire to keep
growing, progressing and advancing,” he
added.
Reflecting the overall strength of the independent dealer community, Cleary reported TriMega currently is “570 members
strong, $400 million in direct purchase volume, $1.6 billion in wholesaler purchase
volume, and $32 million in rebates paid out
to TriMega members over the past year.”
He said members are up 2% in purchase
volume year-to-date with outbound sales
higher than that and offered kudos to them
CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

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INDEPENDENT DEALER

PAGE 14

INDUSTRY NEWS

continued from page 14

for investing in new technology, embracing
the Internet and social media and adding
feet on the street to generate market growth.
At the convention, TriMega introduced a
number of new programs and initiatives
designed to help keep the momentum
going forward for its members. They included:
• The Orange Project, TriMega’s new
initiative in partnership with wholesalers S.P. Richards and United Stationers to help members grow their
jan-san business
• OP on the GO, the group’s first ever
iPad and tablet Catalog App
• TriMetrics, a new benchmarking tool
to help dealers manage their business better and smarter through insights into best practices dealer
metrics and performance data.
• Additional growth from TriMega’s
Point Nationwide national account
program, currently on track to generate its first $2 million month.

• Continued growth of the group’s education program, with record participation in its TriWebinars and Triumph
sales training series
• Launch of the TriMega ThinkTank, a
new initiative that seeks to take
member networking to the next level
by facilitating best practice sharing,
peer-to-peer learning, creative brainstorming and problem solving
through monthly teleconferences
Also at the meeting, TriMega recognized
several members for outstanding support
of the organization. They included:
• Office 360, Indianapolis, for greatest
dollar growth in direct and wholesale
purchases from TriMega suppliers
over the past 12 months
• Atlas Stationers, Chicago, for greatest percentage growth in direct and
wholesale purchases
• Office Environment Company,
Louisville, and Bishop’s Office
Needs, Houston, for greatest percentage growth in direct purchases

• Missouri Office Systems, Kansas
City, MO, and Ables-Land, Tyler, TX,
for greatest dollar growth in direct
purchases
In addition, TriMega named Brown &
Saenger, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Customer Service Point of the Year under its
Point Nationwide program.
The group also honored the following
manufacturers for their support:
• Global/Offices to Go—Top Growth
Award
• Smead Manufacturing—Top Marketer
• Rubbermaid Commercial Products—
Top Emerging Supplier
• ACCO Brands—Champion for
Independents, a new award
presented for the first time this year
As reported last month, next year TriMega
will partner with Independent Stationers to
host EPIC 2013, a joint convention set for
September 18-20 in San Antonio.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

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NOVEMBER 2012

INDEPENDENT DEALER

PAGE 15

INDUSTRY NEWS

continued from page 15

Independent Stationers Rolls Out 2013 M-Power
Marketing Program
The Independent Stationers dealer group last month announced an enhanced M-Power Integrated Marketing Program for 2012.
The IS M-Power program was first introduced in 2005 and has
expanded with a focus on current marketing trends such as social
media.
The program has benefits for both Independent Stationers members as well as participating manufacturers, IS said. The group’s
members can take advantage of eMarketing through the use of
banners, electronic flyers, specials, direct mail marketing, social
media marketing, training opportunities and more at no cost as a
value-added benefit of membership.
Manufacturers benefit by exposing their brands to all IS members
and all of their customers, which strengthens their brand
“The M-Power program is a great resource for our members due to
the vast number of marketing tools available to them from our manufacturer partners”, said Janet Eshenour, Independent Stationers director of marketing.

date on a quarterly basis. The impact to manufacturers is significant as well because they can reach all members at one time and
an unlimited number of customers.”

S.P. Richards Launches CampaignAdvantage, New
Managed E-Mail and Social Media Program for
Independents; Names New Northeast Region VP
Wholesaler S.P. Richards last month announced the launch of
CampaignAdvantage, an automated e-mail and social media platform designed to provide independents with a powerful new tool
to reach their customers and prospects.
S.P. Richards said the program offers an ideal solution for those
dealers looking to consistently deploy marketing campaigns via
e-mail and social media, but who have been hindered by time or
resource constraints.
For dealers already leveraging e-mail marketing and social media,
CampaignAdvantage will provide the perfect complement to their
efforts, the company added.
Included in CampaignAdvantage integrated marketing campaigns
are promotions sent directly to the dealer‘s provided opt-in e-mail

“And, because many of the eMarketing materials are loaded to
the dealers’ websites for them, it’s a lot less work for them to up-

NOVEMBER 2012

INDEPENDENT DEALER

CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

PAGE 16

INDUSTRY NEWS

continued from page 16

database of customers, posted to their Facebook page and
tweeted from their Twitter account. All these activities take place
without any effort on the part of the dealer.

Susan Roberts Elected to BSA Board

All dealer customer e-mail lists are housed on a secure server and
S.P. Richards has no visibility into this confidential information,
the company said. Additional program support material will include editable flyers and web banners and be available through
S.P. Richards new MarketingOnDemand Portal.
Coleson Chase, S.P. Richards project manager for the program,
said, “CampaignAdvantage will provide dealers a turnkey program to jumpstart or augment their e-mail and social media marketing efforts. Combined with the additional tools supporting each
campaign, dealers will be able to drive significant product awareness and sales with very little investment in time.”
For additional details on the program, contact your local S.P.
Richards sales representative.
Separately, S.P. Richards announced the appointment of Ray
Sreca to division vice president for its Northeast region. In his
new role, Sreca will take on sales and operations oversight of the
company’s Baltimore, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Richmond, Syracuse and New Jersey distribution centers.
Sreca has managed the company’s New York distribution center
since 2009. Prior to that, he ran the Richmond distribution center
which was named the company’s 2008 Branch of the Year.

Susan Roberts of the Unified Sales Associates rep organization
has been elected a member of the Business Solutions Association
(BSA) board of directors. Roberts will represent BSA’s manufacturer representative members on the board.
“BSA is pleased to have a person of Susan’s stature and experience,” said BSA president Mike Wilbur. “She adds to a very
strong team on this year’s board. We look forward to working with
Susan and know that she will bring new ideas and energy”
Roberts began her industry career in 1983 as an outside sales rep
CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

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NOVEMBER 2012

INDEPENDENT DEALER

PAGE 18

INDUSTRY NEWS

continued from page 18

for a Dallas-based office products dealer. She had a two-year stint
at Container Corporation of America, but was recruited back into
office products by Scott Rice of Texas.

SICURIX allow any size organization, school or government entity
to fulfill a large part of their security initiatives in-house, Baumgartens said.

In 1994, she joined the Mid America Marketing rep firm as a territory manager and became an equity partner in 1997. In 2005,
she merged Mid America with Unified Sales Associates to form
the Unified Sales of today and is an equal owner/principal.

The program includes name-brand printers and accessories such
as ribbons and cleaning kits. Additionally, badge holders, badge
reels, lanyards, ID cards and card-holders, and RFID blocking devices are available.
"The school and office supply industry has the power to lead and
quickly fulfill the need and increasing demand for secure environments," says David Baumgarten, vice president and general manager. "SICURIX in depth coverage meets these demands. Now a
dealer working with any organization can handle the initiation, continuation or expansion of an ID program with SICURIX.”

Baumgartens Launches SICURIX, In-House ID
Systems for the School and Office Channels

Clover Announces Settlement with Canon

School and office supplies manufacturer Baumgartens last month
introduced SICURIX, a new program developed to offer comprehensive identification card-making systems.

Clover Technologies Group last month announced it has settled
its disputes with Canon in the International Trade Commission
and the federal district court in the Southern District of New York.
The disputes related to certain laser printer cartridges. The settlements will result in Clover’s dismissal from both lawsuits, the
company said. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
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INDEPENDENT DEALER

PAGE 19

INDUSTRY NEWS

continued from page 19

tomers and the market its full line of remanufactured laser cartridges, including the HP and Canon models involved in the lawsuits.

Sour Apple and features four powder-coated legs and a pump that,
according to Safco, ensures every child will be bouncing off the
walls before you know it!

Clover remains committed to producing genuine remanufactured
products that respect the intellectual property rights of others, the
company added.

AOPD Welcomes Supplies Network as New Business
Partner

Safco Introduces Runtz Ball Chair to
Put a Bounce in Children’s Seating

American Office Products Distributors, (AOPD), the national
accounts dealer marketing organization, has announced the
addition of Supplies Network to its Business Partner Program.
Supplies Network is the largest privately owned, wholesaler of IT
consumables in the U.S.

Safco Products has introduced Runtz, a new line of seating
specifically for children.
Safco said the chairs are designed to create a space that
“screams fun, including a bounce factor that allows children to
move even when they need to take a seat.”
The bright, energy-filled colors coat an anti-burst exercise ball
that will put a little bounce in how they sit, keeping their energized
bodies moving even when they are seated for a project, homework or snack time. The exercise ball also helps with posture, and
many studies are showing that movement can actually help children concentrate better and help them retain more of what they
learn, Safco said.
The chair comes with a choice of mesh in Licorice, Bubble Gum or

“AOPD is delighted to have Supplies Network join our Business
Partner Program,” stated Bud Mundt, AOPD executive director.
“As a premier wholesale distributor of IT Products and related
services, Supplies Network will benefit our dealers in providing
world class service to their consumers, in this very important
market segment.”
Greg Welchans, president of Supplies Network said, "We are
pleased to announce the establishment of our partnership with
AOPD. Their values associated with high levels of customer
service, order fulfillment and problem resolution fall in line with
our core values as a distributor. We are particularly pleased with
their value associated in working with
CONTINUED ON PAGE 21

NOVEMBER 2012

INDEPENDENT DEALER

PAGE 20

INDUSTRY NEWS continued from page 21
dealers and keeping their dollars local in terms of distribution. We
are happy to be a part of the team."

Smead Offers Organized Office Facebook Tab

Office Facebook Tab.
The Organized Office is a Facebook tab with regularly updated
organizing content sponsored by Smead, but which is generically
branded to match the dealer’s communications.
The tab allows dealers to provide valuable content to their fans
and encourages visitors to LIKE their page to view the content,
Smead explained.
“As dealers, we are always looking for suitable content for our
websites and social media pages and the more assistance we
can get from our manufacturers the better,” said Bonnie Hunt of
Perry Office Plus in Temple, Texas.
“The Smead Facebook tab is really easy to install and represents
a reall win-win for us, Smead and our customers.”

Midwest Representatives Rebrands as Midwest
Resource Group

As part of its ongoing program to support dealers’ social media
efforts, Smead Manufacturing has introduced the The Organized

The Midwest Representatives independent rep group
announced last month it
has changed its name to
Midwest Resource Group, Inc.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

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INDEPENDENT DEALER

PAGE 21

INDUSTRY NEWS

continued from page 21

The company said the name change reflects the significant
changes and expansion in business activities since it started operating in 1965.
The company’s operations today encompass expanded activities
that include regional and national channel coverage, national
key account coverage, administrative services, integrated
content marketing, showroom services and consulting, the
company said.
The company will continue to operate with its current management structure and the headquarters will remain in Buffalo
Grove, lllinois. New e-mail addresses and a new web domain
are being implemented.
“Our repositioning illustrates and conveys the multiple business services we offer,” says Steven Glass, managing partner
at Midwest.
“The foundation of our organization is sales focused and we successfully deployed services that support the sales process for our
manufacturing and reseller partners. The key to our organization’s
success continues to be a clear understanding of the complexity
of the industry and marketplace.”

Industry Veteran Buz Baetz Retires
After an industry career that spans 42 years, Buz Baetz has
decided to retire, effective December 1.
Buz started in the office products industry in 1967 with Fountain
Pen Supply, the business his father co-founded.
Buz purchased the company from his father in 1987. In 1994 he
sold the company and joined Sanford Corporation, where his last
position held was director of sales, fine writing instruments.
He left Sanford in 2004 and after a brief excursion outside the
industry, joined The Highlands Group rep organization in 2008 as
an account manager in the Mid-Atlantic.
“Buz has served the company well and he will be missed,” The
Highlands Group said in a statement.
He and his wife Jackie will continue to reside in Monkton, MD.
When asked what he plans to do in the coming years, his
response includes plans to spend more quality time with his four
children and five grandchildren while also taking time to improve
his golf game and work with some local charities he has been
involved with like Habitat for Humanity.
Our own best wishes go to Buz and Jackie for much success in
the next stage of their lives!
CONTINUED ON PAGE 23

NOVEMBER 2012

INDEPENDENT DEALER

PAGE 22

INDUSTRY NEWS

continued from page 22

Newsmaker Interview:

Sharon Avent, President / CEO
of Smead Manufacturing
When Smead president and CEO Sharon Avent received the
2012 Leadership Award from the Business Solutions Association (BSA) at its annual meeting in Dallas last month, it represented industry-wide recognition of a truly remarkable career.
Avent got her start in the industry as an hourly office employee
at Smead back in 1965. She has come a long way since then,
as reflected in an equally long list of honors that includes not
only the BSA Leadership Award but also the City of Hope’s
Spirit of Life Award and recognition from the National Association of Women Business Owners’ (NAWBO) as its “Business
Owner of the Year.”
In the following interview, Avent discusses the nature of leadership in the office products industry and offers her own perspective on some of today’s critical business issues.
n Sharon Avent received BSA’s 2012 Leadership Award from immediate past
president Joe Templet of United Stationers (left) and current president Mike
Wilbur of Cosco Industries at the association’s annual meeting in Dallas last
month.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

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