While the copier industry was down 30 percent during the Great Recession, Waukesha based-Central Office Systems rode out the downturn by expanding services, investing in its employees and not losing sight of its customer focus.
Adopting titles of “assistant to the client,” each Central Office System employee is customer-focused.
“The entire focus of our organization when we talk to the company is our customer focus,” said Art Flater, president of Central Office Systems. “Our customer focus is 100-percent customer attention, for (customers) to be so happy they never want to leave.”
Central Office Systems was founded in 1973 as a copier company. After purchasing the organization in November 2007, Flater and Chris Rosecky grew the organization 70 percent in the first year.
Flater attributed the organization’s growth to increased communication and goal-setting among employees, implementation of managed laser printing services and capitalization on repossessed equipment.
“Companies know how to manage their copier, coffee machines etc. We’ve taken that to the laser printer,” said Chris Rosecky, principal and vice president of Central Office Systems. “We can help companies manage, optimize and utilize what they have.”
Last June, Flater and Rosecky sat down with employees and openly discussed financial figures and a five-year plan for growth. The two promised to issue bonuses to all employees if a set of objectives were achieved.
The company achieved the goals, and each employee was issued a bonus.
“Because we are a staff-driven company, and we set company record goals, we’re going to create a substantial bonus,” Flater said.
The company benefited from the recession by acquiring repossessed product and refurbishing it for sales.
“We concentrated on a huge opportunity in 2009 to get good repossessed equipment in northern Illinois and Michigan,” Flater said.
The refurbished equipment sales fit well with the organization’s green focus and managed laser printing services for reducing waste.
“We have been very cognitive that just growing sales isn’t going to do that. We need the technology, and we need the applied skill set of our technicians,” Rosecky said.
Supporting parochial education and other service organizations by providing equipment, printing services and or time, Central Office Systems is committed to continuing business in southeastern Wisconsin.
“We truly talk the talk and walk the walk as a true local organization,” Rosecky said.
Central Office Systems Strategic Partners:
Benefit Networks, Inc.
(262) 784-1446
Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c
(262) 951-4500 • www.reinhartlaw.com
