DEALER SPOTLIGHT
We Saw It In ENX Magazine
AUGUST 2011
A Conversation With Gary Johnson, The Driving Force Behind Zoom Imaging Solutions And Toshiba’s 2010 Dealer Of The Year By Scott Cullen
G
ary Johnson, president of Zoom Imaging Solutions, Inc., may not have had his sights set on a career in the copier business when he first began selling copiers 27 years ago purely by chance, but after discovering that this was something he did well, he’s still doing what he does best, including running one of the most successful dealerships in Central and Northern California. Originally known as WOLCO, the company became Zoom Imaging Solutions when Johnson acquired the company in 2004. The dealership services more than 9,000 accounts throughout the region and is Toshiba’s largest independently owned dealership. Over the years they’ve been consistently recognized by Toshiba with numerous awards and Johnson continues to maintain that tradition of excellence. In 2010 the dealership was recognized as Toshiba’s U.S. Dealer of the Year, a testament to Johnson’s leadership and the quality of his 130 employees. We spoke with Johnson about running a successful company, the industry, and his 27-year career as a successful copier dealer.
business to the next level. We were stuck at about $24 million in revenue. I felt we were solvent enough to take it to the next level Gary Johnson so we started looking for acquisiPresident tions. We ended up buying three small dealers in the Bay area, outside of our existing marketplace in 2008 and early 2009. The first deal we closed, the same week the world fell off the edge with the banking situation of 2008. You spend all that money to make an acquisition and you think you’re going to get growth. But instead it provided replacement revenue for the losses and the hits we took in the Central Valley. It was brutal for about two years. Sales dropped 35 percent in the Fresno/Modesto marketplace and we saw a double-digit drop in our Sacramento Branch sales, but we made up for it in the Bay area growth. Looking back I’m glad I did it, but it wasn’t exactly the expected return on the investment. It kept our revenues even in spite of the economic challenges. We now have four Bay Area locations and our growth is coming from that investment. The Bay area growth is exciting. The dealerships we acquired were pretty small, so we’ve basically gone from zero revenue to expected revenues in 2011of $6 or $7 million. I’m happy with that and now we’re starting to bounce back in the Valley. Who are your customers?
2010 Dealer of the Year How’s business? Johnson: If we were in any other market, we’d be so much better off than where we are here, but we’re still able to grow in a bad California economy. We’re growing five percent over last year and we grew five percent over the previous year so we’re maintaining growth but I really have higher expectations. We’re dragging that economy around like an anchor as we try to grow and expand. In spite of all that, if we finish on pace we’ll probably have our biggest year ever. As far as that five percent growth, what do you attribute that to? Johnson: In early 2008 I decided to focus on growing this
Johnson: In the Central Valley the businesses we do best with are the small to medium size companies; we take great care of them and they love us because of that. It’s exciting to see a whole new type of large corporate customer in the San Jose and San Francisco marketplace. Our sales team has done a good job of winning some of that business and with Toshiba’s support that has proven a win-win for us and the customer. A lot of companies talk a good game about what great customer service they provide, but ZOOM seems to truly deliver superior customer service. How have you gone above and beyond what your competitors may do to ensure customers are satisfied? Johnson: Just stating you have great customer service is never going to be a huge advantage because there’s not a dealer that goes into this business that says, “We don’t care about customer service.” They all care, it’s whether or not they’re willing to put their money where their mouth is, and the difference between good customer service and great customer service is an attitude and a willingness to invest in the technology or personnel to handle the job. If you don’t do that, and instead you just suck all the money out of your company, then you are going to be mediocre at best. continued on 26
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