KM "Line of the Year" cont'd

This is Konica Minolta's second consecutive year winning BLI's most coveted award—A3 MFP Line of the Year. This award is given once a year to the OEM whose product line is determined to be the best overall in its category based on the cumulative test results of all models tested in BLI's rigorous two-month laboratory evaluation. By assessing reliability, image quality, ease of use, productivity and a range of other criteria, the tests reveal the products that deliver customers the best value and most trouble-free performance. Also considered is the breadth of the vendor's line and the vendor's ability to provide quality products suitable to a broad spectrum of customer needs, from low-volume to high-volume.

"The Konica Minolta line continues to impress, currently including 14 A3 'Pick' winners—more than any other MFP vendor," said George Mikolay, senior product editor, A3/Copier MFPs. "Moreover, reliability—buyers' number one concern—is a differentiator for Konica Minolta's A3 product line across the board, both color and black and white. "

"It's a remarkable achievement that among all 14 'Pick' winners, not a single malfunction occurred," said BLI Managing Editor Daria Hoffman, pointing out that the only service required was for routine scheduled preventive maintenance. "When all currently tested A3 models are considered, Konica Minolta has the best reliability record of all eligible vendors, proving that it offers the quality buyers consider more important than any other."

BLI editors also selected Konica Minolta for the first-ever Solutions Line of the Year award based on the company's exceptional solutions portfolio across a broad range of document imaging software categories.
To determine the winner, BLI considered the imaging software each leading printer and MFP OEM officially sells and supports via its direct and independent sales channels. Both first-party products and those from third-party ISVs (independent software vendors) were taken into account in categories including Document Management/ECM, Document Capture & Workflow, Accounting/Cost Control & Recovery, Print Management, Device Management, Security Software and others. Moreover, only those solutions submitted to BLI's lab for evaluation figured into the OEMs' overall ranking—ensuring that the award is based on actual hands-on evaluation of the offerings in the portfolio.

"Earning BLI's 'Solutions Line of the Year' award is no easy feat, and it was a hard-fought competition with several leading OEMs in close contention," explained Jamie Bsales, senior product editor, solutions, at BLI. "Ultimately, it was Konica Minolta's standout portfolio and reseller relationships with class-leading ISVs in key product categories that put it over the top."
"Expanding the bizhub product line and further building on our complementary solution technology is one of the most important initiatives at Konica Minolta as we continue to address the growing needs of our customer base. The "Line of the Year" awards from BLI are further proof our ongoing success in these key areas, particularly the first-ever solutions "Line of the Year" award," said Kevin Kern, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. "Customers of all sizes can count on Konica Minolta for the award-winning technology and document management solutions they expect. Moving into 2012, we look forward to introducing more exceptional products, solutions and services to the industry that address the evolving needs of our customers."

About Konica Minolta
Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. delivers an award-winning portfolio of document management technologies and Business Intelligence Services for print environments of any size and scope including enterprise customers, small- to medium-sized businesses, and key vertical markets. For the fourth consecutive year, Konica Minolta was recognized as the #1 Brand for Customer Loyalty in the MFP Office Copier Market by Brand Keys. Buyers Laboratory Inc. (BLI) has named Konica Minolta 2011 "Line of the Year" award winner for the company's award-winning line of bizhub Color and Monochrome Multifunctional Products.

Konica Minolta is a registered trademark of Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc. bizhub is a registered trademark of Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners.

Konica Minolta Celebrates Fifth Consecutive Year as Brand Keys' #1 Brand
Konica Minolta Maintains Leadership in MFP Office Copier Category for Customer Loyalty

Ramsey, NJ - February 6, 2012 - Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. today announced that it was awarded first place in the 2012 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index in the "MFP Office Copier" category for the fifth consecutive year. Each year, New York-based marketing consultancy Brand Keys publishes its Customer Loyalty Engagement Index, which surveys more than 49,000 Americans to determine how brands rank in customer loyalty. The 2012 Index examined customers' relationships with 600 brands in 83 categories. Other winning brands for 2012 include Apple, Coca-Cola, Facebook, Google, IBM, McDonald’s , UPS, and Walmart.

The 2012 Brand Keys research paints a detailed picture of the category drivers that engage customers, engender loyalty, and drive real profits. The Brand Keys methodology, which considered several competitors, asked customers to characterize their perfect product in the MFP Office Copier category, setting the standard for excellence. The 2012 Brand Keys research once again identified Konica Minolta as a leading brand for customer loyalty in the "MFP Office Copier" category when measured against the "Ideal" office copier.

"Being recognized by Brandy Keys for the fifth straight year is a great accomplishment and one that we value highly given the results are based on customer feedback," said Kevin Kern, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. "We strive to ensure that customers can always count on Konica Minolta for the innovative, advanced document management solutions they need, and earning this top ranking again confirms our commitment to this goal. Our award-winning product, solution and service lines consistently prove to be among the most distinguished in our industry and we look forward to continuing this success in 2012.”

“Customer expectations continue to grow, particularly when it comes to technology. To compound the difficulty tech brands face, brand reputation has become a more vital differentiator when it comes to perceived brand value, reliability, and quality. Konica Minolta has managed to keep up with both the technology and consumers for the 5th straight year, which is how they continue to have the most loyal customers in the MFP Office Copier category.” Robert Passikoff, Founder and President, Brand Keys.

January 9, 2011

Ricoh Devices Earn 2012 “Outstanding Achievement” Awards for Energy Efficiency

Buyers Laboratory LLC, the world’s leading independent tester of document imaging products, today awarded “Outstanding Achievement” accolades to the most energy-efficient printer and MFPs tested in the past six months. Ricoh, winning nearly 50% of the awards, exhibited significantly lower than average energy consumption for their respective groups and offer a variety of environmentally friendly features to help users reduce their overall environmental impact.
2012 “Outstanding Achievement” awards go to the following products:

Ricoh Aficio MP C2051

Ricoh Aficio MP C3501

Ricoh Aficio MP C4501 Series

Ricoh Aficio MP C300SR

Congratulations HP on being selected for “2012 Color Printer Line of the Year”

latest news

PRESS RELEASE, Fayetteville NC

Fayetteville, NC

December, 2011

Systel, one of only a few Dealers in the US to earn HP’s designation: Managed Print Advanced Specialist!

Partners that have earned the HP Managed Print Advanced Specialist designation possess expertise in providing simple to complex managed print services solutions, as well as print-related software solutions, for your unique imaging and printing needs. HP Managed Print Advanced Specialist partners have extensive industry experience and qualifications that have been validated by HP. HP Managed Print Advanced Specialist partners have an established and HP-qualified managed print services practice. HP Managed Print Advanced Specialist partners become your single source of expertise for your imaging and printing fleet, including the execution of an organization wide print strategy so your employees can focus on what is important to your business. Managed print services provided by the HP Managed Print Advanced Specialist partner include cost and productivity assessments of your existing imaging and printing environment, multi-vendor fleet management and optimization, convenient and cost-effective cost-per-page contracts tailored to fit your organizational needs, and software solutions that improve your workflows and streamline document-intensive business processes. Specialist partners are recommended by HP.

November 8, 2011

Systel earns two top awards both locally for their financial growth and strength being named among North Carolina’s Top 100 Private Companies as well as nationally among their Industry peers being recognized as a 2011 Elite Dealer.

Fayetteville, NC, Nov. 8, 2011 – Systel Business Equipment has been selected as a 2011 Elite Dealer by The Week in Imaging, a news publication for resellers of imaging technology, supplies, and services.

The Elite Dealer awards started in 1989 and this year marks the 21^st year they’ve been presented. The Elite Dealer Awards honor the best and the brightest in the imaging technology dealer community. This year’s Elite Dealer honorees encompass entrepreneurs, innovators, survivors, top sellers, and celebrated members of the communities they serve. These are the dealerships that provide office technology, software, and services to businesses and organizations of all sizes.

“Winners are not based on sales figures alone although many of this year’s Elite dealers are some of their manufacturer’s best sellers,” states Scott Cullen, publisher and editor of The Week in Imaging. “The focus is on growth, innovative marketing and sales programs, community leadership, and leadership within the industry.”

Another key consideration is the work environment they provide employees and the job satisfaction that culture inspires. Involvement with the community is also important and many Elite dealers and their employees generously donate time and money to the communities in which they work.

“We firmly believe all of those are important qualities of an Elite Dealer,” adds Cullen. “It’s not any one trait, but a combination of traits that make an Elite dealer and a dealership such as Systel Business Equipment truly Elite.

Systel Business Equipment Co., Inc was also recently named among North Carolina’s Top 100 Private Companies in Business North Carolina Magazine by Grant Thornton LLP.

The global accounting firm, Grant Thornton LLP, used their national research team to evaluate the companies based on numerous categories such revenue, ownership, and market share throughout the state of North Carolina. Systel was chosen among the group out of over 3,000 companies evaluated.

Systel was the only Office Equipment Provider selected as well as the only Company based in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Others named on the list are well-regarded North Carolina based companies such as Belk, Barnhill Contracting, Clancy & Theys, DuBose Steel, Golden Corral, and CPI Security Systems.

“It’s an honor to not only be named among this group of reputable companies, but to be the only company headquartered in Fayetteville and the only Company in our Industry,” says Systel President & CEO, Keith Allison. “Systel’s double digit growth and our strength and sustainability within our Industry put us on the list for the first time at number 97. When our competitors are selling or down-sizing in this tough economy, Systel continues to grow and look for more opportunities or expansion and acquisition. We measure our size not based on our annual revenue but rather on the number of satisfied customers we have as we would not have achieved what we have today without them.”

About Systel Business Equipment

Systel Business Equipment Co., Inc is a North Carolina based company with annual sales of fifty million dollars and over 250 employees. Systel is the Southeast's Largest Independent Dealer of Ricoh, Panasonic, HP, and Konica Minolta Products & Solutions with nine locations servicing the Carolinas and Georgia. Systel has been honored by Office Dealer Magazine with the Elite Dealer Award in 1999, 2002, 2003. In 1988, Systel was recognized as an Inc 500 company by Inc magazines, which recognizes the top 500 fastest growing private companies in the United States. Most recently Systel was recognized by Ricoh Corporation at its annual meeting in June as Ricoh’s largest dealer in the Southern United States. Also at this meeting, Systel received Ricoh’s “Strategic Major Account Award”, which recognizes the top Ricoh Dealer in the United States in developing strategic major account relationships. This year Systel also received the designation of Advanced Managed Print Service Partner by Hewlett Packard, only one of a few in the United States.

CONTACT:
Systel Business Equipment Co., Inc

Public Relations: Jacqueline Smith
Email: JSmith@systeloa.com
URL: http://www.systeloa.com

Elite Partner Award (Continued)

theweekinimaging.com

October 7, 2011 by Scott Cullen

Systel Business Equipment

www.systeloa.com

Fayetteville, NC

Year Founded: 1981

No. of Employees: 250

Approximate Yearly Revenues: $44 million

Recent Performance: Grew 28 percent over the past three years

This Year’s Big Accomplishment: Making the list of North Carolina’s Top 100 Largest Private Companies in Business North Carolina Magazine.

Primary Vendors/Product Lines: Ricoh, Konica Minolta, HP, Panasonic

With nine office locations across the Carolinas and Georgia and 2:1 service to sales personnel ratio, no wonder Systel continues to provide unbeatable customer service and satisfaction. What impresses us is how Systel’s knowledge and expertise in the industry, along with its relationships and reputation in the communities it serves has allowed them to retain customers for more than 30 years while winning major account deals over national direct competition.

Above all, the thing that sets Systel apart from its competitors and other dealers across the country is Systel Printing, which opened in 2004. Located adjacent to Systel’s Greensboro, N.C. office, this is a full-service digital and offset print shop for customers. It also allows Systel to offer customers zero down time at no additional costs should their equipment crash in the middle of a large print job since they can upload their file through Systel’s Website and the job can be delivered locally or ship to them the next day. Now that’s customer service!

Not content to remain complacent and rest on their laurels we admire Systel’s courage to change. That is exemplified in their new look. All of the dealership’s new publications and marketing pieces have sleek new designs with colorful Print, Scan, Copy, Send tag lines and images. We hear it’s been a big hit with customers and prospects. Check it out on their Facebook page, www.face.book.com/systelnow.

Speaking of Facebook, we also like the way Systel is leveraging social media and the Internet in their business. Through social media, Systel highlights its latest products and promotions while also offering live requests for service trouble-shooting videos or special installation and training videos for customers to reduce service calls and customer downtime. After the first month of going social, they had more than 75 followers on Twitter and an average of 115 Facebook visitors per week. Those may not be Ashton Kutcher-type numbers but they aren’t bad numbers for an office technology dealership. The goal is to raise that to 300-400 regular followers before the end of the year.

Maintaining a high profile in the community and now on TV is another way Systel remains in the forefront of customer’s minds and reaches new customers. The TV show, Extreme Makeover Home Edition, recently added Systel as an official vendor for their ninth season. In addition Systel contributes to more than 50 charitable, non-profit organizations and events across the state, including March of Dimes, American Heart Association , and the Child Advocacy Center. And Systel’s corporate office donated $10,000 to support the local arts as “Co-Producer” of Fayetteville’s Cape Fear Regional Theater to support their 50th Golden Anniversary Season.

A strong believer in supporting education, Systel has endowed scholarships and supported student aid and learning programs for local colleges and universities such as Methodist University, Fayetteville Technical Community College, North Carolina State University, and Campbell University and Law School.

This has been a solid year for Systel. Not only are they celebrating their 30^th year in business, they’ve earned top awards and recognition such as the Ricoh Strategic Major Accounts Award, the Pro-Tech Service Award from Konica Minolta, and OPS Elite Partner Status from HP. However, the biggest accomplishment thus far in 2011 was making the list of North Carolina’s Top 100 Largest Private Companies by Business North Carolina Magazine.

In an economy of wage freezes, lay-offs, and smaller dealers being bought out by manufacturers, Systel has proven an independent dealership can survive and thrive in this industry. Case in point they’ve grown sales 20 percent over last year when the industry as a whole was down almost 30 percent. Not bad for a family owned and managed business.

Systel Named North Carolina’s Top 100 Private Companies

Systel was the only office Equipment Provider selected as well as the only Company based in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Other to be named among the list are well-regarded North Carolina based companies such as Belk, Barnhill Contracting, Clancy & Theys, DuBose Steel, Golden Corral, and CPI Security Systems.

“It’s an honor to not only be named among this group of reputable companies, but to be the only company selected from our area and our Industry ”, says Systel President & CEO, Keith Allison. “Yes, we’re number 97, but to think that only 3 years ago, we would not have even qualified for the list, shows Systel’s dedication to our goal of annual double digit growth and our strength and sustainability within our Industry. When our competitors are selling or down-sizing in this tough economy, Systel continues to grow and look for more opportunities or expansion and acquisition. We measure our size not based on our annual revenue but rather on the number of satisfied customers we have as we would not have achieved what we have today without them.”

About Systel Business Equipment

Systel Business Equipment Co., Inc is a North Carolina based company with annual sales of fifty million dollars and over 250 employees. Systel is the Southeast's Largest Independent Dealer of Ricoh, Panasonic, HP, and Konica Minolta Products & Solutions with nine locations servicing the Carolinas and Georgia. Systel has been honored by Office Dealer Magazine with the Elite Dealer Award in 1999, 2002, 2003. In 1988, Systel was recognized 5 years after it was established as an Inc 500 company by Inc magazines, which recognizes the top 500 fastest growing private companies in the United States. Most recently Systel was recognized by Ricoh Corporation at its annual meeting in June as Ricoh’s largest dealer in the Southern United States. Also at this meeting, Systel received Ricoh’s “Strategic Major Account Award”, which recognizes the top Ricoh Dealer in the United States in developing strategic major account relationships. Moreover this year, Systel received the designation of Advanced Managed Print Service Specialist, only one of a few in the State by Hewlett Packard.

NC Top 100 List

July 12, 2011

Systel’s President and CEO, Keith Allison, Named among 40 Most Influential People

Systel Business Equipment Co., Inc. (Systel) headquartered in Fayetteville, NC announced today that Systel's President and CEO along with other top industry executives have been named among the 40 Most Influential People in the Imaging Industry as selected by The Week in Imaging.

Others named among the Top 40 was Xerox Chairman and CEO, Ursula Burns, Sharp President, Ed McLaughlin, and a Systel Partner Company, Konica Minolta's President and COO, Rick Taylor. “This is truly an honor and a surprise,” says Keith. “To be considered one of the Top 40 with these individuals in an industry with well over 10,000 top executives, Dealers, consultants, and analysts really means something.”

"While our Top 40 included some surprises, the inclusion of Rick Taylor and Keith Allison were not a surprise at all," said Scott Cullen, publisher and editor of The Week in Imaging. "Those names came up again and again while we were soliciting nominations because they have each made a difference and continue to make a difference within their organization and the imaging industry as a whole."

"Keith Allison has been described to us as an innovator from an independent dealer perspective particularly when you look at what he's done in the production print area. Since 2004 Systel has been providing commercial offset production digital color printing through its Printing Services Division”. –The Week in Imaging. According to Allison, the inclusion of production printing services from a customer’s desktop is extremely rare among traditional companies that provide copiers, printers, related software, and other document management solutions, that include onsite service. “A customer who leases a standard copier from Systel can have access to Systel’s five million dollar print facility and its production offset presses and digital color production equipment to produce thousands of multi-page color brochures, posters, or even finished books. These can be delivered to Systel customers the next day packaged and shrink wrapped right to their office”. The Systel Printing Services Division also includes a pre-press and design services department.

“Allison has been running the business since 1981 and has grown it into one of the largest independent office technology dealerships in the Southeast,” says Frank Cannata, editor and publisher of the leading publication for the office equipment industry, The Cannata Report. “One has to applaud a dealer who decided to focus on service rather than sales from the get go. I don't know anyone who can even come close to competing with Keith.”

Allison has received numerous past recognitions, with some of the most notable being the Business Excellence Award from Methodist University, Business Person of the Year, the Distinguished Service Award from the Fayetteville Jaycees, the Al Prewitt Economic Visionary Award, “for his role in the creation of new jobs, Corporate investment and improved quality of life in the community”- The Fayetteville Observer-May 7, 2008, and The Campbell University Lundy–Fetterman School of Business Adam Smith Free Enterprise Award for his dedication to and efforts on behalf of freedom, free enterprise, and entrepreneurship. Mr. Allison previously served as Chairman of Panasonic’s National Advisory Board for the United States for over twelve years and served on Ricoh Corporation’s National Executive Board from 1997-2010. Mr. Allison currently serves on the Executive Advisory Board of both Konica Minolta and Hewlett Packard.

About Systel

Systel is a fifty million dollar company with over 250 employees and is the Southeast's Largest Independent Dealer of Ricoh, Panasonic, HP, and Konica Minolta Products & Solutions. Systel has nine locations servicing the Carolinas and Georgia and is recognized nationally as one of the leading companies in providing the latest in office technology. Systel has been honored by Office Dealer Magazine with the Elite Dealer Award in 1999, 2002, 2003. In 1988, Systel was recognized in 1988 as an Inc 500 company by Inc magazaine, which recognizes the top 500 fastest growing private companies in the United States. Most recently Systel was recognized by Ricoh Corporation at its annual meeting in June as Ricoh’s largest dealer in the Southern United States. Also at this meeting, Systel received Ricoh’s “Strategic Major Account Award”, which recognizes the top Ricoh Dealer in the United States in developing strategic major account relationships. Moreover this year, Systel received the designation of Elite Partner Status with Hewlett Packard.

Mr. Allison currently serves as a Trustee for Methodist University and is also President of the Fayetteville Police Foundation.

Additional information and reference material is attached along with contact information for individuals associated with the information contained in this press release. You may also contact Mr. Allison at Systel’s Fayetteville Operations Center 2604 Fort Bragg Road, Fayetteville, NC 28303 910-321-7700, his assistant, Susan Willams, or Jacqueline Smith in Public Relations.

June 2011

Konica Minolta Wins Multiple 2011 BERTL's Best Awards

Konica Minolta has received multiple 2011 BERTL's Best Awards from BERTL

Best Color Production System: bizhub PRESS C8000

Best Color Light Production System: bizhub PRESS C7000

Best Monochrome Production System: bizhub PRO 1200

Best Departmental Monochrome A3 MFP Range:bizhub 423

Since 1995, the "BERTL's Best" Award recognizes the best device, software and product lines in the digital imaging marketplace that were launched during the year. The categories are based on desktop, workgroup, departmental and production work environments. BERTL's analysts review them to identify the select group of devices and software that stand apart from the others.

Here is what Art Wynne, President of BERTL, had to say about our awards:

“BERTL’s analysts were extremely impressed with the bizhub PRESS series as it is evident that Konica Minolta has placed a clear focus on delivering image quality, durability, flexibility and high volume capability with the introduction of the bizhub PRESS C8000 and C7000. The series is modular and can be customized in a variety of ways making it adaptable to the needs of a variety of businesses in matching their space and volume requirements. Our thorough testing demonstrated that both the bizhub PRESS C8000 and C7000 have the ability to handle a large variety of stocks and the capacity to deliver remarkable, exuberant colors.”

The BERTL’s Best awards further showcase the depth of Konica Minolta's award-winning technology across our entire product line from production print to office systems. These awards are another indication of how our customers and prospects can count on Konica Minolta to continue delivering innovative solutions that meet all of their demanding printing requirements.

JUNE 2011

Systel Wins the KM Pro-Tech Service Award!

The Pro-Tech Service Award recognizes those Konica Minolta dealers able to demonstrate an exceptional commitment to customer support and satisfaction. It is a symbol of quality. An assurance of professional, reliable service and maximum performance for your Konica Minolta office products.

The Pro-Tech Service standard is difficult to achieve and the evaluation procedure is exhaustive. Every element of the service operation - management skills, inventory control, technical expertise, dispatch systems, customer satisfaction, and more - is scrutinized and measured.

This rigid standard is the very reason this award has become such a powerful symbol of competence and proficiency. To be chosen to become a member of this select group is indeed an honor.

You can count on your Pro-Tech dealer to give you their best effort, every day of the year. And to offer every customer the benefits of ...

Professional, customer-oriented service department management and administration
Service response times significantly better than the industry average
Preventive maintenance programs that are on time, every time
Inventory control systems that assure immediate access to replacement parts and components
Comprehensive training programs and performance reviews to maintain the highest level of expertise
Highly skilled technical specialists and service personnel trained on your products

Finally, the Pro-Tech Award gives you, the customer, a distinctive advantage. You're assured, before the sale, that your Konica Minolta dealer has the skills, the people and the systems to keep your equipment operating at the highest levels of productivity. We think that's an advantage worth considering.

January 2010

Systel gives $83,000 to aid Campbell's law school

Article from reprinted Fayetteville Observer 1/27/2010.

LILLINGTON - Systel Business Equipment has given $83,000 to Campbell University's Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law in support of its new Raleigh location, the university said Tuesday.

The contribution means the Fayetteville company will be the naming sponsor of the Dean's Conference Room at the Law School. Systel also partnered with Campbell to provide all faculty, staff and students printers and copiers throughout the 110,000-square-foot building, according to the private university based in Harnett County.

"We are grateful to Systel and company President and CEO Keith Allison for this meaningful contribution to Campbell Law School," said Dean Melissa Essary in a statement. "This investment in Campbell Law's new Raleigh home is extraordinary, and we are proud to dedicate the Dean's Conference Room in recognition of Systel's support."

Systel previously created an endowment to fund special Campbell Law speakers and events that focus on personal ethics and professionalism. Since 2005, Systel has sponsored an annual Campbell Law School Professionalism Dinner.

"It is an honor to be involved with this project," said Allison of the Raleigh building, "and we look forward to partnering with Campbell Law students and faculty for years to come."

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