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Known for their wide selection of original equipment manufacturer lines, Image Star is about to revolutionize the way you think about compatible cartridges. In early 2006, Image Star will introduce their new “Elite 3” line of compatible products consisting of three distinct quality tiers: Ultra Premium, Premium, and Economy.

Do all your customers have the same perception of compatibles? Probably not. So, don’t offer them all the same compatible cartridges. That’s Image Star’s view. Their new Elite 3 line is designed to satisfy varying demands in the marketplace.

“There are a lot of distributors out there selling ‘off-the-shelf’ product,” says Lenny Marano, Image Star’s compatible product manager. “We wanted to make ourselves different from the rest of the crowd. These products are differentiated by unique build specifications and component replacement.”

With a new, fully automated distribution facility and next-day nationwide delivery capabilities, Image Star is a one-stop shop for OEM and compatible supplies.

Whether you need to drop-ship one cartridge or three pallets, Image Star has room to stock your order and get it to you the next day. “With our new facility and shipping services, customers do not have to keep inventory on hand,” Marano says. “They could use us as their distribution center, since we deliver overnight.”

OEMs from “Apple to Xerox”—and Now Elite 3

Image Star offers OEM copier, printer, fax, and data media supplies “from Apple to Xerox,” including Brother, Canon, Epson, HP, IBM, Lexmark, Panasonic, Samsung and others.

In the first quarter of 2006, Image Star will launch the new Elite 3 compatible product line. The goal is to offer a compatible cartridge for every OEM they carry. With their innovative three-tiered offering, Image Star’s customers will have a wide selection of options to choose from.

They recognize that customers are individuals with varying needs. Some may need compatible cartridges for a government bid, while other customers may need a top-of-the-line compatible for an end-user who is wary of trying a non-OEM cartridge.

Instead of using various remanufacturers for price and quality, Image Star has researched what makes a quality cartridge as a wholesale distributor, and then developed their own line—complete with newly designed, professional packaging.

“We went out and met with a lot of remanufacturers, component manufacturers, and distributors,” Marano explains. “We really wanted to find out for ourselves exactly what it took to make a quality cartridge. I went out and set specifications for three levels of product, each level geared toward the different needs of our customers.”

For the Elite 3 line, Image Star has developed Ultra Premium, Premium, and Economy levels. The Ultra Premium Level has 100% new components and is designed for customers who may have never purchased a compatible before, or have very specific needs for imaging quality. “This level is great for converting OEM customers to compatibles,” Marano says.

The Premium Level provides good quality at a great price. “We feel this level is superior to what everyone is currently producing in the industry,” he says. “This line will be our highest mover.”

The Economy Level is for end-users who are more concerned with the bottom line. It is a low-cost solution. “It’s more geared toward customers in a bid situation,” said Marano.

The packaging for each product tier is unique. While they all have glossy cartons, the Ultra Premium level includes end-caps to protect the cartridge during shipping. Also, the Ultra Premium and Premium levels have Image Star blue as the dominant color on the box design, while the Economy box is mostly black and gray. The design is professional, including a sphere that changes shape with each line.

“We are really excited about this,” Marano says. “We really feel that we are going to set ourselves apart from other distributors with this line. There’s a product for everyone out there, based on their needs.”

As for quality, don’t just take a manufacturer’s word for it—take it from a wholesaler who is STMC Certified. Image Star is taking quality into their own hands by becoming certified in 2006 when their compatible line is released. They will set up a testing station in their new facility that will check cartridges for page yield, density, toner consumption, grayscale, and other factors.

“There aren’t any wholesale distributors right now that hold this certification—it’s mainly designated for manufacturers,” Marano says. Image Star places a high importance on the quality of their Elite 3 line. “This certification will give us a hands-on approach to quality assurance. We have to be able to qualify that ourselves.”

Customer Quick Note: There is no minimum order requirement at Image Star; blind-drop shipments are available, and they provide nationwide next-day delivery at ground rates until 8 p.m. EST.

New Operation Digs

While Image Star is adding a new line of product, they are also adding more space. At the end of November 2005, Image Star and its 100 employees moved from a 13,000-sq.-ft. facility to one triple that size in Middletown, Conn. A new sales team of five additional reps has also made a move into their new office in Buffalo, N.Y.

What’s more, their new facility is fully automated with conveyor systems and flow racks. They now have the capacity to stock over 4,000 items. “It allows us to stock more items at a higher level, to make more available to our customers for next-day delivery,” Marano explains. “Now, with the new facility we can dramatically expand our product offering.”

And their facility is not the only thing at Image Star that has gotten a major overhaul. Their website—to be unveiled in the first quarter of 2006 as well—has gotten an extreme makeover. The new site will be fully integrated into their warehouse, and is an online powerhouse of not only information but also functionality.

“It will be a fully integrated, self-service website,” Marano says. “Any info that a customer can get by calling and talking to one of our customer service reps, they will also be able to get themselves online.” Users will be able to place orders, check availability, get price quotes, track shipments, get accounting information and see order history.

Looking Forward

With all these developments, Image Star is expanding their service offering in a consolidating industry. As remanufacturers continue to join forces, there is a larger outsourcing need, says Marano: “Our continuing drive to expand our value-added services distinguishes us in the industry.”

Image Star promotes at industry tradeshows as well as in industry publications. Their knowledgeable sales team is looking forward to taking your call. At Image Star, sales reps have a combined average of 10 years of experience in the imaging supply industry. They are prepared to answer any questions you may have about their products.

Image Star is looking forward to continuing a “smart growth” approach. “There’s growth just for the sake of growing, and then there’s smart growth,” Marano says.

“As we’ve grown over the past couple of years, one thing that we’ve done extraordinarily well is maintain one-on-one relationships with customers. That has contributed to our success. Personalized service, knowledgeable sales and customer service personnel, and a broad product offering provide the Image Star customer with a small business feel and a large business capability.”

Contact:

Image Star

888-632-5515

www.imagestar.com

by Jamie Hamilton— in addition to writing business profiles in ENX, Jamie writes and designs ads, brochures, catalogs, newsletters, and technical manuals for companies in the imaging industry. She can be contacted at: Tel/ Fax 502-896-1051 or e-mail her at: jamiewriter@hotmail.com.

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