Business Profile: Laser Pros International

Laser Pros International Offers More

Than Laser Printer Parts—

They Exceed in Customer Service

By Jamie Hamilton

“One time a customer called and wanted to purchase some formatters from us,” recalls Kam Frisque, marketing specialist for Laser Pros International in Rhinelander, Wis. “Due to lack of availability and shipping cut-off at the time, we arranged to have the formatters dropped off at the customer’s business the very next day.

“Scott Spencer, co-owner of LPI, drove the formatters to the customer in Minneapolis the next day,” she adds. “Truly, a test of our never-ending customer service.”

Going the extra mile for customers means many different things to LPI—from having the latest technology and being a member of CompTIA (Computing Technology Industry Association) to operating efficiently and offering the best products to their customers.

LPI has over 5,000 SKUs of products covering HP, Lexmark and Canon laser printers and multifunction machines’ parts. This year alone, the inventory has doubled, and a 10,000-sq. ft. expansion of their 30,000 sq. ft. facility will allow them to house even more product. The increase may be a result of customer demands for Lexmark and Canon supplies that led LPI to tap into the additional OEM markets.

“It’s been a very good first quarter for us,” Frisque says. “While HP is still our main focus, so many of our customers are servicing the Lexmark industry. We are continually growing our business to span into different markets to make it more of a one-stop shop for our customers, which is why we diversified ourselves even further into the Lexmark market.”

Diversification has benefited LPI customers, but so has the company’s deep roots with HP—including being atop HP’s certification list. Since 2003, LPI has been one of the most trusted partners of HP Invent, with an HP APR Certification (Authorized Parts Reseller). This means that they are not only certified to sell HP parts, but they have access to more parts and better pricing from HP.

“We have a very strong relationship with HP, which allows us to offer incredible products and services to our customers,” Frisque notes. “HP refers its customers to us if they need a part—that’s part of being an HP Authorized Parts Reseller.”

This relationship wasn’t grown overnight, however. LPI has been affiliated with HP from the beginning, but extensive growth and continued expansion of this partnership by Bart Lamers, COO and fellow LPI management has allowed LPI to maintain incredible relations with HP over the years.

Before founding Laser Pros International, Steve Spencer worked for a company that manufactured one part for HP. He felt limited in the company’s one-part restriction and wanted to provide more solutions to customers.

In 1990, Spencer began operation of Laser Pros International in Madison, Wis. LPI outgrew several facilities before moving to Rhinelander in 1998, the hometown of the four Spencer brothers and co-owners. The current site and reinvestment in resources allows for continual expansion.

Offering the most to customers is a top priority at LPI. Family owned and operated, LPI has a very clear business philosophy, Frisque says: “to provide service the service industry relies upon with complete integrity.” This includes not only offering customers the parts they need to do business, but also the know-how.

LPI employs 11 tech support representatives that take hundreds of calls a week to help customers better understand products and service their laser printers more efficiently. They continually update their service bulletins and OEM-supplied updates and releases to make sure they have the most up-to-date knowledge bank available regarding each machine as well as parts.

They receive calls from all over the nation and sometimes all over the world. Serving regions of the globe like Canada, Europe, Australia, and China, LPI sees the world market as a great opportunity for expansion.

With a location almost bordering Canada, it is no surprise that LPI would become a global player in the industry. The most important aspects of breaking into the international market, according to Frisque, are to understand the restrictions of each region in order to do business there and to offer bulk shipments.

From international business to national clientele, LPI treats its customers like family—after all, the business is owned and operated by Steve Spencer, president, and his three brothers: Shane, Scott and Stace. This combination of integrity and family perspective plays an important role in LPI’s customer service and continued success.

“From the beginning, Steve Spencer envisioned a company that would work efficiently and effectively,” Frisque says. “And he wanted to provide a wide variety of remanufactured parts for laser printers.”

LPI products include laser printer parts and consumables, and both OEM and remanufactured consumables are available at LPI. They remanufacture their own fusers, components and accessories as well as offer core return for discount programs on many maintenance kit items, including trays. LPI’s ARS Core Return Program allows customers to return cores at a flat fee of $7 where no additional cost to sender is applied.

Quick customer order info: Online purchasing is available at www.laserpros.com, no minimum order is required, quantity price breaks are available, orders made before 5:30 p.m. CST ship the same day, and blind drop-ships are welcome.

Contact:

Laser Pros International:

888.558.5277

www.laserpros.com