Original
equipment manufacturers approve of Laser Technologies’ product
quality—and so should you. Laser Technologies was recognized early
by the OEMs for consistent quality: Narrowing down a nationwide list
of manufacturers that could help them get out the numbers they
needed, one OEM came up with a list of five. Then the list was
narrowed down to three… and then to one—Laser Technologies.
“…And that’s
how we got chosen as a manufacturing partner,” says Bob Tury, sales
manager at Laser Technologies.
“We began as
a small business, but based on the quality of our compatible
products we started getting noticed by the OEMs,” Tury says. “Today
we’ve grown substantially from OEMs, and into the recharger and
dealer markets.”
Today, Laser
Technologies occupies a 100,000 sq. ft. facility in Exton, Pa., and
has just opened a new production facility in Mexico, bringing its
total production capacity to over 100,000 cartridges per month. The
focus of production is always quality. And with a segment of
customers as OEMs, Laser Technologies has some of the most stringent
quality control procedures and requirements in the industry.
“I want to
make it very clear,” says Thomas Spicker, Laser Technologies’
director of sales and marketing, “that when we talk about levels of
quality, Laser Technologies is producing some of the highest quality
compatible cartridges available. By principle, we apply the same
processes used when remanufacturing for OEMs to the production
reserved for all of our other customers.”
“Dealers need
the security of knowing that they are buying a cartridge which will
fulfill their expectations of the number of prints made,” he adds.
“We understand that cost-per-page is a very important selling point
to a large percentage of our customer base, which is why we do
rigorous testing to ensure that the cartridges we manufacture meet
life expectancies.”
And, while
quality control and high quality standards are of the utmost
importance when offering supplies to end-users, many dealers may be
missing out on supply sales altogether. Remaining focused on the
cost-per-page bottom line, dealers may provide better service and
value adds to end-users. But what dealers sometimes overlook is that
there is more opportunity for supply sales than on just the machine
you came to service.
“The dealer
has a great opportunity to partner with a company like Laser
Technologies, to capture this part of the market as well. He already
has the account by selling a cost-per-page service to the end-user
in the form of a multi-functional machine. But, a lot of the laser
printers or fax machines are in the same end-user account. A service
technician is already there, why should somebody else, or the
superstores, be providing the supplies for those additional
machines?” said Spicker. “We can help the dealer improve his bottom
line with the introduction of compatible supplies.”
When selling
color supplies, dealers look for more than just quality—they are
interested in consistency. The key to producing quality products
with the consistency that Laser Technologies’ customers demand is
having a quality-focused staff of industry experienced professionals
at the helm of production output. While Laser Technologies prides
itself on upholding ISO 9001:2000 quality management system
certification and STMC testing compliance, experience itself is the
major contributor to its success.
At the helm,
Laser Technologies’ daily operations are maintained by president
Bill Kopatich, who has been in the imaging and computer supplies
industries for 25 years. Peter Rohrmayer, senior engineer, and Jeff
Burroughs, production and process engineering manager, are key
fixtures—not only at Laser Technologies, but also in the industry
itself.
Rohrmayer,
with a chemical background, has over 14 years experience in the
industry. Burroughs, in his tenth year at Laser Technologies,
conducts a seamless operation of restoring cartridges to render
top-quality performance. But it’s the company’s whole R&D,
production and quality teams that make it possible for Laser
Technologies to be first to market with a top-quality product
solution.
Extensive
product research, development and planning go into every new
product. In manufacturing, all worn cartridge parts are replaced
with high-level, new components. Laser Technologies uses only virgin
cores and installs new OPCs, first-tier wiper blades, and new or
recoated PCRs.
But more
importantly, Laser Technologies uses the highest quality, true
polymerized (chemical) toner. “ Chemical toner creates vibrancy and
consistency of color and page yield for each cartridge. This is why
we only use the best quality chemical toners in our color laser
products,” Spicker says.
While
production is a large facet of the Laser Technologies’ facility,
they have also dedicated an extensive section to warehousing dealer
inventory. “Some dealers prefer for us to house their inventory,”
said Spicker “So, we have a warehouse that currently serves our
dealer’s stocking programs.”
An on-time
fill rate of 97% provides dealers the quick turn-around time
necessary to distribute their products to their customers’ sites
direct from Laser Technologies’ shelves. The cut-off time for
receiving same-day ship priority is 4:30 p.m. EST;
express shipments of next-day and 2nd-day deadlines
are scheduled at 5 p.m.
Customer
Quick Info: there is no
minimum order requirement at Laser Technologies; quantity price
breaks are available; and blind drop-ships are welcome.
Private label
blind drop-ships are made easy by Laser Technologies’ marketing
assistance programs. While its own branded product line, “Image
Life,” is available to resellers, Laser Technologies also has a
number of custom packaging options available. Customers can choose
to have products shipped in a generic box; a box with a private
custom label detailing their own information; or, Laser
Technologies’ graphic designers will help create your own packaging
line that will enhance your image in the marketplace. Custom
marketing support materials such as catalogs and brochures, product
spec sheets, sales training presentations, and educational materials
for end-users are all available through Laser Technologies’
marketing department.
Marketing is
important to build alliances and an industry understanding about
product needs. But product education is just as important. This is
why Laser Technologies creates a “Product Launch Packet” (PLP) for
every new product they release. The PLP includes tech specs on the
cartridge, the history of the machine, as well as data on how many
machines are in the market. Cost-per-page calculations for each
product and print samples complete the PLP.
“It helps us
internally as well as externally,” Spicker says. “Internally, all of
our employees are educated about the product line and industry
demands; externally, our customers can clearly see the benefits of
offering the product. Our sales, marketing and customer service
staff is dedicated to creating and maintaining a true partnership
with each customer. We are positioned to help our dealers grow their
compatible supplies business.”
While
educational materials show industry demand on a national level,
high-quality marketing and packaging materials give customers here
in the U.S. assurance that the quality inside the box will match
what is on the carton. Laser Technologies recently began to discover
that the same goes for international markets as well. “This past
year is the first year that we have really focused on Latin America,
and we have had some great success there,” says Tury.
While Laser
Technologies is looking forward to more market expansion, they see
the future in color. “Everything points to the industry going toward
color,” Tury adds. “And we want to continue to position ourselves as
a strategic alliance partner for high-quality color in the
marketplace.”
Laser
Technologies has released premium compatible HP 4600 and HP
2500/2550, and looks forward to its upcoming HP 5500, HP 3500 and HP
3700 color cartridge releases in August. Laser Technologies also
offers premium compatible drum unit cartridges for copier machines.
Contact
Laser Technologies:
800-229-9756
www.lasertechnologies.com
