Local Spotlight
The choices we make as business owners contribute to the state of our local economy. We can either buy from people in our community and build each other up, or we can send our money out of the community and continue the downward economic spiral.
I’m a big fan of local support, with the understanding that it has to make business sense. So while I don’t advocate paying substantially more for goods and services, I do think we should give local businesses a fair shot at the money we spend.
At Office Express, we deliberately seek to spend our money in the Detroit area. To help you learn about local companies, we will spotlight one of customers in each issue of our newsletter. Would you like your moment in the spotlight? Just let me know!
Local Spotlight
Recaro, Inc.
Check back later for article
Shelving, Inc.
While we’re on the subject of organization, the office isn’t the only thing that needs to be organized. I’ve been in many of my customer’s warehouses and I am always impressed when I see a warehouse where everything looks like it is clean and neat. It’s probably not an accident that those companies are usually the most successful ones. At Office Express, we like to partner with experts in different areas of need for our customers. I got to know Mike Schodowski through a couple of charitable organizations that we are involved with together. Mike is part-owner of Shelving Inc., a second generation, family-owned business, which was founded in 1960 by Mike’s father Jack Schodowski.
Shelving Inc. has two Detroit area locations and serves the wide ranging needs of homeowners for shelving and closet organization. They can also help you with all of your large industrial needs including but not limited to; selective, push back and drive in racks, pallet flow, carousels, conveyors, pack bench stations, pallet trucks, security fencing, collapsible containers and much more. For planning the best use of your space and finding the most cost effective solutions for your home or office, feel free to contact us here or Mike directly at (800)637-9508. Check out their product selection at www.shelving.com.
Shelving Inc. strives to provide the highest quality of service available in the industry while also valuing and taking pride in being a good corporate citizen. Shelving Inc. only adheres to the highest standards of business conduct, ethics and integrity. Now that is a company we are proud to partner with and serve!
Great Lakes Recycling 
At Office Express we take great pleasure in seeing our customers persevere in tough economic times. I recently attended an open house for one of our customers that is doing remarkably well in 2009, Great Lakes Recycling, who just opened a new state-of-the-art recycling facility in New Boston, MI.
The new $12 million processing center, which officially opened in January, is expected to sort 8,000 tons of material a year from Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Canada with only approximately 3% of the incoming materials going to landfills.
The 81 year old business, which started as a Detroit rag, paper and metal scrap hauler by Henry Rosen in 1927, now boasts the only two “single-stream” recycling centers in Michigan. The single-stream system uses a complex machine that identifies paper, plastics and metal and separates them appropriately. This allows residential and corporate customers to place all their recyclable materials in one bin without having to sort anything.
Another perk of Great Lakes Recycling is the Corporate Office Recycling Program (C.O.R.P.). This program promotes responsible recycling by providing time and cost-effective solutions to office recycling. Nothing ever needs to be sorted and waste paper can be picked up as needed or at scheduled intervals.
C.O.R.P also recycles items such as office paper, junk mail, shredded paper, books, carbonless forms, file folders, envelopes, newspapers, magazines, catalogs, printer's mix and plastic and aluminum beverage containers. And unlike many other recycling systems, Great Lakes also accepts your unwanted electronic items from laptops and PC's to cords and cables, internal and external drives and copiers and fax machines. Many of these types of electronics are being disposed of at an alarming rate. Instead, let Great Lakes take them off your hands and recycle these items properly.
For further information on Great Lakes Recycling visit their website at www.go-glr.com.
Local Spotlight – Todd Services
If you’ve been reading this column AT ALL for the last year, you’ve probably come to realize that I have a deeply ingrained passion for supporting local businesses and taking care of our community. I’d like to introduce you to another organization that shares – and acts on – those same values.
Todd Services in Hamburg contacted us about seven years ago to purchase some office furniture. We didn’t know them at the time, but we helped them expand their offices and choose the appropriate products. As the years have passed, we have developed a deeper relationship. They now buy their office supplies from us, and have purchased additional furniture as they have grown.
Todd Services is the largest residential landscaper in Michigan. They’re a family-owned business, and have been around since 1979. They provide landscaping, hydro-seeding, retaining walls, brick pavers, sprinkler systems and outdoor structures to customers throughout our community.
But here’s the thing I admire about Todd Services: they walk their talk. If you look at their website, you will see that they give a donation to the charity of your choice when you do business with them. (http://www.toddsservices.com/community.html). This is another example of a locally-owned company that is living its values and creating a legacy of impact on the community.
So the next time you need landscaping services, please consider calling Todd Services. They do excellent work…on the ground and on the street!
Do you know of another local business that we should shout about? Let me know and we’ll be happy to spread the news!
Suburban Sports Group http://www.suburbansportsgroup.com/
I suppose it’s virtually impossible to live in Detroit and not know about the Red Wings. I’ll admit it – we’re a little hockey-crazed around here. But did you know that ice sports are fun for the whole family and for all age groups? 
Suburban Sports Center in Farmington Hills has been managing ice facilities and providing ice-sports-related programming for over 30 years. They also manage several large ice complexes in and around Detroit. More than 10,000 players/skaters participate annually in Suburban-run hockey and figure skating programs, which offer instruction for all age and ability levels.
Ice skating – whether for sport or for fun – is a great way to get some exercise. It’s especially fun in the winter, when many people in Michigan are unable to do the activities they normally enjoy during the summer months. Skating offers aerobic exercise, and – let’s face it – the chance to laugh at ourselves occasionally!
I encourage you to investigate the services of and the facilities managed by Suburban Sports Group. You’ll find a whole new way to beat those winter blues, and be supporting a great local organization in the meantime. Who needs Winter Park skiing anyway!
Local Spotlight: Trendway
We all know it’s been tough to be in the automotive industry during the last several years. But it has been equally tough to be an office furniture manufacturer. Office furniture took a nose dive after 9/11, with the market dropping over 40% in one year!
Our new showroom features a substantial collection of Trendway furniture for private offices, reception areas, workstations and conference rooms. Trendway has made a major commitment to us in terms of showroom product and support. We are committed to promoting their products and services in a way that will honor the commitment they have made to us. I invite you to browse, explore, and let us help you create the right solution for your office.
The industry has gradually clawed its way out of the downturn, with a lot of belt-tightening and a new focus on what’s important to customers. I guess you could say they’ve “made lemonade out of lemons” and in the process, the customers benefit the most.
Trendway is a privately-held office furniture manufacturer located in Holland, MI. It’s actually owned by the employees, which is kind of neat. In fact, I think they might be the only major office furniture manufacturer who can say that.
Trendway makes smart, stylish furniture for just about every need. What you’ll really love, in addition to the quality and competitive pricing of the product, is Trendway’s on-time guarantee. Yes, guarantee: “On time or free!” That’s a pretty powerful testament to the confidence they have in their manufacturing processes. And it sure helps customers who have tight schedules and need to know that things will come together as planned.
I know I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: We have to help each other in this challenging economy. Trendway is our neighbor on the west side of the state, and I hope you’ll allow us to show you what they can do for you!
Lee & Associates of Michigan
It seems like the internet is rapidly making dinosaurs of so many industries. You can now shop for anything imaginable, talk on the phone, buy a house, manage investments and even find a date on the Web! So why, in this day of technology-driven commerce, would you want to use a realtor when you’re buying or leasing a building?
Jeff Buckler of Lee & Associates is the perfect answer to that question. He helped us find our new building and I 
have to say that I couldn’t have done it without him. He worked with us to define our needs, quickly sorted through the available options, helped us negotiate the contract and made the whole process much smoother and faster than anything I could have done by myself.
Jeff has focused on the industrial and high-tech markets in the I-75 corridor of Oakland County, serving for several years with other national firms before joining Lee & Associates of Michigan as a Principal in 2006. Drawing upon over 10 years of experience in acquisition, disposition and leasing of facilities and land in the southeast Michigan market, Jeff has received several awards and recognition for his outstanding performance in the field. Those awards include the Rookie of the Year, Industrial Broker of the Year and most recently earning the prestigious SIOR (Society of Industrial and Office Realtors) designation.
Jeff’s dedication to customer service has resulted in lasting relationships with clients such as Grammer Industries, Ashley Capital, Baker College, National Amusements, Kwang Jin America, ILJIN U.S.A., Hyundai Mobis and Connektiv Companies.
In addition to managing the Michigan Lee & Associates National Logistic Supply Chain Group, Jeff is also active in the community, assisting with the Boy Scouts of America, Pack 601 in Oakland Township, Michigan. You can also find him on the side lines of many soccer fields watching his talented daughters playing select soccer at a high level.
If you are looking to buy or sell real estate, look him up. In many cases you are never going to find a much better deal than now.
You can learn more about Lee & Associates by visiting their website at http://www.lee-mi.com/. I encourage you to take advantage of the professional services offered by this firm.
Diversified Computer Supply
I’m sure you’ve noticed that you spend a lot of money on your technology. Between computers, printers, copiers, faxes, toner, paper, ink cartridges…that’s a lot of dollars out the door.
So I’m really pleased to tell you about a local company than can save you a lot of money on at least one of those items: ink cartridges.
Office Express belongs to a buying group which encompasses over 500 independent dealers across the country with a combined purchasing volume of over $12 billion dollars. I was pleased to find a new vendor that had joined the buying group earlier in the year.
Diversified Computer Supply (DCS) of Ann Arbor is a wonderful supplier. They manufacture a line of laser and ink jet cartridges called Trend that are compatible with most leading laser printers, faxes and ink jet printers. I visited their facility, and was very impressed by their quality and testing procedures.
Together we designed a program that can save virtually every customer at least 20% on their ink cartridge purchases. See our Supply Specials for details. The cartridges come with a money-back satisfaction guarantee. The guarantee even pays for machine damage if the cartridge is at fault. (Although the owner tells me that in three years they have never had to pay a claim on this promise!)
I am proud to support another successful Michigan business like DCS. Please help us both and consider using their Trend brand of compatibles. Doing so will help your company save at least 20% and can net you some free school supplies as well.
Check it out on our website at Supply Specials. Or you can simply call us and we’ll be happy to share the details on this money-saving opportunity with you.
Eagle Office Solutions
At Office Express, we know our limits. While we are very comfortable selling small tabletop copiers, we’ve always felt that the more complicated machines should be sold by servicing dealers. After all - we don’t want to sell things that we can’t stand behind.
So when Dawn-Marie Coles ventured out on her own to start Eagle Office Solutions, I was excited for her as well as for our customers. I had formed a relationship with Dawn while she was the Sales Manager for a large copier firm. I liked the way she kept her promises and motivated her salespeople. I also liked the way she treated all her customers as important - regardless of how much they spent. Dawn-Marie has always provided fast, reliable service.
Eagle Office Solutions has earned the trust of manufacturers, too. They were recently named a Full-Line Authorized Servicing Dealership for Kyocera-Mita, one of only five in Michigan. Kyocera Mita and Eagle sell a wide variety of copiers, faxes, multi function and wide format engineering products http://usa.kyoceramita.com/KMAGlobalpub/jsp/Kyocera/products.jsp
Eagle’s main focus is to “sincerely care for their customers.” They don’t just plug in a copier and present the bill. Instead, Eagle seeks to help customers’ productivity “soar” while decreasing their costs. Eagle inspects the way customers are handling paper distribution as a whole. They then present summarized, cost-effective solutions that encompass elements such as:
Current Clients Expenses
Queuing Time
Soft Dollars Spent
Current Service and Supply Costs
Leasing and Rental Costs
Residuals
Current Software Spending and Applications
IT Expenses
Contact one of the Eagle specialists (or Dawn herself!) today at 248.434.4699 or visit www.eagleofficesolutions.com. You’ll be talking to people who care.
Many of our customers received a delicious cake in celebration of our 20th anniversary. And many of those same customers wanted to know where the cakes came from!
They were all baked from scratch by Pronto!, an independent business located in Royal Oak. We were actually neighbors with Pronto! in Royal Oak back in the 90s. They started with a 40-seat deli and now have expanded to a whole city block. They also operate a 15,000 square foot catering facility.
If you need catering services or want to send gift baskets, look no further than Pronto! Pronto! also feels, as we do, that they must "give back to the community that gives to us." Over the past ten years they have participated in many events and donated hundreds of hours and tens of thousands of dollars to many local fundraising organizations. You can find their story on the web at
http://www.prontos.topcities.com/Pronto/ProntoHistory.htm
