The concept for Collins Distributing was discussed with me when I was twelve years old in a sidewalk café in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. My father, Bill, explained to his family that his employer wanted him to move from our home in Memphis in his role as regional sales manager.

We didn't care for the idea much and then he explained another option. He could go into business for himself, selling typewriters and such, to the dealer network he had developed in many years of sales on the road. He explained it may be tough at first and the family needed to be ready to make sacrifices if needed, but he knew he could make it work.

So Collins Distributing was born in 1971. With a station wagon and office equipment and supplies stored in our carport attic, he hit the road. Business came quicker than expected and before long he took in a partner, Don Sample. Together, they made a good team with Bill selling and Don servicing. Collins Distributing became a very successful wholesale distributor, primarily in the Southeast.                                                                              

The company also was effective in hiring young people and teaching them the trade. Two of those young people were Brian Stevens and Sandra Purdom, still with Collins and two of the finest salespeople in the industry.

Brian was on the road two weeks every month literally selling equipment out of the back of a bob truck (I remember helping my Dad build the padded shelves to display equipment). Some of our long-time customers may remember the "Collins yellow truck" pulling up to your office and climbing inside to check out the wares.

Sandra cut her teeth in telemarketing, prospecting for new customers. Being the new kid on the block she was given the State of Alabama to start cold-calling. Expectations were not high but Sandra made Alabama one of Collins' busiest states and she continued from there to be today's Vice President of Sales.

During the 70s and 80s, Collins Distributing had great success and had developed a wide range of products and a very loyal customer base. Products started with typewriters and ribbons and grew to calculators, copiers, typewriter elements (remember those?). We even made private-label spray paint for machine touch-ups. The most lucrative product for Collins was re-conditioned typewriters, a concept that has been reborn today at Collins with copiers.

Collins fell on bad times in the late 80s and early 90s. The company was having trouble adjusting to the lack of demand for reconditioned equipment due to the new lower priced equipment in the marketplace. Also, margins were sharply lower and inventory requirements were higher which meant borrowing money.

On top of tough business conditions, Bill still the active President of the company, started an eight year battle with Parkinson's disease. Before long, Collins couldn't keep up with its competitors and business dwindled.

It was hard to blame Brian for going to work for Sharp Electronics or Sandra going to run another wholesale operation. The writing was on the wall - Collins was spiraling out of business.

In 1995, I bought Collins Distributing Company. After graduating from college in 1980, I spent my time as a CPA, banker and developed something of a reputation for rebuilding broken companies. Well, Collins Distributing was broken.

I would like to say I rode in on my white horse and saved the day but there was much more to it than that - Hard work, luck and timing played a big part. In the course of six months, in late 1995, we had obtained much needed working capital from SBA loans, convinced Brian and Sandra to come back to Collins and re-established our distributor relationship with Sharp which had been lost.

Brian and Sandra picked up the established Collins' accounts from years gone by and Brian and I hit the road making calls the old-fashioned way. Before you knew it, we were back in business. In 1996, our sales surpassed $5 million which was the largest year in the history of Collins Distributing and already exceeding our five-year plan.

As a side note, my father, Bill passed away later in 1996 but I would bring him down to work every now and then, let him sit at his desk (which is mine now), go to the post office to open checks and greet local dealers. He had seen his company reborn.

Today our company is one of the leading office equipment distributors in the country with sales of approximately $25 million annually. We represent three of the finest manufacturers in the country; Sharp, Toshiba and Samsung. We also are one of the leading distributors of reconditioned "off-lease" copiers in the country.

We are the current holder of the Toshiba Distributor of the Year award, the Samsung Distributor of the Year award and have achieved Hykaman Kai sales awards from Sharp for eight years running.

What's the reason for this success? There are many, but one stands out above the rest. Collins Distributing has assembled finest staff of any company I have ever been around. Every company President says that - but I really mean it. Our people care about their work which is to serve you, the dealer. We deliver our services the old-fashioned way - with hands-on personal service. We can also be as automated as you want but have found success in "Delivering New Technology, the Old -Fashioned Way".

Many of our readers have already experienced the Collins difference. If you haven't, please give us a try. Here is a brief explanation of the things that separate us from our competitors.

• Full Line Distributor. This means that we carry every piece of hardware, every accessory, supply and OEM part for the manufacturers that we represent. In other words, we're not a "close-out" buyer. If your customer wants a certain configuration, our goal is to ship the necessary product to you -that day- complete. Our inventory levels at all times are approximately $5 to $6 million.
• Technical Support. Our eight technicians are some of our most valuable assets. Collins provides toll-free technical support on all the products we sell. Our technicians are factory certified and experts in networking and software installation. We also provide an invaluable tool in our FTP Service Site which provides manuals, parts guides, technical bulletins and equipment diagrams. The site is accessible from any computer and available to multiple users in your dealership.
• Training. Collins offers three day training sessions to dealers, both sales and service training. These are offered at both our Memphis and Cerritos, California offices, and sometimes off-site. As technology continues to grow, installations and operation become more and more difficult. Our training provides hands-on servicing including networking and software installation. We'll even throw in lunch each day.
• Same Day Shipping. There's no 2 o'clock shipping cutoff at Collins. If we're here, we're shipping. Our main warehouse location in Memphis, one of the US' main distribution centers, allows us to serve a full business day for shipping orders to you. We also have a location in Southern California that now allows us to reach the Western United States.

• Knowledgeable Sales Staff. Our sales staff is as knowledgeable about our industry as anyone. They understand the equipment, can help you build out with the correct accessories, know supplies and can even help you with cost analysis, and other factors to help you make the sale.
• Extend Unsecured Credit. We prefer to ship your product and extend credit terms with you. Where else can you have someone warehouse all your inventory needs and give you thirty days to pay for them? You may have already picked up your check from your customer. What a deal.
• Extension of Manufacturer. Collins is truly an extension of our manufacturers, but probably a little more responsive and accessible to the individual dealer. From product to installations to service support to training, we can provide everything the manufacturer can.

The best way to really experience the Collins Difference is to place an order. Give us a chance to earn your business - you won't regret it!

Bruce Collins, President