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Success Story
Ideal Office Source:
Britannia Turns a Troubled Dealership Around
Gary Wohlwend and Tom Williams, owners of Ideal Office
Source, in front of Fort Wayne's minor league ballpark,
which they furnished
- Dealership:
- Ideal Office Source
- Industries:
- Office Supplies
- Office Furniture
- Combined Industry Experience:
- Over 35 years
- Ideal Office Source Uses:
Software for growing office dealers
When Gary Wohlwend and his partner Tom Williams bought themselves a dealership back in January of 2004, they knew they’d have some changes to make. But surely neither of them could have expected those changes would come quite as fast as they did, or turn out to be quite as far reaching in their scope.
In less than a year, the dealership they bought—Nadapro in Fort Wayne, IN—had a new name—Ideal Office Source, a new location, an upgraded product mix and a far more aggressive and focused sales and marketing effort.
Britannia System a Key Component in Ideal Office Source's Success
[Britannia] probably saved us an entire employee right off the bat, and it’s been a key component of our success as a dealership ever since.
And supporting Gary and Tom’s changes every step of the way was a new computer system. “We went live on Britannia about a week after we bought the company,” Gary recalls. “It probably saved us an entire employee right off the bat and it’s been a key component of our success as a dealership ever since.”
The new owners were hardly newcomers to the office products business. Tom had been in the industry for close to 25 years, including tours of duty with Office Depot and Indoff. Gary had a 10–year record of service on the operations side with Ideal Office Source.
They soon realized business as usual at their dealership was not an option. “That first year was a complete blur,” Gary admits. “We reshaped almost the entire organization and put a major effort into re-introducing the business to our customers and prospects.”
…our customers were as happy to see us go live on the Internet as we were—their response to Britannia’s online system could not have been more positive.
In addition to unveiling a whole new look and marketing message at a local business expo, Gary and Tom’s first year also saw an aggressive TV and radio ad campaign to get the word out. And the two new owners implemented a deliberate and carefully executed downsizing effort to cut overhead and bring a greater level of profitability to what was at the time a troubled and largely directionless organization.
Fast forward six years to the present and while Gary and Tom are the first to admit their dealership still has work that needs to be done, they also have much to reflect on with pride and satisfaction.
Fort Wayne is hardly one of the country’s fast-track growth markets and volume at the dealership is not much more today than it was when Gary and Tom bought it. But the overall headcount is about half of what it was back then and that means a much stronger bottom line.
Britannia E-commerce Welcomed by Customers
“There’s no question our Britannia system has played a major role in making us a stronger and more productive organization,” says Gary, who gives special kudos to Britannia’s e-commerce online ordering platform for its contribution to the dealership’s success.
“Because of all the changes, we were late getting to the e-commerce party and our customers were as happy to see us go live on the Internet as we were—their response to Britannia’s online system could not have been more positive,” he recalls.
There’s no question our Britannia system has played a major role in making us a stronger and more productive organization.
Today, online orders account for close to 50 percent of Ideal’s overall supplies business and with the addition of Enhanced Content from first call wholesaler S.P. Richards, the trend continues to move in the right direction.
“Order size is larger, margins are stronger and returns are fewer—what’s not to like?” asks Gary with a smile.
Life at the dealership Gary Wohlwend and Tom Williams bought back in 2004 is a lot calmer today than it was during that frenetic first year. The pedal-to-the-metal pace of change they implemented to turn a troubled business around has been replaced by a more measured approach.
“We’re still changing, but now it’s more of a continuous improvement process, with a focus on finding new and better ways to take care of our customers and keep strengthening our own bottom line,” Gary explains.
Gary and Tom today know where they want to go with Ideal and how they want to get there. And, they make it clear, Britannia will continue to help guide their path every step of the way.
Even in a time of tough challenges in the overall economy, there’s a confidence that comes through loud and clear as Gary Wohlwend discusses his dealership today and his plans for the future. It’s a future that includes sales growth, particularly on the office furniture side of the business. It also includes increased productivity and customer service capabilities, as the dealership implements the new BritLink V platform and looks to take advantage of the increased features and functionality it offers.
After six years managing what was largely a turnaround situation, Gary and Tom today know where they want to go with Ideal and how they want to get there. And, they make it clear, Britannia will continue to help guide their path every step of the way.
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