Our latest dealer visit brought us to DEX Imaging in Tampa, Florida, where we meet an industry legend and his son, who’s becoming a legend in his own right.
Dan Doyle Sr. and Dan Doyle Jr. at Cipriani in New York City.
Our dealer road tour is producing results far beyond what I had expected and even hoped for. I have always maintained our commitment to maintaining a thorough understanding of how dealers go to market, along with an understanding of their business models. It’s also important to become aware of their goals, as well as their individual entrepreneurial styles.
Since I first started working in this industry in 1973, I have worked in dealer sales, consulted with manufacturers, and published a report focused on the dealer-owner. Through the good times and bad, the independent dealer has been the one constant, and if our publication has any value to our industry, it is our understanding of what it takes to maximize distribution through the independent dealer channel.
With that thought in mind, CJ and I set out to get up close and personal with as many dealers as possible over the course of a two-year period for him to learn all he could about and from dealers. In this first year of our tour, all the dealers we have visited to date have been unbelievably hospitable and generous with their time. Most important, it has helped CJ truly understand the meaning of the word entrepreneur. My hope is that, like me, he will embrace the principle of customer first, last, and always””exactly what dealers taught me.
Our latest visit took us to DEX Imaging in Tampa, Florida, where we met with Dan Doyle Sr. and his son, Dan Jr. I have known Dan Sr. for the better part of 44 years. He was a member of our editorial advisory board from 1986-1987. However, our shared history in this industry goes back to 1973 when he was national dealer manager for Royal Business Machines, selling the RBC-1 (made by Konishiroku, later changed to Konica). Dan Sr. has always been very creative and developed a program where if a dealer bought 40 RBC-1 machines, he would receive a new Lincoln. That program was a big hit with dealers.
At that time, I was a DSM covering New Jersey to Washington, D.C., and had an appointment with a dealer known as T. Talbott Bond (his real name). Prior to the appointment, I received a call from Talbott telling me we had to change the appointment because “Danny” was delivering his new Lincoln.
Danny went on to become a dealer in Florida and eventually built Danka, one of the imaging industry’s leading mega dealers. It was an amazing feat. Dan Sr. readily admits acquiring Kodak in 1996 was a big mistake, and he is convinced that had he not made that misstep, the Danka story would have had a different ending. (As many readers may recall, the struggling Danka Imaging would eventually be acquired by Konica Minolta in 2008.)
Dan Sr. and Dan Jr. moved on to establish DEX Imaging in 2002. Dan Sr. serves as the company’s current Chairman, while Dan Jr. leads the company as president and CEO, being very much in charge of the organization (although the familial competition between father and son is fun to observe). DEX’s office technology suppliers include Konica Minolta, Kyocera, and HP.
Shortly after he founded DEX, I remember asking Dan Sr. what his plan was for the new dealership. His response was memorable: He wanted to get the firm to $150 million and then hand the reins over to Dan Jr.
DEX passed $150 million a while ago and Dan Jr. is indeed running with it. Today, we estimate the company’s imaging sales are approximately $250 million, while its managed services division is the $40-million range.
With the two Doyles at the helm, DEX Imaging shows no signs of slowing down, particularly on the acquisitions front. Since 2013, DEX has acquired U.S. Imaging Solutions; Tonertype; Memphis, Tennessee-based MidSouth Digital; TotalPrint LLC; and Modular Document Solutions, which had 15 locations in Florida. Last October, DEX acquired Omega Office Systems and followed that acquisition up in January of this year with the purchase of Digitec. DEX now has 35 locations in the eastern United States and also operates a regional distribution center in Pompano Beach.
Both Doyles are class acts and Dan Sr. gave CJ a tutorial on how to approach dealers, and more importantly, make money.
They also were very open and candid about many topics and potential business opportunities, making the trip truly inforgettable.
After a productive time spent together, CJ invited Dan Jr. to be a member of our new Editorial Advisory Board. We are proud to have a Doyle on our Board once again.
From top to bottom: www.deximaging.com’s homepage loops three times, with each loop featuring a singular flat image, features a modern design that aligns with the most current digital trends and helps draw and engage visitors.
