After 70 years of family ownership, the dealership begins its 71st year with a home-grown leader.
What happens when the owner of a 70-year-old family business, Bishop Business, with no family members in a position to run the day-to-day operations decides to retire? The prevailing trend in the office technology industry is to sell to a big conglomerate, depending on the attractiveness of the balance sheet and MIF (machines in field).
That’s one path the recently retired Dave Bishop could have taken, but not the one he chose. Instead, he sold the business to 20-year Bishop Business veteran Chris Bell and his wife, Ashley, who joined the dealership’s HR staff a year and a half ago. Dave’s intent was to protect the business and his employees from another organization coming in and remaking the culture, changing the mission, and not valuing Bishop’s employees who helped build the business, whether they’ve been there for decades like Bell or are recent hires.
“I care about people doing it the way we did, so I thought about how we could make this work internally without having to sell to a consolidator, which usually screws things up,” observed Bishop.
Left to right, Chris Bell and Dave Bishop.
Like any successful dealership, you can’t hide from the acquirers. “There’s always an opportunity to sell if you want to,” said Bishop. “I’ve always made it known that we’re not interested, so I never really went too far down that road.”
Transitioning the business had been on Dave’s mind for more than five years. He has four grown children, but only one works in the business—a son in Madrid, Spain, who helps run the dealership’s help desk. So, keeping the dealership in the immediate family wasn’t an option. Fortunately, an internal and enthusiastic option existed in Bell.
Perfect Timing
The timing was right. Bishop Business celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2024, and Dave retired on December 31. His father, Jack, founded the business in 1954 and served as president for 35 years, followed by Dave. Bell was named president in February 2024 as part of the business’s transition.
After Dave’s father retired, Bishop Business and the real estate were family-owned by him and his three sisters. About 15 years ago, assets were transferred, with Dave and his sister Melanie, owning the operating company and two owning the real estate, which Dave said worked out favorably for taxes. Dave later acquired Melanie’s share, and Bell recently bought out Dave’s share of the business, further solidifying the transition process.
“It was all based on a decision that I don’t want to sell to a consolidator,” re-emphasized Dave. “Maybe I don’t get top dollar, but I have a lot of employees I don’t want to see being sold down the river. I’ve seen it happen over and over again. They flip to an 800 number for service and account questions, and the customers get lousy service.”
Ringing the Bell
Bishop Business remains committed to its roots as a locally owned and operated dealership.
Bell wasn’t shy about letting Dave know about his interest in acquiring the business. He originally approached Dave about that possibility a few years ago, and Dave was receptive. “We always had that handshake agreement, and I philosophically just came to realize over time in my sixties, that’s definitely what I wanted to do if we could pull it off,” said Dave.
Bell started at Bishop’s in October 2000. It was his first job out of college. Selling copiers wasn’t his first choice in a career. He originally planned to become a stockbroker. He had even secured a position with a national financial firm in Chicago after working as an intern at a hedge fund in Lincoln, Nebraska. When he told his father, who had been selling copiers since the early 1970s, about his stockbroker dreams, he responded, “I wouldn’t give you five cents to invest, and neither would anyone who had any common sense.”
Instead, his father suggested he contact Bishop Business in Omaha and see if he could get a job selling copiers. It took a few calls before Bell reached someone, went through three interviews, and was given a small territory in Iowa. “And the rest is history,” said Bell.
“It worked,” said Dave. “I always say Chris is the greatest copier salesman I’ve ever been around. And I’ve been around a lot of them.”
With Dave’s retirement in motion, Bell put together all the pieces to raise the funds to acquire the business. With Bell taking the lead, Bishop Business continues to operate with the stability it had under Dave and maintains the same culture. “Dave has always set the culture, and I’ve been part of that,” said Bell. “We’ve got great people here and great leadership in accounting, operations, and service. All I have to do is keep the train on the tracks. And I have enough people here to ensure I don’t derail that.”
Mission Not So Impossible
The dealership has five locations, with three added in the last 24 to 36 months. It currently has 46 employees and is on a mission to grow. That will require hiring more techs and salespeople and expanding into nearby cities, towns, and communities. “That’s really who we are,” said Bell. “Not that we couldn’t go to Kansas City or places like that, but we are best when people want to have a relationship with us.”
He added, “I tell major accounts, if you’re looking for the lowest price and don’t care about a seven-hour response time, that’s probably not us. But if you’re looking to call me anytime, go to lunch, have a relationship, and for us to show that we truly care, then we’d be a good fit.”
Technology Partners
The dealership’s primary vendors are Toshiba and Xerox. It also sells HP and RISO and mailing and folding equipment. It has customers in print shops who are excellent candidates for many of its products, including Xerox’s high-end production units and RISO’s high-end inkjet units. “I like pushing the envelope and seeing how many different types of machines we can sell and support,” said Bell.
Bishop Business’s demo room.
One area of diversification you won’t see Bishop Business pursue anytime soon is managed IT. Been there, done that. The company had an IT division but sold it about 12 years ago. The dealership initially created that division when PCs replaced word processors. “We started putting our toe in the water for networking and did it for several years,” explained Dave. “We also designed, sold, and provided service for local area networks and PCs. When it flipped and moved towards managed IT, we sold the division and got out.”
“Things would have to get very dire in the copier business for me to entertain getting into IT again,” added Bell.
Lessons in Leadership
Working under Dave for 20 years has been a learning experience for Bell. “I probably learned to be a little more patient and stay calm,” observed Bell. “Lately, Dave has been joking with me, saying, ‘What’s going on? Suddenly, you’re mellowing out and turning into me.’ He always gave me a long leash. Sometimes, he had to jerk that leash back so I knew where the boundaries were. On many things, we’re polar opposites, but where we are alike is entrepreneurship, family, customers, and employees. I learned all that from him.”
Dave has enjoyed viewing the transition in leadership from his front-row seat with the dealership since Bell was named president in February 2024. “It’s been interesting watching him evolve and fit into a new role and become the driving force of all the revenue and how he can continue to do that.”
Although Dave had been planning this transition for several years, he admitted he had no idea how emotional disconnecting from the business would be. “There’s a mourning and a grieving process that you go through when you say goodbye to a certain part of your life,” he said. “But I’m now looking forward to the next season of my life.” That next stage will include moving out of Omaha to be closer to one of his children and grandchildren.
Meanwhile, it is full steam ahead for Bell entering 2025. “I love selling copiers and everything about the copier business. I love getting in here early, walking in the back warehouse, talking with the delivery guys, seeing what machines are going out, and checking in with the help desk and service techs.”
Under Bell’s leadership and Dave’s tutelage, Bishop Business remains committed to its roots as a locally owned and operated dealership. This steadfast commitment to its longstanding culture and focus on providing personalized service through local ownership ensures stability for its employees and continued strong relationships with its customers, which Bishop Business has cultivated for 70+ years.
