MFP Wars "Death of the Independent Dealer"

MFP Wars "Death of the Independent Dealer"

The Copier business was once a wonderful business, where the manufacturers only sold their goods through Authorized Dealers. We had competition, however it was healthy because everyone was on the same playing field.

The Dealers who sold the most got the best pricing, and the Dealers who sold the least just had to grin and bear and that's the way it was.



Over time, the business model matured and companies like Danka, and Alco (Ikon) emerged to buy some of the largest or most profitable dealerships in the nation. At one time Alco (Ikon) was the largest distributor for Sharp copiers.  Alco decided to (Ikon) dropped Sharp for another manufacturer.  That was the day that all Japanese copier manufacturers shook in their boots. From what I remember, and I could be wrong, Sharp lost about 80% of their North America distribution in one day. Every since then the Japanese manufacturers have been buying dealers to preserve market share.


Which brings me to a line in Tommy Boy:

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