In 1955, Martin Wist opened an office products dealer in Tempe, Arizona. Today, that company is led by his grandson, Ian Wist, whose son Trevor joined the company a few years ago.
Making it through 70 years as a third and fourth-generation office product dealer is no small feat. According to Ian, the company’s success can be attributed to one major component. “Our people. We have been really fortunate over the many decades to have great employees. We have good categories that we sell, but without our team of hardworking people, we could not be successful. We also have a good culture. You can accomplish whatever has to be done with the right people and the right culture.”
Ian says consistency is another vital aspect. “Value and service are not something we turn on and off. We strive to differentiate ourselves by being the best and we apply the same level of effort every day—week after week, month after month, year after year. Our folks are dedicated hard workers and our service is consistent. It’s not the most exciting reason for our success, but it puts us in a position to improve every day.
Being in Arizona has also been a plus. “It’s a good market,” he continues. “Tempe is a suburb of Phoenix, which is growing, as is all of Arizona.”
Yet the state also introduces some unique challenges. “The heat is extreme,” Ian says. “It’s hot in a lot of places, but not like it is here. We need to take extra care of our drivers during the excessively hot months, ensuring they take breaks and have the right safety and hydration equipment. Also, our drivers cover a lot of distance on their routes, as things are pretty spread out here. There can be a lot of open space to cover between customers.”
The biggest headache for Wist, however, is one that is only too familiar to many office product sellers. “Amazon is our greatest challenge,” confirms Ian. “The company commands a lot of customer wallet share in all categories. People are conditioned to think it is the fastest and that it offers the lowest prices, even though that is not always the case. They buy from there in their personal life, which then influences their work habits at home and in the office. Many people like to order online and from a single source.”
However, not everyone stays loyal to the online behemoth. “Some people find they are not satisfied with Amazon and realize we provide a better solution,” explains Ian. “Amazon is a website that offers no experience other than a click online. Try getting in touch with a person there! Also, some of the products end up being counterfeit. We provide value and a closer customer experience. But it’s up to us to educate our customers on this.”
Like many dealers, Ian sees no end to office products’ downward sales spiral and views diversification as the answer: “When I came on board 38 years ago, our mix was 50 percent office products and 50 percent furniture. During the recession in the 1980s, furniture sales declined sharply and, of course, Phoenix was not the size it is today. Now it’s big enough to find new opportunities, but at the time, it wasn’t. We had to shift our focus to office products. Since we knew education would continue, we concentrated on school supplies and other consumables. It taught us and now we have a more balanced approach. Today, office products are down and, as much as I love them, I don’t see them coming back up. So we are spending a lot of time and energy focused on other categories. I encourage dealers that haven’t embraced other categories or are just paying them lip service without taking actionable steps to do so before it’s too late.”
Headquarters: Tempe, Arizona
Top management: Ian Wist, president; Peter Drozdowicz, CFO
Annual sales: $30 million
Main wholesaler: S.P. Richards
Main categories sold: office products, furniture, janitorial, breakroom