The Broadway hit “Suffs,” a six-time Tony Award-nominated musical about the women’s suffrage movement, culminates with a song titled, “Keep Marching.” It’s a call to action for the next generation and includes the admonishment, “Your ancestors are all the proof you need that progress is possible, not guaranteed.”
If there was ever a rallying cry for the office technology ecosystem, it’s that disclaimer. It also stands as a stark reminder for any business that believes the roots of its laurels can withstand any headwinds of change. Brian Gertler knows this simply isn’t true. The senior vice president and partner at LDI Connect—a multi-faceted, comprehensive technology provider based in Jericho, New York—takes nothing for granted, including the significant success the company has achieved in its 25 years of operation. To progress is to evolve, and the recognition of this is step one toward actualization.
“We have a number of individuals in leadership here who recognize that there are no guarantees going forward,” Gertler observed. “The opportunities to make progress are so enormous, it’s enough to propel us out of bed every morning to make a difference.”
These difference-makers at the highest branch of the LDI Connect tree are Jerry Blaine and Paul Schwartz. Blaine, the president, CEO and co-founder, has been in the business for 50 years with a trail that winds through Saxon Business and Leslie Copiers, a buyout via DANKA and a rebirth as Leslie Digital Imaging (LDI) and Color ToolBox. Schwartz, the COO, executive vice president and co-founder—not to mention Blaine’s partner in crime for decades—cut his teeth in Canon U.S.A.’s marketing department in the early ’80s before hopping aboard the Leslie train.
The duo, joined by Gertler roughly a year later, tapped the reset button on Leslie in 1999 with zero sales. However, it fostered mounds of connections with manufacturers and industry stalwarts who came aboard and quickly helped provide the scale that, today, sees the company supported by a cast of 300-plus team members.
Indefinable Quality
“There’s a certain je ne sais quoi that comes with starting a company from scratch,” Blaine said. “It’s like having a child in a way. It really becomes a very integral part of your entire life.”
Weaving and bobbing their way through 9/11, the Great Recession and the pandemic, LDI’s owner partners recognized that value in embracing a forward-looking approach. In early 2022, the company rechristened from LDI Color ToolBox to LDI Connect in a nod to its six-spoke value proposition hub of print, document management, managed IT, cloud services, Pro AV and security solutions. The dealer currently enjoys the best-of-breed offerings from Canon, Sharp, Xerox, HP, Toshiba and a host of other product and service partners.
“Being an independent dealer with some level of stature enables us to do things that are probably not as easily accomplished by other dealers,” Gertler noted. “We get to pick and choose, so when our clients need a very specific solution, we can harvest the best parts of the more than 80 logos we currently represent to come up with a really good solution for them.”
In addition to its Long Island headquarters, LDI Connect has an office in Times Square Plaza in the Big Apple; Cranbury and Parsippany, New Jersey; Shelton, Connecticut and Burbank, California. Counting interterritorial relationships, only about 25% of the population is outside the dealer’s direct service region. From a client standpoint, LDI covers a lion’s share of verticals including AEC, health care, government, finance and education, with a strong concentration of legal and entertainment clients.
The Relaunch
A brief historical primer adds perspective on the dealer’s journey. When the founders were establishing that initial identity, it was suggested by Schwartz that LDI embrace a digital-only philosophy, eschewing analog completely (something of a risk, as analog was cheaper). A second pillar was to provide clients with education on the applications LDI offered with an eye toward creating long-term relationships. The third focal point was to cultivate business with enterprise-type clients—those already on board with the digital approach—that could allow LDI to build and add to a service distribution network.
The other half of the LDI house (Color ToolBox) was fashioned to leverage the rich opportunities in the color market, namely in the NYC (at first) with the advertising and graphic arts agencies. That brought additional focus to production print and finishing options for the most robust graphical output. It proved to be a lucrative approach, and Blaine notes the company was successful from the outset.
“Perhaps the most important thing was we were able to attract the best and brightest of the industry, veterans and experts who really bought into what we were doing,” Blaine said. “We were able to put together a team of all-stars on all sides of the company, and that was really the key to our beginning.”
The familiarity both men had with the dealer sector and the manufacturing community truly opened the door to world-class talent, according to Schwartz. “One of the most successful things we did was to go to the companies that we’ve competed with for years and asked if they wanted to join us,” he said. “We went after people we thought would gel together. It was a big investment in support staff, administrative and technical service, even though we had no clients at the time. We essentially built the organization the way we wanted it to look two years out, only we did it on day one.”
Post-Pandemic
The New York metropolitan area was perhaps the region most impacted by COVID-19. Blaine termed it “a pin in a balloon” from a business standpoint. The recovery period was much longer than anticipated/hoped, and LDI emerged with its share of battle scars. But as Blaine observed, “We didn’t fly out of the abyss; we earned our way out.” Growth expectations are now back on track, and while print business—both in volumes and MIF—have markedly dipped, the dealer has been gaining increased traction with its managed services.
“The complexion of the company is somewhat different, but I’d say we’re ahead of where we were before the pandemic,” Blaine added.
It’s not just LDI’s complexion that has morphed, according to Schwartz. “The competition has decreased further, as have competitive sales forces,” he said.
As Gertler observed, LDI’s evolution to being less reliant on the boxes will fuel growth. “We still have a tremendous opportunity, with a very loyal clientele, where we’ve got credibility to sell these other core disciplines going forward.” he said. “So as we approach our 25th year, there’s a lot of upside to what we’re going to be able to do.”
Fabric of Business
In a sense, LDI has repositioned itself as an interior decorator to the modern office (note: access control and security solutions might constitute “exterior,” but you get the picture). Gertler believes LDI has re-authored its approach to clients, leveraging the credibility it’s accumulated with them to provide “connected solutions to a connected world.”
The key, he stresses, is that all the core disciplines are interdependent. “You can’t have a great Pro AV experience or a great cloud communication experience if you don’t have the right infrastructure,” Gertler said. “We have a system engineering team that speaks to what’s necessary on the infrastructure side.
“Our conversations with clients are important and delicate because they evolve around how they intend on orchestrating and protecting their business. We have experts who can speak to each of these individual areas to ensure they’ve got great business performance, consistency and continuity.”
The integrated digital office technology platform and communicating that holistic angle from a sales approach are still works in progress, according to Blaine, as they are for many total office solution providers. While a secret sauce has yet to be brewed, both Blaine and Schwartz have benefitted tremendously from their interactions with the Copier Dealers Association. Sharing challenges, strategies and best practices has enabled the dealer to leave no stone unturned. One business networking partner from 20 years ago helped guide LDI’s approach to cloud communications and is now a member of the dealer’s team.
The guidance and insight provided by manufacturers is at an all-time high. “I’ve been in this business for five decades, and I don’t think there’s ever been a better time in terms of the relationships we enjoy with our manufacturers,” Blaine said. “They really understand the importance of a successful partnership, and they do everything they can to help us. I’m really grateful for it. Once upon a time, dealers were fighting with their OEMs about one thing or another. I think both sides have learned how to get along, and the mutual benefit is the real prize.”
Acquisitional Growth
While most of the dealers acquired have been on the smaller side, Blaine is always on the hunt for the optimal fit that checks off the right boxes. Competition is keen, he said, although not all suitors (including OEMs) prioritize the same variables as LDI. Moving into California in the mid-2000s was less about westward expansion and more of an attempt to extend its technical service discipline. Growth for the sake of growth doesn’t mesh with LDI’s values.
While the execs don’t envision taking on more diversification options (“Try to put an EV charger on the streets of New York,” Blaine joked), they’re bullish on the potential that artificial intelligence (AI) has for automating workflows and reducing mundane tasks. They believe some of the best enhancements are yet to come.
“It’s going to permeate a lot of what we do,” Gertler offered. “The security surveillance cameras we’re placing now are built with technologies that will allow you to detect the difference between a truck backfiring and a gunshot. It will also help in doing discreet searches for individuals or license plates. The system can scan automatically and produce facts much quicker than ever before.
“In the office, the document automation side will benefit by the way it processes information, the way it codes and indexes. The display technology that we’re representing now incorporates webcams so that the displays will capture a person’s image and—based on gender, age or even the expression on someone’s face—provide content that’s compelling to them. So I see it permeating every aspect of the core disciplines we’re representing.”
Business Drivers
As LDI continues to evolve in the throes of the connected office universe, Blaine notes that any growth must be strategic and fit the company’s financial model. It’s OK to look at the bleeding edge of technology while sticking to the cutting edge, as one employee put it. But the greater thrust is maintaining an open dialogue with clients as to their future trajectory, market outlook and line of business. It’s definitely not a one-size-fits-all proposition.
“As we focus on growing the company, we know there’s going to be change,” Blaine said. “This isn’t a stable, staid industry. We’re in an information technology industry.”
Much of the growth, Schwartz added, will be dictated by LDI’s internal growth with its employees. It will require next-generation additions who not only understand technology but also embrace the dealer’s core values. To that end, LDI has onboarded an in-house recruiter to keep pace with generational turnover. The dealer is also creating a mentorship program for developing sales representatives, in which veteran reps can help new salespeople meld traditional sales skills with modern techniques.
“I think we’ll see a strong growth path with reps looking for new business within the same products and services that are driving our portfolio,” Schwartz said.
Technology Flows
The new business push was given a gentle shove last October when the company played host to TECHtoberfest, a showcase of the latest technologies and innovations offered by LDI manufacturing partners. Open to clients and prospects, the event included group and individual demonstrations across managed print, production print, managed IT, cloud communications, security solutions and AV solutions/videoconferencing. Among the participating partners were Canon, Sharp, HP, Brother, Samsung, Xerox, AXIS Communications and Intermedia.
Backed by improvements in automation, teamwork and a little help from the aforementioned vendor friends, LDI can continue to foster the strong relationships it enjoys with clients. So while progress may not be guaranteed, the executive team is doing its part to position the company for the long haul.
“We’re very fortunate to have great relationships with our clients,” Schwartz noted. “They truly like us. I think we’ve earned that. If we can continue to bring more products and services that they need for the connected office, I think we’ll continue to enjoy much success.”
