So, you’ve decided that joining a peer group is appealing and gleaning information from dealers about every aspect of the business would help your business now and in the future. Now comes the big question: Which organization to join?
Well, there’s certainly not a lack of options at your disposal. We’ve compiled a list of six of the top peer groups with some general information about each, including membership fees. The good news is all the peer groups we queried are currently accepting new members. The lone caveat is virtually all of them have territory protections in place that respect marketplace boundaries. If your dealer is based in Chicago and a particular group already has a member there, you’ll need to investigate other options.
In the event you’re unable to secure membership in one of the existing organizations, another option would be to create a new group. There are various sources that can provide input and perhaps assistance in creating one. Members of the Business Technology Association can reach out to Executive Director Brent Hoskins. Non-members can solicit input from their primary manufacturer (via its dealer council) or leasing arm, such as GreatAmerica Financial Services. These entities may be able to put you in touch with other dealers that have also inquired about forming a new group or may even be currently creating one.
Whether you choose to join an existing organization or partner with a new entity, the decision will certainly pay dividends in an evolving business climate.
Copier Dealers Association (CDA)
Subgroup: Managed Technology Association (MTA)
Year Founded: 1977
Affiliation: None
Number of members: 56
Meeting frequency:
(CDA)—Three times per year (March, July, October). Service meeting in late summer, CFO meeting in late spring, sales and marketing meeting in October (concurrent with executive meeting)
(MTA)—Three times per year (March, July, November). March and July concurrent with executive meeting, November concurrent with IT Nation
Cost to join: CDA $2,000/year; MTA $5,000/year
Membership requirements: Members must be office technology dealer principals who are able and willing to share ideas and information with other members, who will attend meetings and participate in financials and business surveys
Territory restrictions: None
Accepting new members: Yes
Mission: The CDA brings together the industry’s top dealers while fostering collaboration, networking and the exchange of knowledge. The group believes that by sharing best practices, members can benchmark their performance, identify areas for growth and enhance their competitive edge. CDA also provides opportunities for continuous learning and professional development while collectively advocating for industry interests and promoting awareness about office technology products and services as well as diversification opportunities.
President’s message: “I joined the CDA because it represents top industry leaders who value collaboration, learning, and sharing best practices. The association’s ‘all boats rise’ philosophy fosters a collective commitment to growth and improvement. With specific groups for CFO, service, sales and IT, the CDA offers targeted expertise and support. It’s been the most influential asset in driving my company’s growth. Moreover, the platform encourages discussions on various opportunities beyond office equipment, expanding our business horizons.”
— Gary Harouff, Advanced Imaging Solutions, Las Vegas
Group strengths: The CDA delivers dedicated solutions that address specific challenges, driving members’ success. Notably, the CDA’s combined revenue of over $2 billion per year showcases its substantial industry influence. Moreover, the group’s commitment goes beyond business impact; it also operates a scholarship fund that’s provided invaluable support to thousands of families, exemplifying its dedication to giving back to the community.
Why CDA is special: It takes pride in being the only group with a separate peer group specifically dedicated to IT services, known as MTA (Managed Technology Association). The CDA’s significant impact on the copier dealer industry is evident. It encourages members to explore diverse opportunities beyond office equipment, expanding their business horizons. Overall, the CDA’s exceptional attributes, including the unique MTA focus, make it a powerful catalyst for success in the industry.
Select Dealer Group (SDG)
Year Founded: 2003
Affiliation: BTA
Number of members: 37
Meeting frequency: Three times per year
Cost to join: $1,500
Membership requirements: BTA membership. Must attend ProFinance and submit annual financial survey
Territory restrictions: One dealer from each market territory
Accepting new members: Yes
Mission: It’s an opportunity to learn from the industry’s best and brightest. Dealers share best practices that can be leveraged by members within their own organizations. In addition to being a font for great ideas and insights into diversification opportunities, membership can leverage SDG’s buying power through its vendors.
President’s message: “I love how we can just bounce ideas off each other. We’re all facing similar types of issues, and the exchanges benefit both small and large dealers. The group was especially invaluable during the pandemic, a confusing and scary time from a business standpoint, and we were able to help each other get through the hard times. The transparency makes it truly valuable.”
— David Scibetta, Copier Fax Business Technologies
Group strengths: While the group counts numerous Konica Minolta dealers as members, it boasts a wide range of performers, from $3 million to more than $100 million. Transparency is a hallmark with SDG; it has a subdivision called the Sharing Group, which sees members disclose financial details and other pertinent information. Nothing is held back, which only heightens the value of the information and opens avenues toward improvement.
Why SDG is special: In a word, inclusivity. There are no cliques; everyone is heard, and members feel as if they can approach anyone within the group. Dealer execs check their egos at the door, and there’s no preening or grandstanding. Group president David Scibetta believes a lion’s share of the success his company (Copier Fax Business Technologies) enjoys can be directly attributed to SDG.
PRO Dealer Group (PDG)
Year Founded: 2012
Affiliation: BTA
Number of members: 31
Meeting frequency: Three in-person, five online
Cost to join: $995
Membership requirements: Must be BTA member
Territory restrictions: No new members in existing member markets
Accepting new members: Yes
Mission: A newer, BTA-generated, peer-to-peer group, PDG focuses on best practices backed by a strong roster of educational presenters ranging from manufacturers to leasing companies. Members leverage the ProFinance business model to bolster their profitability.
President’s message: “We always say that if you can take just one thing out of our meetings and implement it in your own business, that’s a plus. The more you put into it, the more you can get out of it. It’s helped me grow my business in a number of different ways. It’s a great group, one of the best I’ve ever joined. What [BTA Executive Director] Brent Hoskins does for us is priceless. He’s so invaluable to the group.”
— Van Seretis, Premium Digital Office Solutions
Group strengths: While it considers members up to $25 million in annual revenue, PDG is an ideal fit for independent dealers in the $2 million to $10 million range. Its June meeting is dedicated to financials, and members fill out a 30-page questionnaire for benchmarking, courtesy of Todd Johnson and John Hey of Strategic Business Associates (SBA). Each member is provided a code that allows the dealer to see how it fares among the group in a laundry list of financial metrics.
Why PRO Dealer Group is special: The heart of the group is the one-on-ones and open discussions. While the presentations offer great value, the interactions between dealer principals is where the magic happens, according to Seretis.
Business Products Council Association (BPCA)
Year Founded: 1967
Affiliation: None
Number of members: 23
Meeting frequency: Twice a year—spring best practices meeting (includes sales, service, marketing and managed services managers); fall meeting, owner principals only
Cost to join: $2,100
Membership requirements: $5-plus million annual revenues, independent dealers only
Territory restrictions: Member territories are exclusive; minor secondary market crossover may be permitted through existing member vote
Accepting new members: Yes
Mission: The group seeks to focus on excellence in business modeling. In sharing best practices, members seek out ways to become more innovative within both their processes and offerings. Creating an open and collaborative environment is the primary thrust.
Executive Director’s message: “We’ve formed some tight bonds due in part to a tremendous amount of coordination within the community of dealerships. New members are quickly woven into this community where resources become available when needed. Sharing of best practices is great; however, all members are willing to share areas of weakness and where they have failed as an opportunity for others to learn what not to do.”
— Dominic Pontrelli, Pontrelli Marketing
Group strengths: BPCA boasts a wide diversity of dealers from small to large. Its longtime members aren’t afraid to “open the kimono” and share at a level of detail that helps yield valuable information and insight into the path toward growth and success. In a nod to transparency, members also aren’t shy to illustrate their failures.
Why BPCA is special: BPCA’s roots trace back 50-plus years to 3M copier dealers. With a history that dates back 56 years, second and third generations of family-owned dealers have come through the doors of BPCA. Members know each other’s spouses and families, which helps solidify bonds. The meetings are quasi family reunions, making it easier to have fun and get down to business.
Independent Copier Dealer Alliance (ICDA)
Year Founded: 2011
Affiliation: None
Number of members: 28 (17 dealers)
Meeting frequency: Twice a year
Cost to join: $1,000 initial, $750 annual
Membership requirements: Independent dealers only
Territory restrictions: Do not compete with other members
Accepting new members: Yes
Mission: The word “Independent” is in the foreground of the group’s name and identity for a reason. ICDA strives to carve out a group free of mega dealers and corporately controlled entities. ICDA is dedicated to sharing information, ideas, policies and procedures in an open and cooperative manner while maximizing the opportunities for growth and profitability for each member.
President’s message: “We made a conscious effort to not be an exceedingly large organization. It’s important to maintain an intimate setting to discuss confidential issues. We foster both close-knit professional and personal relationships. Communication is free-flowing for ICDA members. There’s never hesitation to reach out to other members across the nation.”
— Jeff Ragusa, Applied Business Concepts
Group strengths: Trailblazer of the industry press and founder of The Cannata Report, Frank Cannata, gives thought-provoking insight as an invaluable honorary member. Fellow honorary member Mark Fry, J.D., CPA, updates constituents on legal changes which may impact their business. ICDA dealers represent a range of $1.5 million to $30 million in annual revenues, allowing for healthy exchanges between similar-sized performers.
Why ICDA is special: Membership levels are regulated to ensure familiarity within the group. ICDA comrades feel confident in sharing detailed business data and strategies. The group blends experience and youth—from veterans who once sold typewriters and microfilm machines to recent college graduates—creating a wealth of generational perspective.
American Co-Op Group
Year Founded: 20041
Affiliation: Sharp1
Number of members: 16
Meeting frequency: Twice a year (one hosted, one destination)
Cost to join: $500
Membership requirements: Must be independent
Territory restrictions: Prospective additions are vetted for possible overlapping prior to invitation to join
Accepting new members: Yes
Mission: Everyone likes a good idea, especially when it can translate into net-new profits. That’s where American Co-Op Group really shines. Members are constantly sharing best practices and new product diversifications that are working in their corner of the country in the hopes that fellow execs can leverage them in another market.
President’s message: “I’d known some of the members from the BTA and was asked if I’d be interested in joining. It’s a tremendous group, and I’ve learned so much from them over the years. Rick Bastinelli was really responsible for bringing it back to what it is today. The group really focuses on ways to make each other better. I can pick up the phone and call members anytime.”
— Bob Evans, Function4
Group strengths: Dealers sharing best practices they’ve developed within their businesses, which members are able to take back and implement in their own. With several dealers who are well-versed in M&A, the group as a whole has benefitted from learning the finer details about embarking on transactions. Diversification is another key talking point, with members who’ve done really well in adjacencies such as IT, MPS and AV. A number of Co-Op regulars are also well-known from a national perspective, having given presentations or sat in on dealer panels at manufacturer and association events. This augments the group’s slate of guest-speaker vendors.
Why American Co-Op Group is special: The annual meetings hosted by dealers at their offices offer fellow members a great opportunity to bring their managers and department specialists, and get a feel for their methods and approach to business that makes them so effective. The ideas generated can be subtle and minor but can make a quantifiable difference when implemented. For dealers who enjoy exotic destination meetings that enable them to bring spouses, the Co-Op has visited idyllic locales including St. Lucia and Turks and Caicos.
1 The group actually predates 2004. It originally consisted of American Photocopy Equipment Company (APEC) dealers, but by 2004—due to members leaving the group after having sold their businesses to larger organizations—it was reduced to two members, Erie Copy Products and Centric Business Systems. Bastinelli, Centric’s president, reestablished the group and refortified its ranks by reaching out to a number of independent dealers that carried Sharp equipment. Members are not required to be Sharp dealers, but the OEM remains a common bond for many Co-Op members today.
