Matias Aramburu is looking to save his dealer clients and their end-users a good deal of money by offering them copier and printer stands from Quick Quality Cabinets (QQC). But don’t get him wrong—the 30% savings when compared to OEM alternatives is a compelling reason to opt for the Louisville, Kentucky-based firm and its stable of sturdy metal solutions. But it’s hardly the lone, or best, reason.
Quick Quality Cabinets
Aramburu—the company’s vice president of sales—doesn’t even see price as the number-one differentiator for QQC. That honor belongs to customer service. He could easily argue the quality of construction as well. Or the fact that QQC offers SKU-specific stands that even the OEMs counter with only generic, one-size-fits-all counterparts.
Even though QQC is the only independent firm offering model-compatible stands, Aramburu is pushing to scale further. He’s offering OEM alternatives that cover most lines, breaking into fertile geographies (and countries) and bringing more machine-handling partners into the fold of QQC’s sister company, SalesMaker Carts.
In this edition of Getting to Know You, Aramburu discusses the agility behind the company’s 45-plus years of serving the office technology space, QQC’s latest releases and manufacturer-compatible products that are on the horizon. He also makes a case for end-users to entrust their office tech investments with only the best in high-quality solutions.
Talk a little about the evolution of Quick Quality Cabinets and the channels it serves.
Aramburu: We started in 1980 as primarily a Xerox cabinet dealer. Ron Lasley, who started the company, discovered that there were a lot of machines that didn’t have stands. He went door to door with these big, bulky stands and sold them that way. In doing so, he recognized there were gaps for all different machines. As new companies started popping up, he had trouble selling the cabinets. That prompted him to start SalesMaker Carts, which helps people install their copiers and get the right equipment where it needs to go. The turning point was getting the nationwide business of Xerox dealers. Ron would fill his van up with these stands and drive across the country with his wife. Eventually, he grew some partnerships and got UPS to help them out with shipping. We’ve grown ever since.
How long did it take to go from just Xerox to the full complement of lines that you can address today?
Aramburu: Business really started to pick up in the 1990s. Adding Lexmark was huge; they’re down the road from us in Lexington. We were able to fill those gaps for machines that really didn’t have stands. Kyocera pointed us in the right direction; their OEM stands are pretty expensive. We’ve been saving Kyocera dealers 30%–40% on the stands.
Generally, how much can customers save by going with Quick Quality Cabinets instead of the OEM option?
Aramburu: In 2024, our products offered about 30% savings versus manufacturers. Certain OEMs provide more competitive pricing, but we offer all-metal stands, which is a great selling point. Some of the OEM solutions are made of particle board or other materials that don’t stand the test of time. Imagine you’re wheeling in a copier and a stand. You hit a crack on the sidewalk, the stand goes down and the rest of the machine follows. It’s way more expensive to replace the copier than it is to replace the stand. The construction of our stands makes a huge difference. This also ties into the SalesMaker Carts; you need to have the most durable equipment to move those heavy, expensive items. That’s where we come in.
It’s also worth noting that we’re located next to the UPS world hub in Louisville, so shipping takes two to four days. That rivals even the best OEM deliveries. So I don’t see many competitors beating us on speed.
What were some of the highlights for your company during 2024?
Aramburu: Attending the IBPI conference was huge for us. IBPI is the largest purchasing group in the industry. They had a get-to-know-you event that used speed-dating-style meetings, and I got a lot of face-to-face time with customers and dealers. Those meetings produced fresh ideas that we were able to implement. One of them is the hybrid stand, our newest technology in the cabinet world. It offers two different heights, so you can buy one stand and set it up as a 20” stand or as a caster base. Customers can just use the caster base instead of the 20” height and save money on that end. I’ve been asking to get them made for quite a while, so I’m glad to see that come to fruition.
You face a lot of competition from the OEMs and, to a much lesser extent, the Amazons and big-box retailers. How do you convey your value proposition to help win over clients?
Aramburu: Amazon and the big-box retailers basically have the generic, one-size-fits-all-stands, which we have as well, but our more successful ones are tailored to specific machines, making it look more cohesive. The OEMs also use the one-size-fits-all options. Those huge, adjustable stands are way too big for the A4 machines. An A4 sitting on an A3 stand doesn’t look nice at all. People like our stands more.
What would you say is your company’s biggest value proposition?
Aramburu: While the price point is certainly important, customer service is probably number one for us. You can email us regarding any problems or questions, and we always try to respond within 15 minutes with a resolution. Our return process is very simple. Even if you just say you don’t like it, we’ll take it on the chin and try to find you something you’ll like.
What are some of the nuances of your cabinetry production that lead to make-and-model tailored solutions?
Aramburu: The generic stands are our blanket fix for anything; they’re pretty much boxes with a height of 20”, and a lot of machines fit on it. When it comes to the custom stands, it’s really about getting the footprint right. We need to make sure there are no access doors or other features that become difficult to access because of the stand. For example, there’s a Lexmark machine that has an access door on the side of the paper tray. Originally, we had stands that blocked the door. We weren’t aware of it initially because it’s only on the secondary paper tray. We went back to our manufacturer, let them know about it and boom, it got fixed within a month or two.
Communication with the dealers and finding out what they want is the most important element. We can create any stand they need. We get large bids all the time. If someone asks for 10,000 stands, we can take care of it within three to four months. Just give us a heads up, because a lot of times [the customer] will want them in two weeks. That’s a big ask.
How has SalesMaker Carts been performing? Have you added new products?
Aramburu: That side has really done well so far this year. A lot of the input at the IBPI meeting centered on moving copiers to the destination. We partnered with Escalera, which has the StairCat cart for going up and down stairs and installing copiers in tough places. Bringing on the Escalera line has been a really big game-changer on the SalesMaker side. One of the biggest challenges is workplace injuries. A lot of times, there will only be one or two guys installing these copiers, and too often they’re going upstairs without the proper equipment. It’s cheaper to buy a StairCat to ensure the safety of your workers than it is to pay out a workman’s comp [insurance benefit] down the road.
We added the Escalera Copy Caddy in 2024, and that really helped boost the sales of the StairCat as well. They go hand in hand with each other to essentially form a motorized dolly. The mom-and-pop dealers typically don’t have big trucks to help move their equipment. They mostly have moving vans or large runner busses. The Copy Caddy can fold down into a ramp. Users can wheel the copy machine off it, reassemble it, put it on the StairCat and then off they go into the building. That’s been a big win for us.
What does the future hold for QQC in terms of new product development?
Aramburu: We’ve started developing stands for Sharp and Brother copiers. We have two stands for Sharp that will be manufactured in a month or two. We’ll be marketing them like crazy as soon as I get an ETA on their completion. We’re waiting on the Brother stands that are compatible with their A4 machines. I’m excited to see us get into both, because dealers have shown a lot of interest in having them. HP sells the most desktop printers, so we need to take advantage of that as well.
Not long ago, QQC celebrated its 45th anniversary. What’s the key to keeping your product and service offerings fresh and relevant?
Aramburu: It’s all about staying agile. Whenever we discover a gap for machines in need of stands, we try to fill that as quickly as possible. We need to be listening to our customers and making sure we’re offering products that will save a little more money on the bottom line.
Tell us a little about your marketing strategy within the office dealer space. Are there other events like IBPI that you’ll be attending?
Aramburu: We’ve been constantly modernizing our marketing strategy and updating the QQC website. Email marketing can be tricky. We’re constantly sending them, but people don’t respond to emails as much as we’d like. The idea is to not get annoying or overbearing. Face-to-face meetings or phone calls are important in getting our foot in the door.
We’ve actually grown a decent amount in Puerto Rico where we have three or four dealers buying quite a bit from us. That led me to the idea of getting into Mexico and seeing if there are opportunities. I’ve made a couple calls to people down there. Hopefully, I’ll get some face-to-face time with prospects. I can speak Spanish, so I’m trying to utilize all my tools to tap into Mexico.
Have you had any luck in Canada?
Aramburu: We have a few Canadian customers. Many prefer to deal directly with the OEMs, but we do have a few clients who were looking for a cheaper option. They gave us a try and never looked back. It’s a double-edged sword, because you don’t want to invest too much time in a market if the returns can’t justify it. I’d like to get more into Canada, but it’s just tough.
What’s going to be the key to growth in 2025?
Aramburu: It’ll be important to communicate with dealers, especially those who carry Brother and Sharp. We’re doing everything possible to get the word out and get in front of them. We’re also enhancing our digital presence and strengthening our relationships directly with customers through more face-to-face meetings. We’re the only national copier stand dealer, so we need to take advantage of that and get into as many nooks and crannies as we can.
What are your company’s goals for the next 12 months?
Aramburu: Getting into Mexico is one of our major initiatives, as well as growing our business out west. It seems as if shipping costs have really weighed down potential orders for California dealers. We’ve talked with UPS and managed to get reduced rates in shipping. We can now offer special pricing to our California dealers. Ultimately, the main goal is if you need a stand, reach out to us. We’ll make it happen. We’ll try our best to make sure you get what you need, and hopefully we can both grow from there.
