Houston (May 3, 2022) — In 1987, the average price of a gallon of gasoline was 90 cents. Ronald Reagan was president; William P. Clements was governor of Texas, the average price of a home in the U.S. was $104,500, and the Minnesota Twins won the World Series.
And in April of that year businessman Jack Stargel opened the doors to Stargel Office Solutions in a rented office location in Houston’s Spring Branch section. The company began with three people (including himself) and one client. Today, Stargel Office Solutions thrives as a 100-employee, 6,000-client strong, second-generation family business and independent office technology dealer, with a scope of services including managed IT services, managed print services, production print, document software and digital signage.
At its inception, Stargel Office Solutions looked very different than today. Jack Stargel, a Texas Tech University graduate, left a company he had been a partner in to launch this new business at 1200 Blalock Drive. One of the employees who came with Jack to start the new company, Tanya Dibbern, remains a part of the Stargel Office Solutions team today, serving in the role of contracts administrator.
In the early days, their product and service lines included typewriters, facsimile (fax) machines, and calculators. As technology began to advance, the first iteration of office equipment was analog, which gave way to digital. Stargel Office Solutions was a leader in embracing the conversion to digital. In 1990, Stargel Office Solutions began its partnership with Toshiba; the firm was recently named a Toshiba ProMasters Certified Elite Dealer for 2022, an award it has received multiple times. Along the way, Stargel Office Solutions also was named Toshiba Dealer of the Year (2007).
Second generation joins business; company evolves to include MPS and IT services
Jack’s two sons, Slade and Tyson, also play key roles in the company today, both serving in the role of Co-Presidents with Jack retaining the role of Chief Executive Officer. Slade began full-time in 1999, and Tyson’s full-time role with the company began in 2001. Tyson quips that he and his brother actually started much earlier — as weekend janitors when they were in school. Tyson’s larger role, though, was overseeing the transition of Stargel Office Solutions from an office equipment company to a complete office technology provider in 2011, by starting the Star Managed Services Division which focuses on IT, document management, and MPS.
Additional partnerships with manufacturers further expands the company’s offerings
The company’s other initiatives include:
- Introducing document management software in 2003
- Introducing managed print services (the focus on the cost-per-page for document generation rather than the end price of equipment) in 2005
- Partnering with DocuWare in 2008
- Partnering with HP, another of its equipment lines, in 2008
- The launch of Star Managed Services and managed IT services in 2011
- Introduction of digital signage in 2013
- Partnering with Xerox for production print in 2018
- Partnering with Zebra for label printers in 2019
Stargel Office Solutions moved to its current 32,000 square foot location in 2006, when they purchased the building at 4700 Blalock Road that today serves as the company’s headquarters.
Tyson Stargel notes, “Expanding our offerings to include Managed Print Service and establishing a strong IT presence have been great growth strategies for us. Our company has changed and grown with the times to stay ahead of the changing technological world. We help our clients manage their networks along with document management needs so they can manage their businesses better. By adhering to our Stargel core values of honesty, integrity, ‘customer first,’ professionalism, competitiveness and being passionate, we seek to become the trusted technology advisor for each of our clients.”
Stargel Office Solutions officially celebrated its 35th anniversary recently with a company-wide meeting and celebration. Slade said, “Jack, Tyson and I are so deeply grateful to our many loyal clients and our wonderful employees who have been with us on this journey, and we look forward to what the future will bring. We were pleased to be able to celebrate our anniversary with our team.”
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About Stargel Office Solutions
Stargel Office Solutions was founded in 1987 by owner Jack Stargel, who has grown the company from one client 35 years ago to more than 6,000 today. Stargel Office Solution serves the needs of diverse businesses and organizations throughout the Houston area, in industries including healthcare, oil and gas, manufacturing, education, faith and worship, among others. With 100 employees and a second generation of the family also involved in the business, Stargel Office Solutions attributes its continued growth to long-lasting client partnerships.
Stargel Office Solutions is a complete office technology partner offering managed IT services, managed print services, production print, document software and digital signage. Primary product lines include Toshiba, HP, Lexmark, DocuWare, and PaperCut print management software.
In addition to the ProMasters Elite, Stargel Office Solutions has won the national Elite Dealer award from ENX Magazine/The Week in Imaging every year since 2006, and the MSP 501 (IT) award which recognizes exceptional IT professionals, in 2019, 2020 and 2021. The company has also been recognized by the Houston Better Business Bureau every year since 2019 with an A+ rating. And Stargel Office Solutions has been recognized by The Houston Business Journal on its “Largest Houston Independent Office Equipment Dealer” list.
The firm is active in the communities it serves, engaging in numerous philanthropic activities and being active in organizations both locally and nationally. Stargel Office Solutions is a member of the Houston West Chamber of Commerce, Greater East Montgomery County Chamber, the Cy-Fair Houston Chamber of Commerce, and the company is also active in the national trade association Select Dealer Group. Founder Jack Stargel serves as CEO; he is joined in the business by sons Tyson and Slade who serve as co-presidents.
