Truth be known, Gary Harouff wasn’t destined for the world of office technology. But fate, as it’s wont to do, had other ideas.
It was the early 1980s, and Harouff was busy carving out a future about as far from the imaging world as possible. A criminal justice major at the University of Las Vegas, he had been working for three and a half years with a private investigator as part of a four-year apprenticeship. Off-screen from Harouff’s journey, however, a business storm was brewing that would forever alter his course.
Skip Harouff, his father, had worked as a service technician for Xerox, and he was one of 5,000 techs who were let go by the manufacturer. The elder Harouff had built his career around that vocation and found himself at a crossroads, but not without options. He was the only technical resource in the state with security clearance to the Nevada Test Site, where Xerox had loads of equipment but no alternative service available. Adversity quickly transitioned to opportunity. Thus, Skipco was born.
“It grew quickly,” Gary Harouff noted. “So what happens when a family business needs someone, quickly and cheaply? You call in your family.”
Answering the call for family, Harouff dropped out of UNLV, became his father’s first employee, and despite not having a shred of technical ability, became a service tech. It was no single-duty role: Harouff quickly immersed himself in warehousing, admin, sales, delivery—the Full Monty of the office experience.
Those early experiences continue to shape him as the president of Advanced Imaging Solutions (AIS), which supports the needs of clients throughout southern Nevada and California. One could argue that being named a 2022 ENX Magazine Difference Maker can be traced back to his desire to make a difference in the lives of others—starting with his father and continuing today.
“When I see a person come in as an entry-level employee and work their way up to leadership, that is very rewarding,” Harouff explained. “We reward our top staff member each year with a ‘wish’ off their bucket list. Seeing how that impacts them is awesome. The same holds true with customers. When I speak to clients and they tell me the positive impact we have had on their business and staff, that’s all I need to keep fueling me to become better and do more. Nothing is better than helping change people’s lives for the better.”
Another Path
It comes as no surprise that self-improvement is a driving force for Harouff. He is not beholden to any sacred cows when it comes to finding a better, more effective way to do business. Harouff laments that far too many people hold onto past business principles and that it is “time we shake up our snow globe and create a different scene for ourselves.” He’s fond of peering over the wall into other industries to hash out a better path, from Disney training to mentoring with Zappos, or just reading great books by the business community’s highest performers.
“It’s about keeping that curiosity and willingness to try new ways,” he added.
Harouff has also had the benefit of decades of wisdom from a number of prominent industry leaders. Larry Sudbay and Mike Riordan from Building a Quality Company were instrumental in elevating AIS and its executive team to greater heights. Harouff turned to Chris Taylor of Fisher’s Technology to obtain a blueprint for building AIS’ corporate culture. And GreatAmerica’s Tony Golobic has demonstrated what hard work, integrity and a dream can accomplish.
Of course, it wouldn’t have been possible without Skip Harouff and Gary’s wife, Rosa. The latter has proven to be an effective sounding board who has inspired him to be a greater leader and a better person.
“She helps keep me focused,” Harouff said. “She is my rock.”
Nouveau Service
While 2021 proved to have its share of adversity, one of the greatest takeaways for the year was the performance of AIS’ marketing department. It left such an indelible impression on clients that they clamored for the dealer to provide it as a service; hence, marketing-as-a-service became another tool in AIS’ belt. In an age when monthly recurring revenue is king, Harouff is heartened to see this division continue to gain traction.
As 2022 continues to take shape, Harouff continues to latch onto great ideas. He recently finished reading “The Machine: A Radical Approach to the Design of the Sales Function” by Justin Roff-Marsh, which he calls “mind-spinning.” The work speaks to creating a better sales process to embrace more complex technology sales.
“My goal in 2022 is to kick a rock and see where it goes with some of these ideas and see where they lead,” he said. “Certainly, our industry is antiquated in the sales process and there is room for vast improvements. The current times make it extremely difficult to hire more outside reps, and this idea shows a different way that may solve that problem.”
Keeping an open mind, and looking for answers in sometimes-unlikely places, has Harouff excited about what the future holds. “Just staying hungry, curious, striving for the better, and asking why we are doing it this way and how can we do better,” he noted. “I need to envision myself as the consumer and consider how I would want to be treated or conduct business as a consumer of office technology.”
Rosa and Gary Harouff are the parents of five grown children (three boys). He feels “it’s a blessing” to have Rosa working by his side at AIS. They enjoy concerts, traveling and, of course, the rich and varied nightlife that Las Vegas has to offer. The Harouffs also love to kick back and unwind in Jamaica.
“We’re always looking for unique adventures and experiences,” he said.
