Sometimes a vision can seem clearer on paper than it does in practice. When Dean Swenson decided to transform his business in 2003—leaving the comforts of being a Xerox Agency member to begin anew as an independent Konica Minolta dealer—the reset button was hit on his annual revenues. In one fell swoop, his company, The Swenson Group, fell from $30 million to zero in a blink of an eye.
Why take such a daring risk? As a Xerox Agency, the model he followed was outsourced sales. However, Swenson wanted to manage and control the post-sale experience for his clients, putting The Swenson Group’s fingerprints on every aspect of the engagement process.
“While this was by design, living it was a lot harder than I had planned for,” said Swenson, a 2024 ENX Magazine Difference Maker. “We took all of the ‘good’ we learned from Xerox and made sure we didn’t implement the ‘bad’ we experienced when we started over in the dealer model back in 2003.”
Such is the cost of freedom for the Livermore, California-based business. Swenson is passionate about enabling his clients and team members alike to grow and thrive. And while not everyone will agree with Swenson’s viewpoints, they can appreciate that he is fair, logical and consistent. That’s been key to his ability to develop teammates and build partner relationships.
For Swenson, the greatest value comes with playing a role in his employees’ development through teaching and coaching. “One of the most rewarding comments I’ve received from an employee was ‘I’ve learned more at The Swenson Group than I did from getting my MBA,’” he added.
The holder of a business communications degree from the University of California Santa Barbara, Swenson entered the workforce during the time of the Gulf War, a period in which hiring was minimal. Fortunately, a high school friend who worked for Xerox referred Swenson to her manager in 1991, and he kicked off his career in sales as a marketing executive. Two years later, Swenson joined the Xerox Agency program.
Swenson is coming off a 2023 campaign that saw his dealership celebrate its 30th anniversary. Another highlight saw The Swenson Group grow its business without expanding the employee roster. One of the drivers, in his estimation, is having a team of passionate people who “think like owners.”
Continued growth won’t be easy. Strong California headwinds, particularly the hybrid workforce that reduced client machine populations and output volumes, continue to challenge The Swenson Group’s quest for profitability. Swenson’s goal is to achieve growth across the board, and one of the catalysts was the addition of a commercial/production print division. The dealer has placed some production print units and expects to finish off the year with a flourish and continue that momentum into 2025.
Continuous improvement plays a large role, and Swenson’s schedule offers ample opportunities to lean. He’s a member of the Select Dealer Group and president of the Konica Minolta Dealer Advisory Council. That sees him on the road 8-10 times per year, but it’s time well spent.
Regardless of the level of success The Swenson Group enjoys, its president knows the path to improvement is a long one. Whether it’s a minor tweak or a process revamp, the opportunities to make a tangible difference abound.
“I enjoy learning from others who think differently than I do to get their unique perspectives and ideas,” Swenson noted. “We have a track record of implementing these ideas and quantifying positive results.”
On the home front, Swenson and his wife, Stephanie, have been married for nearly 28 years and have three adult children. Zach is 26 and living in Denver as a recruiter for the aerospace industry. Taylor, 23, lives in San Diego and is “crushing it” selling payroll, HR and 401K for ADP. The youngest, daughter Kendall, 21, is a junior at TCU in Ft. Worth, studying fashion design.
A tight-knit family, all five Swensons take a couple of trips each year; earlier this year, they rented a beach house in San Diego. They’ve also booked a Cabo San Lucas getaway for later this year. That takes away some of the sting of being empty nesters.
“We feel fortunate that all three kids are a fairly short Southwest flight away,” he added. “We’re very blessed to have wonderful relationships with our kids and love the fact they want to spend time with us.”
Both of Swenson’s sons have taken up golf, and have exceeded the skills of their father by a 5x factor. This doesn’t sit well with Swenson, though seeing the progress they’ve made has inspired him to work on his own game.
“I can’t have the punks beating their dad,” he jokingly exclaimed. “We have a lot of fun on the course, talking about life, relationships, business and family. I treasure that time.”
