Trey Beall doesn’t step over dollars to pick up nickels. As president of Gulf Coast Office Products, he’s not a micromanager, and he lets his workers do what they do best. As a result, his company has one of the best records around for employee longevity—many of them have been at GCOP for more than 10 years.
That longevity is reflected in its customer base, too. A home-grown, Louisiana company at heart, Gulf Coast has been the official partner and provider for the New Orleans Saints, the Pelicans and LSU for years. “Our clients want leaders that get involved in the community, as well as their institution,” Beall says. “We actually have an employee in the press box at LSU football games. We’re very invested.”
AT A GLANCE
PRIMARY PRODUCT/SERVICE:
Copiers, printers, scanners,
multifunction devices, softwareTOP EXECUTIVE:
Trey Beall, PresidentYear founded: 1977
Phone: 225.756.2644
Website: gcopnet.com
Gulf Coast Office Products has become an indispensable resource, as they’ve diversified far beyond copiers since their creation back in 1977. These days, they’re more integrated into a client’s workflow, enabling them to print, copy, email and manage documents from the cloud. They can be fully connected to any network, with pre-trained technicians on staff offering local expert service.
A winner never stands still, so Gulf Coast continues to add to its mix as their customers evolve and grow. In fact, the company has grown by 350 percent in just the last six years. While the main artery of the business continues to be traditional black and white and color copiers that print, scan and fax, the company is much more than that. They offer software and other services to enable them to store documents in the cloud for document retrieval. They also supply equipment such as interactive whiteboards. These 75-inch whiteboards enable a customer to write notes, pull up videos or conduct virtual tours through the Internet.
Beall has been with the company since graduating from LSU in 1990, and says Gulf Coast’s success boils down to loyalty and local involvement. “We take care of our workers,” he says. “If an employee has been with the company more than five years, they’re given special recognition. And when an employee survey revealed they wanted management to be more approachable, we instituted an open-door policy.”
Beall also holds regular meetings with the warehouse manager, service manager, IT manager, operations manager and accounting to root out issues that might hurt productivity.
Their customers are the beneficiaries, as they’re usually doing business with a familiar face. “We have a lot of boots on the ground,” he adds, “so we can normally be in a customer’s office in a couple of hours to fix any problem. If you can’t scan, print and copy, you can’t run a law firm or an urgent care center. It’s detrimental to your business.”
Gulf Coast’s success is also evident in its physical growth. Its Baton Rouge facilities have grown from 1,500 to 15,000 square feet in just the last 15 years, and the company has significantly expanded its IT department.