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When clients of Gulf Coast Office Products are in the market for a new copier or need an existing machine serviced, they don’t have to worry about a hassle. Instead, the process is more like catching up with an old friend. That’s because Gulf Coast Office Products prides itself on an experienced staff that has nurtured relationships with customers through the company’s five decades in business.
Out of the 50 employees in its Baton Rouge office, more than 30 have been with the company for more than five years. Several have been there even longer—like office manager Robin Hatcher, vice president Steven Gammon and IT director Jason Carl, all of whom have more than 20 years of tenure. Michael LaCour, vice president of operations, is a 40-year veteran.
“Having that consistency in our representation and the people that our customers talk to every day is good,” says President Trey Beall, who started working for Gulf Coast Office Products just days after graduating from LSU in 1990.
Consistency, along with a reputation for expert service, has been important to navigating changes over the years.
From the President
“We have a lot of tenure and consistency on our team—100 strong in Louisiana—and a reach across Louisiana from the state line of Mississippi to the state line of Texas. We can ship nationwide, and our dealer partners assist in delivery and setup of our units. Hopefully, this provides a response time that helps customers stay up and running instead of stressing because equipment is down. Our people are our best asset. We remain a community-minded company with a focus on helping our young people with advice and knowledge of what is out there. It is our way of giving back.”
TREY BEALL
In the past, offices used separate machines for printing, photocopying and faxing. As products combining these functions began rolling out, Gulf Coast Office Products recognized the cost savings clients could realize—and set out to educate them. As customers embraced increasingly high-tech products, the company adapted, adding computer- and IT-savvy technicians to its staff.
Today, Gulf Coast Office Products still sells and services all-in-one copy machines along with a couple of newer product lines: interactive whiteboards and software solutions that make it easier to archive files.
Through all these changes, Gulf Coast Office Products has made a point of investing in and rewarding its employees. Staff members are recognized for service milestones, and the company (an official partner of LSU, ULL, the Saints and the Pelicans), treats them to tickets.
“As the company’s 50th anniversary nears, Beall and his team are looking to the future. They’ve partnered with universities for internships and have a job-shadowing program for high schoolers.”
Beall wants students to meet employees like Sean Nelson, who started as an LSU intern and has now been sales manager for six years. Beall believes those kinds of success stories can open young people’s eyes to career opportunities they hadn’t thought of. “We try to get them exposed to what a big world it is out there,” he says.
Beall tells students about the freedom his job provides to meet people throughout south Louisiana’s business community. He’s long been fascinated by the fact that a copy machine plays a central role in nearly every industry.
“If you don’t think it does, let it break,” Beall says with a laugh. “All of a sudden you become a very important person when they have a bid to get out in construction, or you have an urgent care center that is down and can’t print out insurance documents. You realize how important your organization is to their organization.”
CONNECT WITH US
Top Executives: Trey Beall, President
Address: 8380 Jefferson Hwy., Baton Rouge 70809
Phone: 225.756.2644
Website: gcopnet.com
