Page 54 - South Mississippi Living - August, 2015

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY think locally owned
THE FUTURE OF BUSINESS
South Mississippi Business Machines going strong for more than 30 years
photos by Katherine Sowers and courtesy of South Mississippi Business Machines
For more than 3 decades SMBM has been providing Gulf Coast Businesses with the latest in office technology. “We are a one stop shop type of office
equipment company,“ GM Mark Busch said. “We sell and service multi functional copiers, printers, computers, wide format, shredders, fax machines and scanners. We are also home to the NCIS (network computer IT services) Department.”
SMBM was opened on the coast in 1981 by local owner, John Bush. The business has grown over the years from just a few employees to more than 25 today. According
calls, parts, supplies and hardware
are also handled from outside the area or state. We are owned and operated by local people who have a vested interest in our community.”
Busch said, “There are many benefits to doing business with a locally owned business like SMBM, but the quality of customer service is what sets us apart from our competitors.
We have the resources right here to be very responsive to our clients needs. The average tenure of an SMBM employee is 12 years which allows our staff to build long term relationships with our clients.”
“The way technology has changed, it’s really put a lot of emphasis on
to GM Mark Busch, SMBM is the only locally owned business of its kind on the coast. “There is a big difference between a local business and a locally owned business. Our competitors will tell you they are local, but ultimately they operate satellite sales offices for companies who are owned by individuals or corporations from outside the area or state. The administration, service
service responsiveness,” Busch said. “You need a partner who is going to have parts and supplies right at their fingertips, because if your machine
is down, your business is down. SMBM’s local office warehouses over 500K in parts, supplies and machines. If you call today for a supply item, machine, etc., we can deliver it to you the same day. We get to know our customers and their needs.”
54 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • August 2015
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