According to Forbes Business, 87% of family businesses do not survive past the first generation. Capital Business Machines has bucked this trend and just celebrated their 65th birthday with a celebration party last month. The party included current staff, retired staff, and three generations of the Hartman family.
Much of the celebration was spent telling stories about the good old days when Capital Business Machines sold typewriters. Dean was telling the story about how they had just invented Super Glue and was recalling an employee that was working on repairing a typewriter. The employee called out to Dean saying, “Dean come over here, I’ve glued my hand to the counter!” With some creative thinking they eventually worked it free. This was just one of the many amusing anecdotes shared that day.
Capital Business Machines was opened in 1952 by William (Bill) Hartman Sr. and has been a family business ever since. The business is currently owned and operated by William’s three grandsons, Dean, Don and Stacey. I sat down with the brothers to find out the secret to their more than six decades of success.
“When my grandfather started the business, he was an awesome sales guy and the customers loved him,” recalls grandson Don. He always made sure to service the customer in the best manner possible. If a customer called Bill Hartman and was looking for something that Capital Business Machines didn’t sell, Bill would figure out who did and let the customer know. “He knew that eventually they would need something from him and they would become a customer.”
Bill would be proud of how his grandsons have continued his tradition of customer service. They have taken it even a step farther, by implementing and following the principals of Character First back in 2003. The program that was developed by Tom Hill, and it is rooted with positive character traits that encourages and helps individuals reach their full potential in their public, personal, and private lives.
At Capital Business Machines, this begins with the management team who models each of the 49 traits such as diligence, benevolence and compassion. These principals guide all of the employees and their interactions with customers. Every employee is empowered to make decisions from the person who answers the phones to the technicians to the management team. The employees and the customers are all treated with honor.
This one-team philosophy is working well for the firm. The average tenure of an employee at Capital Business Machines is 17.2 years. The “family” in the business is not just the Hartman family, either. Many employees are related to each other including two sets of brothers, a mother and daughter, a mother and son, and a father and daughter, all working together.
Photo credit: Carrie Bell
Nine of Capital Business Machines employees graduated from Tumwater High School, two of which are sales associates and are brothers that have been working together for over ten years. Derek and Casey Lowe have lived in the area all of their lives. They share the same vision that their customers are always taken care of. Casey Lowe had been working at Boone Ford and enjoyed his job selling cars but didn’t enjoy being away from his family on evenings and weekends. Don Hartman knew Casey’s mother, Cindy, who had purchased a copier from Capital Business Machines for her office. Cindy told Don about her son and it wasn’t long before Casey was working for Capital Business Machines.
“It is a decision I have never regretted,” says Casey. “Dean, Don and Stacey lead by example and I have never once had to question their integrity.” When Casey was hired he was told he could sell a copier to his own mother to start his sales career. That was over twenty years ago and Casey has customers that have been with him through three and four machines. “Customers know the technicians, our staff and salespeople and they trust our process,” said Casey.
Most of the customers of Capital Business Machines no longer ask how long it will take when they call for service on their copier. They know that someone will be there as fast as possible, typically within four business hours. Casey stated, “You can have the best salespeople but if you have bad service you will lose customers.” At Capital Business Machines it is not just about sales, it is also about quality service and lasting relationships.
Capital Business Machines has many active accounts that include North Thurston Public Schools, Olympia School District, Tumwater School District, local businesses, and many local, state, and government agencies. “We may not get the business the first time and we may even lose a customer who wants to try another brand but a lot of them come back for the service and support that we provide,” shares Dean.
“We understand our customers and their needs”, explains Stacey. “We know that most churches run their bulletins on Thursdays or Fridays,” he shares as an example, “and if they run out of toner their machine will stop. Since we stock parts and supplies in our warehouse and have excellent customer service, we do everything we can to get their toner delivered in time for them to complete their job. If we can’t get the toner delivered in time we offer to print the customer’s job here in our office.”
In addition to providing great service to their customers, Capital Business Machines is involved in the community, supporting many local non-profit organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club, Community Youth Services, the South Sound YMCA, Young Life and youth sports across the community.
For more information on the products and services offered, visit the Capital Business Machines website.
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