Laser Imaging International -

A Company in Transition From the beginning, Laser Imaging International epitomized its name as an international company. With only a limited understanding of the U.S. market, Eyal felt more comfortable concentrating his efforts on foreign markets. By 1994, Laser Imaging International was shipping laser cartridges to 48 countries around the world. With over- seas accounts comprising over 85% of the company's revenues, the company opened its Hungarian facility that same year, both as a remanufacturing unit (currently producing approximately 1,000 CPM) and as a staging facility for inventory produced in its California plant. All cartridges produced in the United States and Hungarian facilities were, however, sold exclusively through wholesalers and distributors. Even today, with sales evenly distributed (50%/50olo) between foreign and the United States domestic market, the organization does not sell directly to end users in the private sector. "At first it was a matter of choice,"explainedEyal. "Utilizing established distributors was the most effective means of entering international markets. Later, it became a question of honor. We simply could

not, in good conscience, compete with our customers." Although Laser Imaging International has become very success- ful selling through distributors (it is now one of the 20 largest laser cartridge remanufacturers in the world), the company is currently redefining its position within the office products recycling industry. Having begun his own busi- ness as a small hands-on remanufacturer, Eyal has always been intrigued with the

locally based recharger market, especially in the United States. As early as 1994, the company began laying the framework to supply rechargers with high-quality, specialty cartridges to augment this high-volume product line. However, Eyal wanted to be more than just another "off-the-shelf" cartridge wholesaler. He knew that rechargers needed more than that. What was required, he felt, was an entirely new approach to recharger support. Just as imaging recyclers were becoming "one-stop shops" for their customers, Eyal wanted to be a "one-stop shop" for recyclers. That would mean blending the supply of high

quality cartridges, with an unparalleled level of support. Support meant offering such services as private labeling-even for small rechargers doing no more than 100 cartridges per month; and a uniquely sensitive technical hotline that could both answer production questions and provide expertise to customers on how to grow their own business. Of course, he couldn'tjust sell laser cartridges- he would need to offer an ink jet recycling service, as well as a completed line of high-quality supplies and components. Eyal's dream of pulling together all the aspects which would constiute a recharger-oriented "one-stop shop" seemed distant and unattainable. Nevertheless, as with his cartridge wholesale business, he set about optimistically to try and achieve his goal. By mid-1996 Eyal felt he had everything in place. His cartridge quality was excellent and his facility had earned an ISO 9001 quality certification. He was producing over 50 differ-

, ent laser cartridge types and a half dozen ink jet cartridges. He had developed marketing support ma-

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