Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta), today announced the company has acquired OfficeWare, a Kentucky-based regional full-service business equipment dealership with offices in Louisville, Lexington and Bowling Green, Kentucky; Evansville, Indiana; Marion, Illinois; and Cincinnati, Ohio.
 
OfficeWare will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. and maintain its current locations and roster of 125 employees.  Current OfficeWare President, Rick Maxwell, will continue to lead the operation and report directly to Rick Taylor, President and Chief Operating Officer, Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc.
 
"This strategic acquisition positions Konica Minolta to further increase our market presence in a highly competitive marketplace," said Taylor.  "Our goal is to implement a multi-faceted growth strategy that encompasses organic growth, value-based partnerships with dealer partners, and acquisition where there is clear value for the customer and the company.  OfficeWare has a long-established reputation for their ability to provide a complete breadth of solutions that includes technologies, services and expertise along with an exceptional management team."
 
"My senior management team and I strongly believe that OfficeWare’s customers and employees will be best served as members of the Konica Minolta Team - a global leader with resources proven to produce results in this industry. While we will continue to honor our current commitments, the OfficeWare Team will demonstrate our long-term dedication to being the trusted document solution provider for our customers and future prospects," said Rick Maxwell, President, OfficeWare, Inc.  "One of the biggest reasons why Konica Minolta looked to acquire OfficeWare was the quality and reputation of our organization.  Starting today, The OfficeWare team will certainly work hard to leverage the strength of the Konica Minolta brand, and to introduce our customers to how they can count on Konica Minolta for award-winning technologies and services."
 
OfficeWare was founded in Evansville, Indiana and has been providing leading office technologies to a broad range of companies since 1957.  The company offers sophisticated equipment for virtually every critical office application from office systems to integrated computer networks to multi-media presentation technologies.  Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, OfficeWare has been recognized with multiple industry awards – including the "Dealer of the Year" from the Business Technology Association – and its 95% customer referral rating reflects the company's commitment to be a trusted business partner while improving customers’ productivity and reducing operational expenses.
 
“Over the past year, Konica Minolta has been aggressively reinventing itself as part of the printing and imaging industry's evolution toward a more services-led model," said Keith Kmetz, Vice President, Hardcopy Peripherals Solutions and Services at IDC.  “The company is taking steps to ensure its relevance.  Strategic acquisitions, starting with All Covered earlier this year, and now OfficeWare, as well as its more targeted vertically-oriented solutions, makes Konica Minolta a company to watch during the industry's transformation."