TBC Corp., with more than 800 retail
tire and automotive maintenance outlets plus a
wholesale division, has selected Lexmark
International, Inc. as its managed print services
(MPS) provider.
The three-year contract is designed to improve the
chain’s printing systems along with lowering the
cost.
“Printing work orders and customer invoices in our
stores is a critical part of our retail
operations,” notes Steve Smith, TBC’s chief
information officer. “We wanted to reduce our costs
and keep our store personnel from having to deal
with printer issues,” he reports.
“We engaged multiple printer manufacturers and
conducted extensive product testing,” says Smith.
“Unlike other manufacturers, Lexmark conducted a
thorough assessment and gave us a clear picture of
our current operations, helping us prioritize the
operational changes that would have the greatest
positive impact on servicing our customers.”
“Lexmark’s expertise and ability to go deep into
the vertical markets we serve enables us to
immediately deliver savings in both time and money
to our customers upon deploying our industry-
leading products, software and services in their
printing environments,” says Marty Canning,
executive vice president and president of the
firm’s Imaging Solutions and Services division. “In
fact, this expertise has led 90 percent of the top
global retailers to rely on Lexmark’s technology to
help manage their unique printing needs.”
According to Canning, the assessment of TBC allowed
the provider to:
- Optimize the printing environment in the
retail operations by deploying innovative, award-
winning printing technology and ensuring the right
devices were being used in the right locations; and
- Proactively manage its consumables to
streamline processes associated with maintaining a
stock of toner cartridges and other parts.
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“Lexmark now knows exactly when supplies are low,
ordering and shipping them automatically to the
retail stores when needed,” Canning says. “Keeping
a costly inventory of supplies on hand is no longer
necessary.”
With the MPS deployment now complete, TBC’s retail
stores are printing more efficiently, he
adds.
The implementation will continue with the wholesale
division, which includes a TBC brand, the Carroll
Tire Co. and Treadways. It supplies independent
regional tire retailers and distributors throughout
the U.S., Canada, Mexico as well as South America,
Europe and the Middle East.
Based in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., TBC’s retail
operations consist of Tire Kingdom, Big O Tires,
Merchants Tire & Auto Centers and National Tire &
Battery. Big O has more than 500 franchised
stores.
For more information, visit www.servicecentralauto.com and
www.lexmark.com.
