By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
After expanding their trade area, Topeka-based Logan Business Machines is set to open a location in Hays in the next few weeks at Oak Plaza, 107 E. 27th.
The company primarily sells, services and supplies Sharp, Lexmark and HP printers, but also sells LED interactive displays and will offer marketing material printing in their newest location.
The Hays location will be the third for the third-generation, family-owned and operated business that began in 1972.
“This territory with Sharp became available and so we put in for it and got it — so really Hays is going to be our connection back to Abilene, Salina, Junction City and sometimes Manhattan,” said Chris Martin, LBM executive vice president and partner.
The Hays location will allow the company to provided faster service to areas where it already operated and will allow expansion west.
“It was kind of playing connect the dots with Hays,” Martin said of the expansion that will allow the company to provide service to Hays, Russell and as far west as Colby.
He said the company looked at Hays for around six months before deciding to open the location but believes it will be a good fit.
“We love it. We think Hays is growing,” Martin said.
He is also pleased with the location picked in Hays. After looking a locations in various areas of town, he said after speaking with the owner of Oak Plaza he was sold.
“She has a vision of this strip mall to become more than it is now and our company is all about being a part of change and helping the community,” Martin said. “It’s a great location, just off Vine.”
The majority of LBM clients are business to business, so Martin said he does not expect a lot of foot traffic, but having a location for looking at and testing equipment is important for business owners to make decisions on their equipment.
“For most small to medium businesses, the copy machine is a pretty good investment,” he said. “We want them to touch it and feel it and bring in some jobs where we can print their jobs off of the machine they are looking at and get them completely comfortable with the machine being able to fit into their environment. That’s really why we do this. We feel that helps small businesses a lot,” Martin said.
This location will also be a production facility where customers can print blueprints and do plotter printing along with standard walk-in printing.
They also plan to print marketing materials at some point in the future as well.
“Just about anything you can put your name on,” Martin said.
The location will open with a few employees, but Martin said he hopes to be fully staffed with a team of six in 18 to 24 months as the business grows.
While the Hays storefront is still being completed, he said they are already servicing clients and hopes to have the location open for customers soon. A Nov. 21 ribbon cutting with the Hays Area Chamber of Commerce is planned.
