Executive-Winter-Spring-2019

F or GDP Technologies, no matter how big they become, Georgia is home and customers are king. Beginning as a printer and copier retailer, GDP Technologies has grown to include technical support, managed IT services and workflow optimization consultation. “Very few businesses have copiers and printers that aren’t tied into the network,” John Schweizer, CEO and President of GDP Technologies said. Growing the business to encompass the technology side of document workflow seemed like a natural extension of services for GDP Technologies’ customers; and customers are always at the top of the list. “Everyone at GDP, all 100+ employees, can make a decision for a customer,” Schweizer said. “You will never get in trouble for making a decision to benefit a customer. We find that with that philosophy, the rest of the business — the financial and revenue parts — will ultimately take care of itself.” GDP Technologies started in Macon as Georgia Duplicating Products in 1977, but has had a Gwinnett County-based office since 2001. GDP Technologies became part of Global Imaging Systems (GISX), a business technology solutions organization owned by Xerox Corporation with more than $2 billion in revenue, in 2010, but GISX allows each of its subsidiaries to function independently. That independence allows GDP Technologies to have the resources of a multi-billion-dollar company, but operate like the homegrown Georgia company it started as. “We can treat our Georgia employees the way employees in Georgia want to be treated, not the way employees in New York want to be treated,” Schweizer said. Most importantly, the independence and breadth of support from GISX gives GDP Technologies the flexibility to respond quickly to unique challenges and develop individualized solutions for each customer’s business, no matter the size. GDP Technologies customers range from small businesses with 10 employees up to corporate giants like Arby’s and Pulte Homes, but every client is offered the same dedication, depth of knowledge and manpower. “We will take your small company and treat it like a big company,” Schweizer said. “Our mission is to take the traditional copy and printer business and wrap solutions around the technology to allow it to do things that make a significant impact on your business.” With most of the GDP Technologies’ customers based in central and northern Georgia, Gwinnett County has been the perfect location for the company. “Gwinnett County is thriving. It’s a great place to grow a business,” Schweizer said. To give back to the community and their customers, GDP Technologies hosts an annual Game Day, always held one week before college football season starts. “It’s known as Atlanta’s best air-conditioned tailgate,” Schweizer said. “It’s a great way for GDP TECHNOLOGIES OFFERS BIG COMPANY SERVICES WITH HOMEGROWN SENSIBILITY 8 the EXECUTIVE