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Show REFLEX JOURNAL BULLETIN LEADER MdrKetpldCO SEPTEMBER 23, 1982 Cooper Family ether Emjoy Woridn laa Eamilyowned Business ty, Steve is an accomplished TO KEEP up with new gymnast. the Coopers are equipment, LAYTON - Over 30 years "Working together in busi-nes- s constantly attending service has drawn our family schools. These are held about ago Ken Cooper of Layton started working for the closer together," Bryan Coop-c-r five limes a year. The cost per We cryoy each believes. Kameycr Office Equipment per school is about Company in Ogden. Today, he other's company more now Serson You can't afford to shares ownership in this highly than when we were growing compete in business without specialized equipment sales up. Our common interests on this specialized training. Most and service business with four the job and w hen we are relaxcompanies require you to comof his children. Two years ago ing have increased over the plete the training before you the name of the establishment years. We get along welt in are allowed to sell their probusiness because each knows duct. was changed from Kamcycrs to Cooper Office Equipment. what their job and responsibiliFor business establishments ties are." e that can't afford to By DONKTA GATHFRCMT up-dat- ASSISTING Ken Cooper in the business are his sons, R. Bryan, Stan and Chris. Ken's daughter, Cathy Cooper Lee is also part of this family enter- their equipment, Cooper COOPER OFFICE equip-men- ! features the Olympia main line of electronic office machines. Typewriters that will interface with prise. computers Bryan has been involved in are the best selling items on the the office equipment business current market. Ijsi Decemfor 12 years. He is the vice ber 6 new models of typewripresident of the company. ters were introduced into the market. Six additional models Chris has been a business associate for five years and Stan have been added to the invenhas worked with the other tory this year. members of the family for four Keeping up with the years. Cathy joined the staff changes in electronic mechanical functions is the biggest about three years ago. challenge facing the office THE OTHER member of the equipment business. "New Cooper family is Steve. He technology gives you an edge. and begraduated from Layton High People want to e School last spring and is now come more efficient," Bryan attending Nebraska Universi says. Office Equipment offers ser- vice. When Ken started in business over 30 years ago he decided to make service the key element in his dealings with the public. SERVICE means the way you treat a customer as w ell as simply fixing something that doesn't work right." Bryan emphasizes. "The key to success is treating people the way you expect to be treated when you go into a retail business to purchase something. Good reservice gives long-terturns." Another important concept that has guided Ken Cooper and his family is the idea that The glittering azure waters of the Caribbean as seen from aboard a Princess Cruise ship. The soft, pearl-whit- e sand of the Hawaiian Islands under your feet And the complete all convenience of day and night banking within reach. Now, at HandiBank. Its Bon manager Jim Prestons belief to offer the customer what he wants. Mmumer Of ts e. 0 o t V i r 2 Gbudlemes We guess a lot, he said, chuckling. Sometimes we are right, and sometimes we are wrong. Mr. Preston makes trips to Seattle about LAYTON - Filling the needs of his Utah customers is Jim Prestons first consideration once a month for meetings with other store in his job as manager of The Bon at Layton managers and buyers. Those trips keep him informed as to what is available in the marketHills Mall. place. He also spends about half of his working WE STRESS fashion merchandise at day on the sales floor at The Bon, communicataffordable prices, he said. "We are not a ing with employees. Our relationships are pretty informal, he Nordstroms or Sax Fifth Avenue.but are preton I am not much on protocol, and my door said. ty similar to ZCMI. We are very strong customer service and have a big belief that the never closes. customer is Number One. HIS ASSISTANT manager is Marcel Schwa-ge- r, We adjust our product lines as customers with Pam Pierce, Ray Stuart, Mike Wilcox tell us what they want. and Eileen Vanderhei as department manaFOR INSTANCE, The Bon sells more white gers. The store employs 45 persons, either full lingerie in Utah than in other areas, and the or part time. store stocks a larger selection of dresses with ' Mr. Preston notes that opportunities in retail sleeves. merchandising are better for women than for his career The blond, stocky manager began men, because women seem to be more in tune with The Bon five years ago as a divisional with fashion. sales manager in Seattle, location of the comRETAILING HAS always been geared topanys largest store. He came to Ogden three ward assistant as serve to women, and we have women store manamanager during years ago the remodeling of The Bon there and was gers and vice presidents, he said. promoted to manager when The Bon opened in A native of California, Mr. Preston attended Layton about a year ago. San Jose State College. He began selling furniTHE BON had its beginning in the early ture for the Emporium while he was still going I900's in Seattle and was originally called to school, then became an assistant buyer and "Bon Marche. The name was changed two a divisional sales manager before going to work for The Bon. years ago. Approximately 90 buyers, each highly speHE MARRIED Janice Gettle from Redwood cialized in the products purchased, buy for The Bon chain for stores in Washington, Oregon, City in 1969, and they are the parents of three Montana, Idaho and Utah. A new store will children: Michelle, 11; Todd, 9, and Adam, 4. open next year in Casper, Wyo., where a shop- The family spends a lot of time together, ping mall is being built. The buyers go to New fishing, hiking, taking short trips and garYork, Chicago and the West Coast, depending dening. We planted a community garden with upon where manufacturers maintain their showrooms. neighbors in a vacant lot nearby, as well as our home garden, he said.1 I found the vegetWE ARE PART of Allied Stores, which has ables were more prolific than I thought they stores all over the country, Mr. Preston said. would be, and I am still bringing zucchinis to "We have a tremendous buying power in the the office. We grew com, potatoes, cucummarket, going directly to manufacturers. This bers, four kinds of squash, carrots, onions, gives us better prices in the volume in which strawberries, lettuce, radishes and kohlrabi. we buy. the right THE ONLY things that didnt grow very We have two challenges-havi- ng and customers our were the brussel sprouts and cauliflower, to well merchandise, by listening old customer and we planted too late. which market plain surveys doing I thoroughly enjoy my kids, and I also read service. Our constant goal is to have the best customer service, and I have weekly training a lot for enjoyment, he continued. In addisessions with small groups of our employees to tion, we have three family pets: Jennifer, our old old St. Bernard; Annie, our emphasize its importance. old cat." Shelty, and Franklin, our MOST OF THE conversations that I have MR. PRESTON belongs to the Layton with buyers are the results of listening to our customers. We also gear our stock mix to sea- Chamber of Commerce, the Layton Rotary sonal changes in the weather. We sell summer Club and is a loaned executive for United Way. merchandise later in Utah than in Seattle, be- He is also active in the Clearfield Community cause normally we are still in the 80s when Church, where he serves as a Sunday School teacher and a lay leader. Seattle is in the 50s. You could win one of 7,000 exciting prizes. Every time you use the HandiBank, youre automatically entered into the sweepstakes. The more JTm a dream vacation in HandiBanks lining Touch To Winf Whether customer in. youre a or not Well give you o come dollar just for trying HandiBank And youll be entered in the Sweep-stake- s at the same time. fT the first time! Excluding you snouid grow slowly and build on a good foundation. Bryan believes this cautious approach to business is one main reason Cooper Office Equipment has not been adversely effected by the economic recession. ALTHOUGH Bryan Cooper attended Weber State College for two years, he say s the best training for his particular business is experience. He his college days were somewhat wasted because he didn't have a goal in mind. Perhaps some of the applied business and trade programs offered in colleges would be helpful in a business setting if you started school with some defmate goals established. con-cce- COOPER Office Equipment serves customers from to Bountiful. Most accounts are with commercial establishments. Banks, ' i v - sav- ings and loan companies and credit unions are basic clients the Coopers work with. city little league programs tor many years BRYAN' is a member ol the Board of Directors lor the Layton City Chamber of Commerce. He also gives vi'lunu'ci service as a member ol the National Ski Paliol at Snow Basin. "I don't believe m complaining until you woik to make the changes you believe need to be made." say s Hi ait. in his home town. Bryan s.os. "Layton still needs a spoils complex. Recreation can help establish Lay ion as the hub of the county. Ihe costs of the proposal that was placed on the ballot were high. It was cheap for those who would have used it." Downtown redevelopment and implementation of the new sign ordinance arc other areas Bryan feels need attention. Demonstrators will help you. Throughout the sweepstakes well have a friendly Winning Touch" demonstrator standing by, at each HandiBank location, to lend a helping hand. 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Sweepstakes -- organizers of the I Jaycees, He coached SPEAKING about changes The other Cooper family members moved directly from high school into the family business. Get the Winning Touch of HandiBank! Theres never been a better time to sign up for and use HandiBank! All you need is a current First Security Checking or Savings Account and a Personal Identification Number (PIN) to get a HandiBank Card. Plus your Visa Credit Card or Visa Banking Card can By WANDA LUND Special Writer Ken Cooper and liiscimoien are commuted to community service as well as to business success. Ken was nne of the First Security Bank of Rock Springs First Security Slate Bank. |