Adam French has completed the requirements of the Fiery Professional and Expert Certifications program and is now awarded the title of Fiery Certified Expert 2020. The courses and learning components in this certifications give our IT professionals the necessary skills to optimize the performance of EFI technology solutions. Developed by EFI subject-matter experts, they provide the latest information on Fiery technology to develop skills, enhance professional development and transform our print business. Congratulations to Adam on obtaining this achievement. In an ever-changing IT industry, the skills IT professionals need to do their job well are constantly evolving. To maintain the best client support, we at Usherwood invest in our employees to get these certifications to keep our organization at the top of our game. Adding certifications to our business is a critical component of our success.

If it’s good for the client, good for the employee and good for the company; then it’s the right thing to do. I’ve been hearing some form of this saying for more than 10 years here at Usherwood. as I recall back to the first time I heard it, which was during my interview as a hopeful candidate for a service position, this was something that struck me as very insightful and was one of the aspects that made me want to work for Usherwood right from the start.  Over the last few years’, I’ve tried to keep this mantra in mind whenever I make decisions that may at first seem difficult. Fast forwarding to today, one of the key phrases you’ll hear from Usherwood’s service team is Total Call. Yes, it’s capitalized, and it deserves to be. It is not just two words strung together, it is a process, a mentality, and the way we do things in the service department. For those that don’t know, Total Call means that when servicing any equipment, we not only repair the current problem, but clean the equipment and look for future failure points and repair them at the time of service as well. This is done in order to achieve several results.  One result we are looking for is more uptime for the client. Keeping them running longer between service calls (that’s good for the client). In turn, this leads to another result- fewer service calls overall (that’s good for the employee). With fewer service calls and more copies between failure we have a machine that is now more efficient (that’s good for the company). When you stop to think about Total Call and the mantra we started with, you can see that with just one result of Total Call we have satisfied all three requirements to reach the final result of “it’s the right thing to do!” Jeff Spink, Manager of Imaging Services Jeff has been with Usherwood for over 12 years, starting in December of 2007 as a Senior Technician. Jeff is responsible for the operational leadership of the Imaging Service Division. He is focused towards driving company objectives and goals, increasing accountability and improving client relationships in all service territories. Jeff has been an invaluable member of the Imaging Services. Since his hire date he as demonstrated many leadership skills and received multiple certifications in an effort for improvement within the Service Industry.

The COVID-19 virus has forced many on premise businesses to transition into a remote workforce. By now you know if you have been successful in this transition or if you are continuing to struggle. Through planning and process Usherwood was prepared to clear that first hurdle without much issue. Utilizing the Microsoft Teams as our unified communications platform, we have been able to securely collaborate using voice, video and document sharing to continue our day to day operations without interruption. What about the next hurdle?... Keeping that sense of the company culture and community in place while we are all remote. Usherwood has taken two approaches to keep the sense of culture and community intact. The first being the more traditional route which includes town hall style video conferences, continuing to train remotely and generally having every conversation with video enabled to assure that everyone feels as connected as when we are all collocated in the offices. The second way that the company is utilizing its UC solution to preserve the culture and community is led by the staff, less traditional, not typically scheduled on a regular basis, and has little to no preparation. It is “Virtual Lunch Club.” Lunch club is a tradition at Usherwood that has grown out of a few people that were just to lazy to pack themselves a lunch. It has now become a midday event that has produced lasting friendships and the comradery that many of the staff look forward to attending. Lunch club includes all departments, all locations, and in some cases even staff from other businesses. All are welcome as long as they agree to follow the 8 rules of lunch club. (similar, yet much less violent as compared to fight club) The eight rules of Usherwood Lunch Club include: 1. You do talk about lunch club... 2. You DO talk about lunch club...even after it's over 3. Lunch club is over when it is time to get back to work. 4. Lunch club happens every day. 5. No invitations sent for lunch club… all are invited. 6. No shirt, no shoes… no service (not our rule, restaurants typically want you dressed appropriately) 7. You must cram as many people into the cars as possible. (not really a rule, just happens that way). 8. If this is your first time at Lunch Club, you have to eat (no spectators). Usherwood has continued this lunch club tradition virtually utilizing Microsoft Teams so that we can preserve the sense of culture and community that make Usherwood a great place to work. The Team has even begun incorporating some happy hours since everyone is self-quarantined and there is no need to drive anywhere. Don’t allow this new remote work world that we have been thrust into undue the culture and community that your company has cultivated. Look to embrace those same things that make your compony culture strong utilizing the technology available. If you are currently struggling to keep your business or company culture as it was, please feel free to contact Usherwood Office Technology to see what technologies may be a fit for your needs. #UsherwoodStrong

It is our pleasure to announce Matt Swanka as an Accounts Payable Specialist to the Usherwood team! Matt will be responsible for receiving, entering and paying invoices. He will also be processing purchase orders, and assisting vendors with payments. Previously, Matt worked for Bed, Bath, & Beyond where he was a Supervisor for four and a half years. Matt graduated from Le Moyne College with a Bachelor’s degree in Finance with a Minor in Business Analytics. In his spare time, Matt enjoys going to the gym and spending time with his friends.

It is our pleasure to announce Joe Pellegrino as a Field Service Technician working out of our Rochester, NY office. In his role, Joe will be responsible for repair and maintenance of our client’s copiers, multifunctional printers, and network print management. Joe brings over 26 years of experience to Usherwood. Previously, he worked for Xerox as Engineering, Technical Field Support. While with Xerox, Joe received several Customer First Hero Awards from clients who felt that he went above and beyond the call of service. In his spare time, Joe enjoys playing golf, watching sports, kayaking, collecting toy trains and is a Make a Wish volunteer. He has a 14 year old daughter who keeps him busy as well.

Check out our most recent article from the Central New York Business Journal where company president and CEO, Lou Usherwood, outlines our strategies for growth and expansion. Click here for the full article

ENX Magazine announced that Usherwood Office Technology was among 137 office technology and IT providers chosen this year as a 2019 Elite Dealer in North America. Usherwood Office Technology is the Northeast regional leader for office technology solutions and services representing the top manufacturers in the information technology industry. Usherwood provides local service with over 60 technicians and engineers on staff and 18 offices throughout New York and New England. “Usherwood has been named an Elite Dealer for the fifth consecutive year which means our commitment to providing the best customer service is working,” says company President, Lou Usherwood. “We continue to leverage our investments in both people and technology to provide the most comprehensive and reliable service to our clients.” ENX Magazine selected this year’s winners based on several criteria, including marketing prowess, digital transformation, leadership, work environment, technology, customer service and charitable endeavors. “In our eyes, an Elite Dealer makes a concerted effort to produce a winning experience for not just its clients, but its employees and vendors as well,” said Susan Neimes, managing editor of ENX Magazine and ENX The Week In Imaging. “A defined corporate culture and a willingness to embrace new technologies—and share them with their customer base—also goes a long way. There’s no one ingredient behind an Elite Dealer—it’s a confluence of many factors that lifts these performers above the rest.” About ENX Magazine ENX Magazine is a monthly publication dedicated to the office technology and document imaging industry since 1994. Now in its 26th year, ENX Magazine continues to deliver exclusive editorial coverage on market opportunities and issues, news and trends, company profiles, new products, and industry insights. With a monthly circulation of more than 27,000 hard copies, ENX Magazine serves as a leading integrated resource that brings together industry people, products, and business concepts and strategies for office technology industry professionals. The magazine also publishes ENX The Week In Imaging, a weekly e-newsletter that provides news, profiles, technology and business updates, along with blogs from some of the industry’s most prominent players. About Usherwood Office Technology Usherwood is an independent family-owned provider of office technology & IT solutions with local onsite services throughout the Northeast United States. Usherwood provides secure solutions that are customized to meet its clients’ needs. Usherwood serves many industries including legal, education, healthcare, accounting and engineering. Usherwood’s expertise extends to all things digital in the workplace.

It is our pleasure to announce Joe Piston as an Applications Engineer working out of our Syracuse office. In his new position, Joe is responsible for deploying and providing technical support of applications delivered as part of specific lines of business offered by Usherwood. Joe comes to Usherwood with over 15 years in the IT industry. Most recently as a Product Engineer at OPTANIX. He specialized in enterprise server hardware and assisted with the deployment of the company’s SNMP monitoring solution. In addition, he was also responsible for creating and maintaining software demos to support the sales team. Joe is certified in both VMWARE VTSP and 3M Volition Cabling Systems. He enjoys bicycling, gardening, and any activity that takes him outdoors even if it’s yard work. He also loves to visit local breweries and try all the varieties they have to offer.

It is our pleasure to announce Mohamad Abdalla as a Tier I TAC Technician to the Usherwood team working out of our Syracuse headquarters. In his new position, Mo will be responsible for inbound inquiries from the client base on copier and PCs related issues. His goal is to provide first level customer support before sending a request to a service technician for resolution. Mo comes to us from Raymour & Flanigan where he was a Solutions Center Specialist working in customer care for 5 years and IT help desk/network configuration for 3 years. Mo holds a Bachelor Degree in Computer Networking and Technology from New Jersey Institute of Technology. In his spare time, Mo enjoys salsa dancing and traveling around the world. Mo has been to 18 countries.

We are excited to announce Briana George’s new role at Usherwood Office Technology as Client Services Manager. In her new role, Briana will be overseeing daily responsibilities for both the Imaging First Response Team and the Odyssey Tracker and Supply Management Team. Briana’s previous role was Imaging First Response Team Leader.