When Office Products Inc. (OPI) was recently recognized for its 30-year partnership with Canon USA Inc., Joey Bahr immediately was able to explain the reason for the longevity of “this amazing brand loyalty.”

            As OPI technology sales manager, Bahr said “it all comes down to customer service by our local, family-owned business and by a national leader in the manufacture of reliable copiers. Canon provides great customer service to OPI and we pass this along to our clientele.

            “Canon is the top of the line,” Bahr added. “Early on, OPI sold other brands but we eventually became a single-line dealer. Canon has proven to be the best machine out there.

            “In addition, Canon should be commended for providing factory training at Dallas, as well as updates right here at OPI and online. A Canon instructor was here just the other day. There is a wealth of information they share on a regular basis.”

            Canon copiers are multi-functional machines, with the capability to copy, print, scan and fax, as well as connect to the Internet.

            An especially attractive feature is the ability to automatically report maintenance information, Bahr noted.

            “This feature can be compared to the check-engine light in your car,” Bahr explained. “It then reports all service information, which helps the operator keep up-to-date.”

            For example, a user might receive a signal that reports a paper jam; the Canon machine then records the event.

            “We can access this and other background information to help us better troubleshoot and diagnose any problems,” the technology sales manager said. “In the past, we could rely only on what the customer told us. And, of course, we still do that. But the machine’s history is a great tool to help us pinpoint the problem.”

            Bahr also noted that Canon has one of the largest patent portfolios in the United States, “which demonstrates Canon’s commitment to research and development.”

            Asger Hansen, Canon technical sales executive in the company’s regional office at Irving, Tx., said “we are proud to present OPI with a 30-year dealer award. OPI has a decades-long history of providing exemplary service to Canon customers in the central Kansas marketplace.”

            OPI is located at 1204 Main in Great Bend; 516 Broadway in Larned; and 724 N. Main in Russell.