Early on in his professional career, Mark Petrie was confronted with a truism that is as relevant now as the first time he heard it: Lead, follow or get out of the way.
The CEO of Seattle dealership Copiers Northwest appreciates the impact of not just selecting one option. At any given time, one or more of the edicts can apply to a given situation. And each has served him well in guiding the firm alongside his brother, President Gregg Petrie.
“Leading the company is important, but it’s also important to follow when you are not the expert,” notes Mark Petrie, a 2019 ENX Magazine Difference Maker. “It’s also important to get out of the way of your employees and allow them to do a great job. All three are vital at different times and circumstances.”
A graduate of Western Washington University (like his brother), Petrie is proud of the growth Copiers Northwest has enjoyed during its 34-year history. Delivering best-in-class service has been a hallmark of the company, and Petrie relishes playing a role in enabling his clients to become more efficient. Petrie is particularly proud of the tenure enjoyed by many of the dealer’s employees, including managers.
“How we treat our people translates into how they, in turn, treat our customers,” he remarked.
Strength in Assets
The power of holdings was driven home to Petrie while he was still in college. His college economics professor preached about the importance of owning property such as stocks, companies and real estate. That played a role in the creation of the dealership, and the Petries owning most of the company’s 12 locations.
Petrie also credits some of his success to joining the CEO organization Vistage 10 years ago. He has used many of the takeaways offered by peers and applied it to both his professional and personal life.
Suffice to say, Petrie was paying attention in economics class. Earlier in 2019, the brothers sold their headquarters property for 570 times the initial cash investment, not including the rents paid to themselves. The Petries are now in a five-year leaseback agreement with the national firm that purchased the land as part of a billion-dollar biotech project.
“Our focus for the next few years is to grow and have Copiers Northwest customers be remarkable with our products, print production center, solutions and services,” Petrie said. “(We’re looking) to improve our customers’ operations with new ideas and new solutions.”
Floaty Obsession
Boating is a significant passion for Petrie, who has a small fishing boat along with a mid-sized vessel that is rack-kept near Puget Sound. Petrie also has a sport boat that’s used for water skiing and wake surfing that he keeps on his dock. That doesn’t even include stand-up paddleboards, kayaks, slide-seat rowing dingy and other “floaty” toys, which paints a vivid picture of his obsession.
“I’ve been told I have a boating problem,” he admitted. “Too many.” Recently, Petrie spent 23 days in The Netherlands, where his daughter lives, and they enjoyed a tour of the Baltics. That was the longest stretch of time he had ever spent away from work.
