Gene Fontana
Gene Fontana, the incurably positive EVP at Royal Imaging, is credited with being one of the early principal figures in the third-party supplies and components industry. But his connection to the office supplies industry goes back even further.
Fontana’s first job was with the Bic Pen Corporation in 1975. He was promoted to assistant to the National Sales Manager in 1977 and then transferred to Los Angeles in 1979 to run what was then the second largest territory in the country. He won the Salesman of the Year award in 1980 after achieving the largest increase in territory in the country. In 1982 he left Bic to consult for the National Pen Corporation in San Diego. Then, in 1985, he started a company that represented a manufacturer of compatible copier toners.
“I had reps throughout the United States placing the product in office supply dealers,” he recalled. “In 1988, Robert Goldstein [founder of aftermarket components distributor, Future Graphics] offered me a partnership to assimilate the compatible laser toner cartridges that had naturally grown out of the compatible copier toner market.”
It was back in the early Future Graphics days that Fontana recalled a story that illustrates his belief that Business goes where it is invited, and stays where it is treated well.
“In our second year of business, we were selling Dia Nippon long-life drums,” he recalled. “At the time, they came without gears. We decided to engineer a set so we could supply the drums with gears to our customers. We designed one that was excellent and had 100 set test runs done, and they worked flawlessly. One of the crucial components was a small amount of silicone added to the formula to lubricate the drums as they turned. But when we ordered 250,000 sets of gears, they forgot to add the silicone. When these drums were installed in cartridges and then in the machines, they made a horrific sound similar to fingers on a chalk board. Needless to say, the telephones were ringing off the wall.”
Fontana explained that they immediately admitted their mistake and fully reimbursed the affected customers. In fact, he noted, Goldstein insisted they run a full-page ad in a popular trade magazine, notifying customers of the error and taking full responsibility.
“We were the first and only ones in the industry to admit we made a mistake and we fully guaranteed all of the product we had sold with either a replacement or money back,” he said. “Our business grew exponentially after that.”
Today Fontana spends a lot of his time assisting dealers and mentoring the in-house reps at Royal Imaging about the 7000+ products they sell. He is also working hard to expand sales in their New York location as well as to maintain growth company wide.
Commenting on the state of third-party supplies industry, he said that the quality level of compatible products has continued to improve. He sees today’s challenge stemming mostly from chip technology and how to avoid future failures as a result of firmware upgrades.
Reflecting on his long career, Fontana said it was an honor to be thought of by his peers as a Difference Maker.
“I have been in this industry for over 30 years now, so to be recognized is most humbling,” he said.
As for the difference makers in his own life, Fontana gave credit to his old partner, Robert Goldstein, citing his “drive, ambition and achievements.”
What does this waggish Difference Maker do for fun? “Music has always been my passion,” he mused. “The beach my relaxation; my family is my joy. Wine is my poison.”
