{"id":71272,"date":"2026-10-22T09:36:15","date_gmt":"2026-10-22T16:36:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/?p=71272"},"modified":"2026-10-22T09:36:17","modified_gmt":"2026-10-22T16:36:17","slug":"relationships-forged-one-of-biggest-intangibles-for-dealer-advisory-council-members","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/the-week-in-imaging-twii\/editors-blog\/2026\/10\/relationships-forged-one-of-biggest-intangibles-for-dealer-advisory-council-members\/","title":{"rendered":"Relationships Forged One of Biggest Intangibles for Dealer Advisory Council Members"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve been asked to join your OEM\u2019s dealer advisory council (DAC) or the equivalent, there are many obvious reasons to jump at the opportunity. You get a sneak peek at what\u2019s coming down the pike. There\u2019s the chance to provide input regarding existing and upcoming products and solutions. You\u2019ll also be privy to strategy before it becomes reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take the word of the people who serve on these committees. As part of this month\u2019s State of the Industry report on DACs, we\u2019ve queried our dealer panel to learn more about other intangibles that provide value. They share the issues they find most compelling that make participating in these exclusive groups worthy of your commitment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Carter Hertzberg,
Nauticon Office Solutions<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Membership in the DAC is a participatory sport, in the eyes of Nauticon Office Solutions President Carter Hertzberg. Reaping value only comes from \u201cputting yourself out there and engaging with the group,\u201d which makes deeper dives more meaningful, benefiting both the OEM and fellow dealer execs. It also goes beyond being a litmus test for manufacturers, given the peer group format.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou have these diverse opinions from diverse geographies that gives you a wider point of view,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen you put something out there, you never know what you\u2019ll get back; sometimes it\u2019s something new or unusual that you didn\u2019t consider. There\u2019s a lot of value in that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been going to these events and the peer groups for 15 or 20 years now, and while a lot of it can be repetitive, sometimes you come home with three or four nuggets. Sometimes, it\u2019s one big nugget. But you won\u2019t get it unless you engage.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Robert Woodhull,
Woodhull LLC<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Logging meaningful time with manufacturer leadership and fellow dealer execs goes a long way toward making future conversations much easier, according to Robert Woodhull, president of Woodhull LLC in Springboro, Ohio. He\u2019s been able to gain a better understanding of the rationale behind decision-making, while the OEM enjoys a more granular take from those in the business trenches day after day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is also tremendous value in the dealer-to-dealer conversations,\u201d he said. \u201cYou’re surrounded by successful business owners and leaders who are dealing with many of the same challenges you are. Some of the best ideas and takeaways can come from conversations outside of the formal agenda.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Dawn Abbuhl,
Repeat Business Systems<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Not all of the intangibles take the form of information and ideas. Dawn Abbuhl, president of Repeat Business Systems in Albany, New York, encourages those who are offered the chance to join a group to consider the short- and long-term benefits that are gleaned from relationship-building. As someone who has served on Ricoh\u2019s DAC, connections with key executives such as Jim Coriddi and Jennifer Healy have built a foundation of respect and trust that has cemented the bond between dealer and manufacturer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen you speak openly with people over months and years, that level of respect, trust and commitment grows. I am hard-core Ricoh,\u201d Abbuhl said. \u201cI can call them and always count on them to get an answer that\u2019s going to be honest, whether I like it or not. That was one intangible I never expected, but I\u2019m certainly grateful for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Dean Swenson,
The Swenson Group<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The power of connectivity between dealer and OEM brass was echoed by Dean Swenson, CEO of The Swenson Group in Livermore, California. He likes knowing he can reach out to Konica Minolta leaders such as Sam Errigo and Laura Blackmer anytime, if needed. He\u2019s content to tap his regional vice president with questions, out of respect to the higher-ups\u2019 time, but that avenue is available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBeing on the council and being a single-line dealer, they realize every investment they make in The Swenson Group is 100% going to Konica Minolta,\u201d he noted. \u201cWe don\u2019t divide our business among other OEMs, so we get additional attention and support, maybe more than our revenue would dictate.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019ve been asked to join your OEM\u2019s dealer advisory council (DAC) or the equivalent, there are many obvious reasons to jump at the opportunity. You get a sneak peek at what\u2019s coming down the pike. There\u2019s the chance to provide input regarding existing and upcoming products and solutions. You\u2019ll also be privy to strategy before it becomes reality. Take the word of the people who serve on these committees. As part of this month\u2019s State of the Industry report on DACs, we\u2019ve queried our dealer panel to learn more about other intangibles that provide value. They share the issues they find most compelling that make participating in these exclusive groups worthy of your commitment. Membership in the DAC is a participatory sport, in the eyes of Nauticon Office Solutions President Carter Hertzberg. Reaping value only comes from \u201cputting yourself out there and engaging with the group,\u201d which makes deeper dives more meaningful, benefiting both the OEM and fellow dealer execs. It also goes beyond being a litmus test for manufacturers, given the peer group format. \u201cYou have these diverse opinions from diverse geographies that gives you a wider point of view,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen you put something out there, you never know what you\u2019ll get back; sometimes it\u2019s something new or unusual that you didn\u2019t consider. There\u2019s a lot of value in that. \u201cI\u2019ve been going to these events and the peer groups for 15 or 20 years now, and while a lot of it can be repetitive, sometimes you come home with three or four nuggets. Sometimes, it\u2019s one big nugget. But you won\u2019t get it unless you engage.\u201d Logging meaningful time with manufacturer leadership and fellow dealer execs goes a long way toward making future conversations much easier, according to Robert Woodhull, president of Woodhull LLC in Springboro, Ohio. He\u2019s been able to gain a better understanding of the rationale behind decision-making, while the OEM enjoys a more granular take from those in the business trenches day after day. \u201cThere is also tremendous value in the dealer-to-dealer conversations,\u201d he said. \u201cYou’re surrounded by successful business owners and leaders who are dealing with many of the same challenges you are. Some of the best ideas and takeaways can come from conversations outside of the formal agenda.\u201d Not all of the intangibles take the form of information and ideas. Dawn Abbuhl, president of Repeat Business Systems in Albany, New York, encourages those who are offered the chance to join a group to consider the short- and long-term benefits that are gleaned from relationship-building. As someone who has served on Ricoh\u2019s DAC, connections with key executives such as Jim Coriddi and Jennifer Healy have built a foundation of respect and trust that has cemented the bond between dealer and manufacturer. \u201cWhen you speak openly with people over months and years, that level of respect, trust and commitment grows. I am hard-core Ricoh,\u201d Abbuhl said. \u201cI can call them and always count on them to get an answer that\u2019s going to be honest, whether I like it or not. That was one intangible I never expected, but I\u2019m certainly grateful for it.\u201d The power of connectivity between dealer and OEM brass was echoed by Dean Swenson, CEO of The Swenson Group in Livermore, California. He likes knowing he can reach out to Konica Minolta leaders such as Sam Errigo and Laura Blackmer anytime, if needed. He\u2019s content to tap his regional vice president with questions, out of respect to the higher-ups\u2019 time, but that avenue is available. \u201cBeing on the council and being a single-line dealer, they realize every investment they make in The Swenson Group is 100% going to Konica Minolta,\u201d he noted. \u201cWe don\u2019t divide our business among other OEMs, so we get additional attention and support, maybe more than our revenue would dictate.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":166,"featured_media":71273,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[80,1650,82,1638],"tags":[3185,2258,1011,359],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71272"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/166"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=71272"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71272\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":71274,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71272\/revisions\/71274"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/71273"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=71272"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=71272"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=71272"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}