DCC to stock and distribute Lexmark printers and supplies

Drive Control corporation will now stock and distribute Lexmark products in South Africa. Previously the distributor was sourcing these products from a third party supplier and stocked a limited range. This new agreement represents a host of opportunities for both DCC and its channel partners, providing them with competitive pricing and a greater range of products.

“Lexmark is one of the biggest printer and printer consumables brands in South Africa, which is why it made sense that DCC should take on this product range. We have seen growing demand for Lexmark products in our channel and in order to cater to this demand we approached Lexmark with the possibility of becoming an official distributor,” says Jenny Rex, Sales Director at DCC.

Managing Director of Lexmark South Africa, Mark Hiller, comments “awarding DCC both hardware and consumables was a logical move for us as they are one of the leading consumables distributors in the country and their absence as a direct partner for consumables had been an anomaly in our distribution policy previously. Going forward, we are confident that DCC will assist Lexmark South Africa in building stronger channel relationships as well as developing new partnerships through their established distribution network, channel focused service and independence. Furthermore, DCC’s extensive coverage will facilitate in growing our presence and driving the Lexmark brand into the broader SMB marketplace as well as effectively complimenting our channel programs.  We look forward to working with DCC and adding value to our distribution arm.”

“This agreement will enable resellers to deal with a distributor of choice for all of their Lexmark needs, providing them with greater product choice and also improving stock levels in the channel- thanks to DCC’s prominent regional and national footprint. We will also be able to access more competitive pricing by dealing direct, as Lexmark’s contract pricing is only available to authorised distributors. This opens up a new world of business for DCC and our channel partners,” Rex adds.

To head up the newly created Lexmark product division, DCC has appointed John Smyth as the Lexmark Product Specialist. With more than 15 years of experience in the IT industry, Smyth brings a wealth of experience to DCC and the Lexmark brand, which will stand him in good stead in his new position.

“I have worked closely with local distributors and dealt with international markets. Coming from a vendor background I know how both the vendor and distributor operate and what is required to drive business from resellers.

By combining these experiences with enthusiasm and ‘know how’ I aim to grow the Lexmark brand within DCC and cater to the needs of our valued channel,” Smyth says.

Going forward, DCC’s strategy for the Lexmark offering is to launch the brand both internally and externally to the channel and develop incremental business without cannibalising business from other brands within the DCC stable, or from existing Lexmark distributors.

“Lexmark has developed leading technology in certain segments that some of our other brands do not necessarily cater to, so these products will augment our current offering and allow us to more fully serve our channel. We see tremendous opportunity within our reseller pool and Lexmark’s retail channel for these products and will be looking to slowly grow our business in this area,” Rex concludes.

The full range of Lexmark printers and supplies will be available from Drive Control Corporation as of 1 August 2011.