This Week's Star
Lansing and Star Info
We're Family Rated
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Apr
21
2006
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Business Profile: McNamara's Office Supply |
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by Dan Veaner
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Friday, 21 April 2006 |
 Pop quiz: Where can you find a family-owned office supply store in Lansing? Answer: In the Cayuga Mall, about half way between P&C and TJ Max. Terry and Alexandra (Sandra ) Farish own the business that has been in Terry's family for 60 years. It was started by his uncle Joe McNamara, when he began repairing typewriters and business machines in his basement in 1946. It's come a long way since then, with three stores in Waverly, Owego and the Village of Lansing.
The business began in Waverly, but Terry grew up in Lansing. He started Lansing High School before moving to Alabama, where his father's side of the family is from. That's where he met Sandra, who was raised in Germany. "I was an army brat," she says. "My Dad and Mom retired in Huntsville, Alabama. We met in 1987 and he brought me home to New York!"
When Joe became ill in 1994 the Farishes purchased the business from him. "Terry said, 'That's what I want to do.' He has done wonderful things with the business," Sandra recalls. They bought the business that March and 20 days later Joe passed away. "I think he's definitely keeping an eye on us, helping us do what we do," she says.
The Farishes have expanded the business quite a bit since taking it over. The original store and warehouse are in Waverly, where Joe lived and worked. Five years after purchasing the business Mullins Office Products in Owego went out of business, so they bought out that location. Five years after that (Fall 2004) they opened in Ithaca. This year they are working on a comprehensive e-commerce site. Each year they hold a scratch and dent sale at the Waverly warehouse where they sell truck loads of office furniture for 35 cents on the dollar or less.
Sandra says they would like to increase their walk-in business, but it is a matter of people learning they are here. "Part of that is that we are still new," she says. "A lot of it's been word of mouth." When people find the store, they come back. The Farishes pride themselves on personal service and good prices. "Customers assume, because we are independently owned, that we cannot compete with super stores or mail order places," Sandra says. "But we can. We have more flexibility because we are independently owned, to say 'if you are buying X amount of pieces let's see what we can do for you.' We like to tell people not to assume we can't compete because we're small. Because we can."
She also says that getting to know their customers is part of the company's philosophy. "We really pride ourselves on our exceptional customer service," she says. "When people come in I want them to feel that it matters that they are here. We don't just sell to them, but we build relationships with them. There are people at all of our stores that we know on a first name basis."
 Alexandra Farish, Jack McNamara, Kim Emery, Archie Coon in the Cayuga Mall store
Sandra commutes twice a week from Waverly. She makes sure things go smoothly at all three locations. "We have great staff in place," she says. "The staff cares about their job and it shows in how they treat the clients when they come into the store. That's important to me, it's important to my husband. Because that's the way that I would like to be treated when I go into a store." Among them is Terry's grandfather Jack McNamara, a Lansing resident. "Jack is an important part of what we do every day," Sandra says.
In addition to the store front, Terry concentrates on catering to commercial businesses. "We do business a lot with the manufacturing facilities, the colleges, the schools, the lawyers offices, the doctors offices," Sandra explains. "We have a commercial sales force that goes out and visits customers, so that is the bulk of what we do." They also have an extensive catalog of 28,000 items that they can get for customers by 8:00am the next morning if they aren't already in the store.
McNamara's has a black and white and color copy service. They can make blueprint copies, enlargements and rubber stamps. They do custom matte cutting, color photo reproductions, and have a lamination service. They are an authorized shipping outlet for UPS, and a Verizon Wireless outlet.
Sandra says the business is about listening to customers. "Letting the customer educate us about what their wants or needs are, then educating the customer about what is available." And getting customers to visit the store: " We want you to stop in."
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