Synergy Office Systems, which has supplied the Bend area with Canon copiers and other supplies since 1989, was sold last week to Copiers Northwest, a Seattle-based copier and printer company.

Bob Browning, the owner of Synergy Office Systems, said that he had been approached by several companies looking to buy the business in recent years, but that this deal, which he said was completed March 31, was the first that made sense.

“They’re experienced, and they’ve been a successful company, so I think it will be the right fit,” Browning said.

Synergy Office Systems, located in the Deschutes Business Center on Empire Drive, is an authorized distributor of Canon and Samsung copiers, scanners and fax machines. The company also offers maintenance for laser printers and technical support for all their products.

The existing relationship between the leaders of the companies helped shape the deal as well. Mark Petrie, CEO of Copiers Northwest, said he has known Browning for several years, but discussions about selling the company began in earnest a few months ago. Both Petrie and Browning declined to disclose the sale price.

For Petrie and Copiers Northwest, this purchase represents an opportunity to expand into a new market. Copiers Northwest, which was founded in Seattle in 1986, has nine offices in the Pacific Northwest, including two in Oregon. The new store in Bend, however, will be its first foray into Central Oregon.

“We’re really excited about the Bend marketplace,” Petrie said. “I think it’s the fastest-growing area in Oregon right now, so we’re excited to keep growing our business.”

Browning said the partnership would bring new resources to Synergy Office Systems, including increased tech support for customers and more on-site training for employees. Additionally, he said that he would be staying on for a couple years as the Bend market manager to help ease the transition.

“It was a condition of the sale that I would get to stay involved,” Browning said.

Though all of the signs will be converted to reflect the new ownership, Browning said that will be the only changes that customers will see. The company will be retaining all of its employees other than its administrative assistant, and Browning said the company would maintain its personal touch.

“When customers call, they will still hear a person answering, which I really like,” Browning said.

—Reporter: 541-617-7818, shamway@bendbulletin.com