Business Spotlight: High Sierra Business Systems keeps local businesses running

The front office of a business is a customer's first impression. One that operates efficiently is key to the bottom line.

Bill Dunning understands this.

It's why his company has been serving business customers region-wide for more than 30 years.

"We have a niche market in Carson City, and we're very good at retaining customers," Dunning said. "Once we've earned their business, we normally retain that business over the life cycle of up to 5-6 machines people rent with us through our leasing programs. They stay with us."

Since 1982, local businesses in Carson City and surrounding areas have had a partner they could rely on to help their offices run more smoothly.

High Sierra Business Systems specializes in the sale or lease of the latest digital office machines, from printers to copiers and all-in-ones that do everything.

As a full line dealer for Canon and Lexmark products, High Sierra provides machines that perform the tasks that businesses have come to depend on to keep there offices running efficiently.

Besides offering sales and leasing programs on its products, High Sierra Business Systems is also a Canon authorized service repair facility, Dunning said.

It repairs Hewlett Packard printers, too.

"Our main objective is to sell and service these products," Dunning said. "We do full service contracts on all of the equipment we sell."

This means High Sierra Business Systems takes care of its customers by standing behind its products.

"If the machine goes down, we have replacement policies so nobody is ever without a printer in their office," Dunning said.

Another feature at High Sierra Business Systems is its comprehensive print management service that takes the stress out of resupplying and servicing office machines, he said.

"We do print management contracts, where we come in and take over all your printers in your building," he said. "We put them on a managed print contract where we provide you with the supplies, the toner, the service to keep everything up and running."

But office equipment isn't everything that High Sierra does.

Equipped with machines that collate and bind, the retail store also has a formidable on-site copy and print center.

In-store services include copying, printing, binding, laminating, business cards, and letter head, Dunning said.

And that's still not all.

High Sierra Business Systems provides a popular document shredding service that Dunning says has been well-received in the community.

"It's done quite well," he said. "We're very busy with the shredding service. A lot of people are embracing that and bringing us their information they do not want to throw in the landfill."

As either a carry-in or pick-up service, High Sierra makes document disposal convenient for customers.

Once shredded, the paper is then delivered to a local recycling company, Dunning said, which bales the material for sale by the ton.

The main objective, he said, is to keep as much paper products as possible from becoming waste.

"We just don't want to see it go into the landfill," he said.

Dunning said his company seeks to do its part to promote a high quality of life in Carson City, not only through responsible resource management, but also by supporting programs in the community.

"We try to benefit the community with some things we do to help fundraisers," he said. "We donate to the Boys and Girls Club, support Little League, and Carson football."

As a small business with only about a dozen employees, High Sierra can't do it all in the community, Dunning said, but it is able to focus its resources on a few programs.

"We pick and choose what we're going to do and help the community with a few things," he said. "We can't do it all, but we try to provide some support."

Located at 2814 North Carson Street next to the Eagle Medical Center, High Sierra Business Systems occupies about 6,000 square feet in a building that Dunning purchased three years ago.

With more than adequate space and room to grow, Dunning rents another 10,000 square feet of building space out to tenants, he said.

High Sierra moved into the current building from a smaller retail space in the Frontier Plaza on North Carson Street, Dunning said, where it had existed for about 15 years.

Prior to that, the company worked out of an even smaller space off Fairview Drive, he said.

"We needed more room," Dunning said. "Growth has got us to where we're at right now."

Dunning said his business also operates a small office in Reno, too, where it sells supplies.

"We service most of Northern Nevada, Lake Tahoe, Truckee," he said. "We even go to Bishop (California)."

Dunning started High Sierra Business Systems with a partner after spending several years in corporate culture as an office equipment repair technician and service director.

Dunning said he bought out the partnership sixteen years ago, and has been the sole owner ever since.

"I thought I could do this myself. I didn't like the corporate culture," he said. "It got very bogged down. In our business here, we can make decisions quickly."

Dunning stressed his company strives to shed the corporate image by providing efficient service that is also personable.

"When you call us, you get somebody who answers the phone," he said. "You don't get a recording."

For more information about High Sierra Business Systems, visit it online here or call 775-883-6379.