Appalachia Business Communications

What Appalachia Business Communications does

Appalachia Business Communications Corp., doing business as Knoxville Copiers, is an independently owned office automation dealer founded in 1970 and headquartered at 232 S. Peters Rd, Knoxville, Tennessee, serving businesses, non-profit organizations, and educational institutions across East Tennessee. The company sells, leases, services, and supplies a multi-brand portfolio of office equipment — Toshiba and Sharp multifunction printers and copiers, Brother laser printers, Epson SureColor wide-format printers, MBM finishing equipment (shredders, cutters, folders, booklet makers), and FP postage meters — supported by certified factory-trained technicians.

The technology stack combines hardware resale with two attached software layers: PaperCut for print management (secure release, cost control, BYOD, behavior modification) and Drivve Image for on-premise scanning and document workflow automation with built-in OCR. Service is delivered through a factory-authorized technician bench holding CompTIA Network+, PDI+, Microsoft and Novell certifications, with unlimited service calls and a four-hour average response SLA.

Revenue is generated through a mix of streams: one-time equipment sales and remanufactured-equipment leases starting at $45 per month, recurring managed print subscriptions under the SIMPLE Print Solution brand, recurring service contracts, transactional consumables (toner, cartridges), and recurring software subscriptions. Go-to-market is an enterprise field-sales motion targeting decision-makers across East Tennessee with total-cost-of-operation analysis, supplemented by the company website (abccopiers.com) for quote requests, service requests, supplies, and meter reads. The company holds no parent, has no disclosed funding rounds, and operates as a traditional regional dealer.

Name

Appalachia Business Communications

Legal name

Appalachia Business Communications Corp.

Website

https://abccopiers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Appalachia Business Communications (dba Knoxville Copiers) is an authorized multi-brand office automation dealer founded in 1970 in Knoxville, Tennessee, selling, leasing, and servicing Toshiba, Sharp, Brother, Epson, MBM, and FP equipment alongside managed print and document workflow software for businesses, non-profits, and schools across East Tennessee.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Office Equipment Dealer and Managed Print Services

NAICS

Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers (42342), Office Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing (532420), Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance (8112)

SIC

Wholesale-Professional & Commercial Equipment & Supplies (5040)

akta.pro primary industry

Office Technology & Consumables Distribution (Printer Supplies, Toner, Paper) (CRAOALAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

School Office & Administrative Supplies/Equipment (Copiers, Mailroom, Office Furniture) (EDAEAIAI)

Keywords

• Office automation equipment
• Managed print services
• Copier dealership
• Multifunction printer sales
• Document workflow solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Knoxville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Equipment Sales: Sales of copiers, printers, multifunction devices, wide format printers, and office production equipment from Toshiba, Brother, Epson, and other manufacturers. Includes new and remanufactured equipment.
2. Managed Print Services (SIMPLE Print): Monthly subscription-based managed print services covering consumables, parts, maintenance, on-site support, and software. Billed as cost equivalent or lower than current consumable expenditure alone.
3. Service and Support: Factory-authorized service with certified technicians. Includes all parts, labor, software, firmware, and supplies. Unlimited service calls with fast four-hour average response time.
4. Supplies: Toner, cartridges, and consumables for all supported equipment brands.
5. Software Solutions: Print management software including PaperCut and Drivve Image for document workflow optimization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Appalachia Business Communications is an authorized Sharp and Toshiba office automation dealer in East Tennessee, selling and servicing copiers, multifunction printers, wide format printers, shredders, cutters, folders, booklet makers, and postage meters. The company delivers Managed Print Services under its SIMPLE Print Solution brand, supplying consumables, parts, maintenance, on-site support, and print management software on a recurring subscription basis. It also resells remanufactured-as-new equipment with leasing options starting at $45 per month.

Product overview

Appalachia Business Communications is an authorized Sharp and Toshiba copier dealer serving East Tennessee since 1970, offering a portfolio of office automation solutions. The core product line includes Toshiba and Brother multifunction printers and copiers (color and black & white), Epson wide format printers, and MBM finishing equipment (shredders, cutters, folders, booklet makers), plus FP mailing solutions. Software offerings include Papercut Print Management Software for print control and security, and Drivve Image for document scanning and workflow automation with built-in OCR. The company provides managed print services under the SIMPLE Print Solution brand, sells remanufactured equipment, and offers toner recycling through Toshiba's EcoSmart program. The portfolio is organized around hardware products (copiers/printers from Toshiba, Brother, Epson, Sharp, MBM) complemented by software solutions (Papercut, Drivve Image) and services (managed print, recycling).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SIMPLE Print Solution: A complete managed print services solution offering complete management of existing printer fleets including consumables, parts and service support.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4-hour average response time for service calls
• +5 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ToshibacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAppalachia Business Communications is an authorized Toshiba dealer offering Toshiba e-STUDIO multifunction printers and copiers. Partnered with major technology suppliers including Toshiba for copiers, printers, and office automation equipment.
• BrothercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized Brother dealer offering Brother laser printers, color laser printers, and multifunction devices. Products include HL-L8570CDW, HL-L9410CDN, HL-L9430CDN, HL-L9470CDN, and MFC series.
• EpsoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized Epson dealer offering Epson SureColor T-Series wide format printers for technical drawings, graphic posters, and retail signage.
• FP Mailing SolutionscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized FP Mailing Solutions dealer for postage meters and mailing solutions.
• MBM CorporationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDealer for MBM shredders, cutters, folders, and booklet makers. Products include Destroyit paper shredders, Triumph cutters, and Sprint booklet makers.
• SharpcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAppalachia Business Communications is an authorized Sharp dealer for copy machines in East Tennessee.
• PaperCutcoreTechnology or IntegrationSoftware solution partner for print management software. PaperCut offers print management that helps minimize waste while providing secure and easy printing experience. Features include secure print release, cost control, and behavior modification.
• Drivve ImagecoreTechnology or IntegrationSoftware solution partner for document management and scanning. Drivve Image is a high-performance, feature-rich, on-premise scanning solution that enhances document workflows and integrates into information management infrastructure.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Konica Minolta: Global manufacturer and direct provider of office MFPs, copiers, and managed print services. Broad incumbent as it operates across the same office automation space, selling through direct and dealer channels and competing for the same end customers.
• Ricoh: Global manufacturer of multifunction printers, copiers, and managed print/document services. Broad incumbent offering overlapping product categories and competing with ABC's portfolio at the customer level.
• Xerox: Global document technology company selling printers, copiers, and managed print services. Broad incumbent competing in the same office printing and imaging market as ABC and its OEM partners.
• Toshiba Tec: Global manufacturer of multifunction printers, copiers, and managed print services and one of ABC's key OEM partners. Broad incumbent because it sells the same product family direct and through other dealers, competing for the same East Tennessee customers.
• Kyocera: Global manufacturer of printers, multifunction devices, and document solutions sold through dealer channels. Broad incumbent in the same office automation category and a competitor in many of ABC's customer deals.
• HP: Global technology company providing printers, multifunction devices, and managed print services. Broad incumbent competing in the same office printing category and often part of customer shortlists alongside ABC's offerings.
• Canon: Global manufacturer of printers, copiers, multifunction devices, and imaging solutions. Broad incumbent with overlapping product categories that compete with the Toshiba, Brother, and Sharp lines ABC resells.

Direct peers

• Pacific Office Automation: One of the largest independent office equipment dealers in the U.S., selling copiers, MFPs, and providing managed print services. Direct peer because of the same authorized-dealer / MPS / service business model serving regional business customers.
• Gordon Flesch Company: Family-owned office equipment dealer serving the U.S. Midwest with copiers, printers, and managed print services. Direct peer because of the same family/independent ownership model, multi-OEM dealership, and recurring MPS revenue mix.
• Marco: Midwest-based office technology provider offering managed print, document management, and IT services to businesses. Direct peer as both companies operate as independent regional office equipment dealers with bundled hardware, supplies, and managed print services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/appalachiabiztn

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Appalachia Business Communications