OKI Appoints Master Distributor for Americas

On April 4th, Oki Electric Industry of Tokyo, Japan, announced that Item, Inc., which is located in Woodbridge, Virginia, will serve as the master consumables and spare parts distributor for OKI in the Americas.

OKI said the appointment will significantly enhance its operational efficiency, as well as improve inventory availability and create a convenient, one-stop shop for all OKI products. In September 2020, OKI had announced that it was discontinuing sales of printers in the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. 

Item, Inc.

Item, Inc. is said to be well-established in the Americas, with over 40 years’ experience in the distribution of printer parts, hardware, and consumables, as well as delivering value-added technical and service support offerings for leading printer brands. The company has served as OKI’s primary spare parts distributor since February 2021, and were named an authorized consumables distributor in September 2021.

Under the agreement, Item, Inc. will import consumables and spare parts directly from OKI production facilities in Asia and distribute them from their 70,000 square-foot facility in Virginia. Item, Inc. will directly sell to OKI resellers in all countries in North, Central and South America, with the exception of Brazil, and will work directly with OKI on demand forecasting, procurement,and overall consumable and spare part management.

“We’re extremely excited to announce that Item, Inc. will serve as the master consumables and spare parts distributor for the Americas,” commented Dennie Kawahara, president and CEO of Oki Data Americas.  “After OKI’s announcement in September 2020 that we would no longer sell OKI-branded hardware in the Americas, we shifted our focus to future operational requirements and best practices to support the channel with regards to consumables and spare parts. Item, Inc. clearly positioned themselves as a distribution partner that can manage a significant portion of our business operations and deliver added value that provides exceptional benefits to the channel.”

In preparation for this transition, Item, Inc. has been working closely with OKI to implement product forecasting processes, enhance e-commerce and operational support, and build sufficient on-hand inventory to support consumables and spare parts demand going forward.  

 “This long-term partnership with OKI will enable customers to maximize their OKI printer investments, as it’s in everyone’s best interest to keep these printers up and running well into the future,” commented Timothy Rizer, president of Item, Inc.

“Item, Inc. has been on a strong growth trajectory and we’re always looking to incorporate new deliverables that leverage our years of expertise. After successfully incorporating the OKI spare parts distribution into our business, which included direct importation from Asia and complete inventory management beginning in 2022, it was a natural progression for us to absorb the consumables business to deliver added value for OKI customers,” Rizer said.

 More Resources

• February 2023: OKI Revenue Up, But Profits Tank
• November 2022: OKI Reports Losses, Higher Net Sales, as Supply-Chain Woes Continue
• August 2022: OKI Sales, Profits Dip in First Quarter, Cites Material Shortages and Costs
• May 2022: OKI Reports Profit for Fiscal Year, Despite Declining Sales, Operating Income
• February 2022: Ricoh, OKI Announce Collaboration on A3 Printer Engine