OffiSource celebrates 75 years in business in Jackson

JACKSON - After 75 years in business, Charles Hooker Jr., the owner of OffiSource, has a goal-perfection.

"Perfection and just good solid growth," Hooker said. "We hope to grow in market share and hold onto our relationships with customers."

OffiSource began as Mississippi Stationary Company in 1927 and in 1933 Charles Hooker Jr.'s father, Charles Hooker Sr., went to work for the company. In 1938 Howard Dear and S.K. Jones founded Standard Stationers and in 1986 Kent Dear, Howard Dear's son, and Hooker Jr. merged the two businesses together to become OffiSource. Then, in 1992, Hooker Jr. bought out Dear's partnership in the business.

Over the years OffiSource has only changed locations a couple of times. It opened in the old Mississippi Stationary Company building at the corner of Pearl and West streets. Then in 1993 OffiSource leased the 26,000-square-foot building to Trustmark and moved into a space at the Hawkins Field Industrial Park where it operated for the next nine years.

These days, OffiSource is sporting its wares in two buildings, including the 25,000-square-foot space at Hawkins Field and a 12,300-squarefoot space in north Jackson on Old Square Road, the former location of North Jackson Office Supply. Since opening in the new location, Hooker said he's been working to get the business "fine tuned."

"Business is certainly different these days," Hooker said. "It's highly competitive. One difference between today and once upon a time is that competition is everywhere. There are mass merchandisers and the Internet and there are local competitors."

Still, OffiSource has a competitive edge over many of its competitors. Hooker said there are a million things that can go wrong in outfitting someone with the right office furniture, and with so many different finishes and fabrics to choose from, getting it right the first time is important. The OffiSource mission statement: "to remove obstacles and enhance other people's careers."

"It's going to be a long time before someone can really just point and click on a computer screen and have an office set up just the way they want it," Howard said.

What sets his company apart from many of his competitors is his staff of 34 people including four interior designers, seven outside salespeople and a large support staff.

"It's the people who really make a difference," Hooker said. After all, he says, anyone can sell a line of merchandise.

Of course, Hooker said, there are other things that set OffiSource apart from the competition. In the case of OffiSource, he explained, all decisions can be made locally.

"It's not like we have to get the approval of Atlanta or Dallas or somewhere else to see if we can accommodate a customer or rectify a problem," Hooker said. And while Hooker's customers have the same convenience as with much of the competition as far as the ability to order online, by phone or fax, says Hooker, "We like to say it's officesource.com and a whole lot more."

That is to say that if a customer were to go to the Web site and order office supplies and afterward realized he'd left something off his list, he could just pick up the phone and change the order. And much of the time, Hooker said, the staff at OffiSource recognizes their customers' voices.

Even with so many advantages on their side, however, Hooker said business has been tough the last year and a half or so. But things are picking up.

"We have definitely felt some increase since we've been in this location," Hooker said. "We've definitely seen an increase since we've been here and we believe this new location is going to be a lot more convenient for customers."