Gordon Flesch Company Celebrates 65 Years

The Gordon Flesch Company (GFC), an industry leader in managed technology solutions, is celebrating 65 years of exceptional service. Since the company’s founding, GFC has evolved from a one-man operation into one of the nation’s largest independent office technology providers.

The Gordon Flesch Company was founded in 1956 when Gordon Flesch left his job with Royal Typewriters to take over a small 3M dealership selling what was - at the time - a breakthrough technology, the Thermo-Fax copier. In those early days Gordon Flesch not only sold the machines but serviced them as well.

In the following decades, the Gordon Flesch Company expanded throughout Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Iowa, South Dakota and Minnesota in order to meet growing demand. In 1976, Gordon’s son John Flesch joined the company, followed by his brothers Tom and Bill. Today, GFC is the nation’s largest independent Canon Dealer, an honor the company has won for each of the last six years. The company continues as a vital, family-owned enterprise led by the founder's sons, Tom and Bill Flesch. A third generation of Flesch family members, Patrick and Mark, have moved into senior leadership roles as President and COO, ensuring that the ideals and spirit of the company’s founder will be preserved. 

In a highly competitive industry, many of GFC’s competitors have been acquired or disappeared as the founding generation retired or left the business. The Gordon Flesch Company remains independent and growing, recently acquiring dealerships in Iowa, South Dakota, Minnesota and Indiana. In addition to copiers and printers, GFC has expanded to offer solutions such as Enterprise Content Management, Managed Print Service, Managed IT services and software solutions. “I believe that Gordon would be proud that his entrepreneurial spirit still drives us today,” says Tom Flesch, CEO. “Even though his company has grown to be one of the largest in the country, we try to conduct business the way Gordon did when he founded the company. I know he would be proud of the way we have grown and conducted our business as we carry on his name and legacy.”

In addition, GFC’s Managed IT division and recently acquired Information Technology Professionals (ITP) have combined to form Elevity. A division of GFC, Elevity [pronounced “eh-leh-vi-tee”] now delivers cloud, cybersecurity and Managed IT support to organizations across the Midwest. “The reason GFC is where we are today is that the basic idea Gordon had 65 years ago still works today,” says Patrick Flesch, GFC President. “We deliver the best mix of technology available, manage it with a dedicated team of service professionals and never stop looking for ways to help our customers grow and improve their business.”

While the Gordon Flesch Company has progressed and expanded throughout its 65 years, Gordon’s core mission, values and commitment to excellent customer service remain unchanged. As a family-owned company, GFC has remained committed to hiring and retaining the best local support staff. Today, GFC employees have an average tenure of 12.9 years while the locally based service teams have an average tenure of 20 years, delivering the most experienced and accurate service possible. “GFC has been able to grow because we invest in our people and deliver superior service and support to our customers,” says William Flesch, Chief Development Officer for GFC. “We have also grown thanks to prudent acquisitions, partnering with companies that have a similar background and share the principles that have served us well through the years.”

In 2002, with the establishment of the Gordon Flesch Charitable Foundation, GFC employees were able to further reach the community and continue Gordon’s commitment to service. The philanthropy, whose recipients are nominated by GFC staff, has awarded more than $2 million to local charities since its inception. “GFC has succeeded because we have stayed true to our core value of providing excellent service to our neighbors,” says Mark Flesch, COO of GFC. “Gordon believed that if we take care of our people and community, we grow and prosper together. We’re proud to build on that legacy.”

You can read about GFC’s anniversary at inBusiness Madison.

About the Gordon Flesch Company and Elevity

The Gordon Flesch Company is one of the largest independent providers of office technology solutions in the nation. Family-owned since 1956, the Gordon Flesch Company employs more than 620 people throughout 35 offices in the Midwest, with their corporate office in Madison, Wisconsin. They deliver unique business process expertise to solve challenging problems and achieve organizational goals. This includes integrating industry-leading software and hardware to build custom solutions that are supported by technical expertise, customer service and flexible, in-house financial services. Follow us on Twitter at @GordonFlesch. In addition, the newly formed Elevity serves more than 400+ customers and employ 70 MSP staff in locations across the Midwest. Follow us on Twitter at @elevity_it