BDC Graduate Bentco Office Solutions Lands Steelcase as Supplier

By Andrew Moore

Ed Bentley has come a long way from the days he spent operating his business out of his home.

Last year, his company, Bentco Office Solutions, became the sole area distributor for Steelcase, the world’s largest office architecture, furniture and technology provider.

Bentco, a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), is an office supply and office furniture company that specializes in design and product installation.

Steelcase is a big name in the office supply industry with a large product range and depth. Receiving this license, according to Bentley, was a milestone in developing his business.

Bentley admits there have been past jobs Bentco simply could not acquire or was outbid on because they didn’t have a premium name like Steelcase behind them. "Now that we can offer customers the very best in product, we can really go after more lucrative supplier jobs," says Bentley.

Bentco itself has received many accolades. NASA, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have all recognized the company with awards for outstanding service.

"One way we stand out from competitors is that we offer detailed reports of changes in office supply expenditures from month to month to our customers," Bentley says. "That’s a unique practice in the industry."

Although he dreamed of owning his own business, after college Bentley picked up whatever jobs he could, such as cutting grass and working at a foundry. The Chattanooga native went on to spend more than 20 years in the office product industry during which he noticed a dearth of minority-owned office supply companies.

After founding Bentco in 1995, Bentley took on whatever miscellaneous jobs he could find for his business; he moved furniture and repaired equipment. Bentley was subjected to discrimination, he says, and found it difficult to move his business out of his home because of high costs and rent.

Eventually he moved Bentco into the Business Development Center which offers below-market rent and certification assistance. "MBE certification has given Bentco access to several government supplier contracts," says Bentley. As business began to grow, Bentley graduated from the BDC and moved into his own facility on Stuart Street.

Bentley thinks his company’s market potential is still unfulfilled, and he is now seeing a slight return in sales after a slow year. This justifies new sales associates that can bring in more business. In focusing on increasing sales volume, Bentley is particularly looking for growth in the commercial, non-government sector. With an unsaturated local market and Volkswagen and its suppliers moving in, Bentco is hoping for good things in the future.