In this companion video to The Cannata Report’s May CR Connect – Dealer Tour, presented by U.S. Bank, Chief Editor Mark Vruno hears the fresh perspective of Ben Johnson, president of the Woodburn Company, a Seattle-based office technology dealership with 10 locations in the northwestern United States. Far from being a traditional dealer, Woodburn concentrates on enterprise IT clients. “We enjoy working with larger enterprises,” Johnson notes, that value operating models and efficiencies. He describes this area of focus as a niche of the overall market within the managed print space. “We see ourselves as print teams within the larger structure of enterprise IT teams,” he adds. The company emphasizes an operating-focused model as opposed to the traditional equipment- and service-focused approach more commonly found in the channel. Johnson explains how Woodburn’s ancillary offerings, such as workflow and professional services, typically “touch” the print side of the business.
Woodburn’s “value play”
Woodburn doesn’t anticipate wavering from its strengths as it moves into the second half of 2026 and beyond. “We are good at what we do,” Johnson says confidently. In describing the overall economic climate in the Pacific Northwest, he discusses the benefits of tariff returns and the RTO (return-to-office) trend. For this progressive dealer, success is not contingent on OEM brands and moving market share. Woodburn and Johnson are on the lookout for whatever operations models add value for their customers. The challenge, he believes, is getting everyone aligned.
