Thermocopy
Encyclopedia
Thermocopy is the oldest and largest business technology company located in East Tennessee. Founded in the early 1960s, the Knoxville, Tennessee
-based company has expanded from its origins as an office equipment dealer to offer information technology support, document management consultation, and printer fleet management services. The company’s core office products are multi-functional color and black and white copiers, printers and fax machines from Canon, Ricoh
, and Kyocera
. The company supports sustainable business practices, and as a regional green business leader, Thermocopy helped to establish GoGreenET.com, the annual Business In The Green contest, and other environmental initiatives in the community.
ImageSource Magazine named Thermocopy its 2006 Dealer of the Year with its national Perfect Image Award.
In March 2010, Thermocopy was one of the first companies in the nation to earn the designation of Kyocera Certified Managed Print Services
Dealer. Thermocopy is a vendor neutral managed service provider. This means that their customers do not need to dispose of equipment or purchase any new equipment, because Thermocopy’s technicians are trained to service equipment from a multitude of manufacturers.
’s brand of “ThermoCopy” paper. Later that year, they began selling NCR adding machines in addition to the paper products.
They quickly shifted their focus from paper sales to office equipment, as East Tennessee businesses began to move away from old-fashioned processes and began utilizing copiers in growing numbers. By the end of the 1970s, Thermocopy was the leading local dealer for color copiers, fax machines, and overhead projectors. The company changed locations within the Bearden area of Knoxville several times throughout the 1960s, until moving to their current location at 3505 Sutherland Avenue in 1971.
Thermocopy experienced steady growth over the next several decades and in 1995, Steve Sumner purchased the company from its founder, Randall Sumner. In the mid-1990s, Thermcopy dramatically increased its market share and expanded its operations in 1998 with an office in Johnson City, Tennessee
. Thermocopy's Mountain Empire Branch serves the Tri-Cities
region of Northeast Tennessee and Southwestern Virginia.
, Boys and Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley, Give Haiti Hope, Mercy Health Partners Foundation, Keep Knoxville Beautiful, and Covenant Health’s Buddy’s Race for the Cure.
On May 22, 2004, Thermocopy hosted a block party in downtown Knoxville, to celebrate the company's 40th anniversary. The day-long event culminated in a free, outdoor concert on the 100 block of Gay Street, featuring multiple musical acts, headlined by the Turtles
.
Thermocopy is a supporter of the Knoxville-Oak Ridge Innovation Valley.
Keep Knoxville Beautiful awarded the 2008 Environmental Achievement Award for Outstanding Achievement By A Large Business to Thermocopy for the company’s internal efforts and community involvement. The next year, Thermocopy received a prestigious Keep Tennessee Beautiful (the state chapter of Keep America Beautiful
) and Tennessee Department of Transportation Award of Excellence for Business at the 2009 Biennial State Conference in Nashville.
Thermocopy has been named a Platinum Level Recycle Champion by Knox County, Tennessee.
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
-based company has expanded from its origins as an office equipment dealer to offer information technology support, document management consultation, and printer fleet management services. The company’s core office products are multi-functional color and black and white copiers, printers and fax machines from Canon, Ricoh
Ricoh
or Ricoh, is a Japanese company that was established in 1936 on February 6th, as , a company in the RIKEN zaibatsu. Its headquarters is located in Ricoh Building in Chūō, Tokyo....
, and Kyocera
Kyocera
is a multinational manufacturer based in Kyoto, Japan. It was founded as in 1959 by Kazuo Inamori and renamed in 1982. The company has diversified its founding technology in ceramic materials through internal development as well as strategic mergers and acquisitions...
. The company supports sustainable business practices, and as a regional green business leader, Thermocopy helped to establish GoGreenET.com, the annual Business In The Green contest, and other environmental initiatives in the community.
ImageSource Magazine named Thermocopy its 2006 Dealer of the Year with its national Perfect Image Award.
In March 2010, Thermocopy was one of the first companies in the nation to earn the designation of Kyocera Certified Managed Print Services
Managed Print Services
Managed Print Services involve managing hardcopy device fleets in a unified fashion...
Dealer. Thermocopy is a vendor neutral managed service provider. This means that their customers do not need to dispose of equipment or purchase any new equipment, because Thermocopy’s technicians are trained to service equipment from a multitude of manufacturers.
History
On April 1, 1964, Randall Sumner, with two partners, formed a company to sell office paper with an initial investment of $150 and a $3,000 note for operating capital. The company began as a dealer for NCRNCR Corporation
NCR Corporation is an American technology company specializing in kiosk products for the retail, financial, travel, healthcare, food service, entertainment, gaming and public sector industries. Its main products are self-service kiosks, point-of-sale terminals, automated teller machines, check...
’s brand of “ThermoCopy” paper. Later that year, they began selling NCR adding machines in addition to the paper products.
They quickly shifted their focus from paper sales to office equipment, as East Tennessee businesses began to move away from old-fashioned processes and began utilizing copiers in growing numbers. By the end of the 1970s, Thermocopy was the leading local dealer for color copiers, fax machines, and overhead projectors. The company changed locations within the Bearden area of Knoxville several times throughout the 1960s, until moving to their current location at 3505 Sutherland Avenue in 1971.
Thermocopy experienced steady growth over the next several decades and in 1995, Steve Sumner purchased the company from its founder, Randall Sumner. In the mid-1990s, Thermcopy dramatically increased its market share and expanded its operations in 1998 with an office in Johnson City, Tennessee
Johnson City, Tennessee
Johnson City is a city in Carter, Sullivan, and Washington counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, with most of the city being in Washington County...
. Thermocopy's Mountain Empire Branch serves the Tri-Cities
Tri-Cities, Tennessee
In Tennessee and Virginia the name "Tri-Cities" refers to the region comprising the cities of Kingsport, Johnson City and Bristol and the surrounding smaller towns and communities in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia...
region of Northeast Tennessee and Southwestern Virginia.
Community Involvement
For over four decades, Thermocopy has earned a strong reputation in the region for community involvement. Notable organizations and charities that Thermocopy has sponsored include the Historic Tennessee TheatreTennessee Theatre
The Tennessee Theatre is a 1920s-era movie palace, located within the Burwell Building in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee, at 604 South Gay Street.-History:...
, Boys and Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley, Give Haiti Hope, Mercy Health Partners Foundation, Keep Knoxville Beautiful, and Covenant Health’s Buddy’s Race for the Cure.
On May 22, 2004, Thermocopy hosted a block party in downtown Knoxville, to celebrate the company's 40th anniversary. The day-long event culminated in a free, outdoor concert on the 100 block of Gay Street, featuring multiple musical acts, headlined by the Turtles
The Turtles
The Turtles are an American rock group led by vocalists Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman. The band became notable for several Top 40 hits beginning with its cover version of Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe" in 1965...
.
Thermocopy is a supporter of the Knoxville-Oak Ridge Innovation Valley.
Environmental Leadership
Thermocopy has been recognized as a leading green business at the local and state level. In 2008, Thermocopy was one of ten local businesses certified by the Knoxville Area Chamber Partnership’s Green Recognition Program in its inaugural year. The company tracks and publicly reports the results of its environmental initiatives on its ThermocopyGreenworks website. Thermocopy is one of the founding partners of GoGreenET.com and co-sponsors the Greater Knoxville Business Journal’s annual Business In The Green contest. Thermocopy supports the conservation work of the Fort Loudon Lake Association.Keep Knoxville Beautiful awarded the 2008 Environmental Achievement Award for Outstanding Achievement By A Large Business to Thermocopy for the company’s internal efforts and community involvement. The next year, Thermocopy received a prestigious Keep Tennessee Beautiful (the state chapter of Keep America Beautiful
Keep America Beautiful
Keep America Beautiful is a U.S. based nonprofit organization founded in 1953. It is the largest community improvement organization in the United States, with approximately 589 affiliate organizations and more than 1,000 community organizations that participate in their programs.Keep America...
) and Tennessee Department of Transportation Award of Excellence for Business at the 2009 Biennial State Conference in Nashville.
Thermocopy has been named a Platinum Level Recycle Champion by Knox County, Tennessee.