Irvine-based Toshiba America Business Solutions Inc. named Richard “Rick” Taylor as its chief executive and president.
Taylor was senior vice president of sales, marketing and business operations and takes over from Dennis Eversole, who’s retiring after 21 years with Toshiba. Eversole, who lives in Dana Point, plans to spend time with his wife, two grown daughters and go fly-fishing.
Toshiba America Business Solutions is part of Japan’s Toshiba Corp. and sells and services copiers, fax machines, printers and other office equipment in the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean.
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Eversole: retiring after 21 years |
The unit is estimated to have yearly sales of $275 million and employs about 3,100 people, including 300 in Orange County.
Taylor is set to oversee Toshiba’s electronic imaging division, which sells directly to big customers, and its business solutions arm, which works with sellers of office equipment.
He said he is looking to grow the company and has three acquisitions in the works.
Toshiba America Business Solutions has bought 35 companies, mostly copier dealers, worth $70 million in the U.S. and Latin American market in the last decade, he said.
Part of Taylor’s challenge is to deal with shrinking profits and competition, he said.
Rivals include Japan’s Ricoh Co. and Canon Inc., which both have operations in Orange County, and Xerox Corp.
Toshiba is investing in back office software and adding more sales and service employees, according to Taylor.
Toshiba is eyeing “colorization of the office,” Taylor said, as businesses switch from black and white to color printers and copiers.
Taylor’s first job was as a Xerox Corp. salesperson in Kansas City, Mo.
He got his bachelor’s in business administration from the University of Kansas.
He went on to work for Stamford, Conn.-based Savin Corp., rising through the ranks to become its vice president of sales.
Later he was part owner of Better Office Systems Inc., selling office equipment in San Francisco.
Ikon Office Solutions Inc., a Toshiba rival, bought the business.
Taylor joined Toshiba America Business Solutions in 1995.
A native of Kansas, Taylor lives in Mission Viejo with his wife and two kids. He said his other passion is golfing.
