Office Pro owner enjoys fruits of labor
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Jamin Arn has plenty of chairs but running his Office Pro business leaves the Janesville man little time to sit in one.
JANESVILLE — At the end of his junior year in high school, Jamin Arn knew exactly what he wanted to do, and it didn't involve his senior year and the two credits needed for a traditional high school graduation.
"I wanted to get out and get moving," said Arn, who as a 17-year-old left Kentucky and moved to Janesville to live with his grandparents.
A night course satisfied the two-credit conundrum. A job at Hardees confirmed for Arn that he what he really wanted was a business of his own.
Several entrepreneurial efforts later, Arn owns the Janesville-based OfficePro, a supplier of office products and furniture and commercial janitorial supplies.
Founded in 2003 in his basement, OfficePro closed 2007 with three-year revenue growth of 409 percent, good enough to land the company in the 883rd slot on Inc. magazine's list of the 5,000 fastest growing privately held companies in the United States.
With several addresses behind it, including one at the former Parker Pen building, OfficePro is now at home in a 35,000-square-foot building at 615 N. Parker Drive, just south of Traxler Park. Arn's formation of OfficePro followed sales jobs with three other office supply companies, including Wagner's in Janesville and Beloit.
Rows of desks, chairs, tables and cubicle equipment are surrounded by reams of copier paper and other office odds and ends.
"It's not pretty, but it's not supposed to be," said the 31-year-old Arn.
A flashy showroom would only add to the company's overhead, a cost that would ultimately be paid by OfficePro's customers who range from Rockford to Wisconsin Dells and Delavan to Monroe.
OfficePro is primarily a non-stocking supplier, meaning the company doesn't carry 98 percent of what's in its 30,000-item catalog. But Arn said the company's hallmark is service, and any one of those items can be in a customer's office within a day or two.
Arn said OfficePro and its 13 full-time employees are probably four or five years away from a new building. In the meantime, he's content to focus on growing the company that so far has matured beyond his wildest dreams.
In 2006, OfficePro bought the Janesville-based Warmke Office Equipment. It later bought Used But Nice Office Furniture in Madison, and Arn said he's considering another acquisition.
The company, which recently added a shredding division, is boosting its bottom line with acquisitions and internal growth, he said.
"You need both to grow," Arn said. "When you're generating internal growth, you're likely expanding into someone else's territory.
"You can buy growth, sell deeper to your existing accounts or cold call, but that taxes your sales force to some extent."
Arn loves the cold call, something he wishes he had time for every day. It's that willingness to put himself in front of potential customers that's helped him succeed in business, whether it's been the Cutting Edge Lawn Service, Big 10 Subs or property rental businesses he's owned.
"I honestly thought lawn care would be my supreme biz because I loved being outside, mowing and being able to look over my shoulder at a job well done," he said. "I thought that in the supply business I could just establish a solid customer base and then collect the residual income."
But then Arn met Ken Hendricks, the founder and CEO of ABC Supply, a company to which Arn was already selling office products.
The two came from similar backgrounds and they shared a passion for entrepreneurial success in a variety of businesses.
"Ken would always challenge me, ask me, ‘What if this, what if that,'" Arn said of Hendricks, who died in 2007. "With OfficePro, I wanted to do it better than Staples or Office Depot and with ABC, Ken wanted to do it better than his competition.
"I just tried to suck as much knowledge out of him as I could."
But Arn is quick to say any parallels with Hendricks end there.
"I'm no Ken Hendricks," he said. "I'm just a young buck trying to make a living."
Sep 14, 2008 at 10:49 a.m.
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I bought a desk from officepro. Everyone was extremely nice and helpful. Jamin himself took me out back to where he keeps the furniture. I would definitly go back when I need something else.
Sep 14, 2008 at 10:07 a.m.
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Yes:
I bet the gazette would love you write an article about Obsessive Compuslive Disorder. In the meantime, check the yellowpages and get some help.
I have known Jamin for quite some time. You will be hard pressed to find someone who works harder.
Yes, we will all keep you in our prayers, jealousy that runs this deep is in no way healthy.
Sep 14, 2008 at 9:42 a.m.
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But I bet OfficePro could sell you a full line of "green" office supplies.........let's do another article about that......I bet OfficePro leads the nation in "green" products!!!!!!
Sep 14, 2008 at 9:40 a.m.
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No problem with the not going to college deal....I agree, college is not for everyone and there are different ways to be successful and different ways to measure success. The problem I had was with the "name dropping" as a marketing tool in a drummed up article.....this article was simply an infomercial about this company that has been around for barely 3 years............"Local Matters" sometimes...........just an opinion, which I thought was the purpose of this comment area.
The "Green" comments couldn't be farther from the truth, but if you meant we should all start "going green", I do agree on some levels with that, although I don't want to start a "green" debate here.
Sep 13, 2008 at 11:58 p.m.
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I find it interesting that, as a society, it is accepted to be rude to people who we do not even know. Why would you attack someone you did not, or barely, know?
I do not know Mr. Arn. I can only presume from his track record here that he is a success.
Although I do have one college degree and working on a second, I strongly believe that college is overrated. Not everyone is able to do the college thing for whatever reason.
It takes everyone, good and bad, to make this world go round. And, unless the statistics have changed since I last checked, only 2% of the world's population has a college education. In America, it seems that a college education is the expectation.
My point? It does not take a college education, or a traditional high school education, to make someone smart, honest and hard-working.
For those of you that I have offended for discounting the college educated and a college education... too bad.
For those of you that are not the college material and still succeed far better than those of with college degrees... I love you! You definitely prove everyone wrong that believes that a college education is the only way to get ahead in life.
Sep 13, 2008 at 8:50 p.m.
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I just thought I would answer a few questions, to biggirl, yes, we do pay a good living wage, and offer benefits, including health and retirement, along with nice bonuses. To yes, not sure if we have met, but keep in mind, I sold Big Ten, and a year and a half later, they went out of business along with owing me over $100k, which I did not get back. Riding coat tails, that is a stretch, since the business I had was prior to even knowing Ken. Ken was a close freind, and a great mentor. Maybe you should re-read the article, it seems to be clear. Also, I have never and will never compare myself to him, and he (Ken) was one of many important people in my life that helped influence, teach, and bounce ideas off. Also, thank you to all who have supported me, it has not always been easy, and I appreciate all of my customers and employees.
Sep 13, 2008 at 5:33 p.m.
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Wow CraigHolmes, you must be a big fan. You are exactly right, I would love to have my job at Big 10 back...oh wait, it is out of business. Maybe Milio's is hiring.
Udonthavealife: Who's coat tails are you talking about? There's only one guy's coat tails who are being ridden and unfortunately for all of us, he is no longer with us.
Sep 13, 2008 at 5:16 p.m.
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Dear Yes:
Maybe someday someone else will open a sub and icecream store where you can again be responsible for mopping the floors.
Just because you were unable to wake up for your 2 o'clock shift building sub sandwiches at Big Ten Subs does not warrant such distain!
Good luck in all that you do.
Sep 13, 2008 at 4:02 p.m.
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I guess education has no importance whatsoever unless it leads to cold hard cash. This is a bad message to send, especially as many small businesses fall and people often need basic critical thinking skills to design and write a business plan. Good for him that he has made it, so far, but that doesn't mean he should be a model to others. By the way, I'd like to know if he provides his employees with a living wage and benefits.
Sep 13, 2008 at 3:36 p.m.
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Kudos to you! And what is wrong with mentioning Ken Hendricks? I am one of the small people he stepped on to make it so big. Sorry, I know he's gone now but I still feel my blood pressure rise at the mention of his name. And no, I wasn't green with envy but it sounds like some of the posters here are.
Sep 13, 2008 at 3:15 p.m.
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Are you serious?
Sep 13, 2008 at 2 p.m.
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Wow...that's a great story. Thanks for sharing.
Sep 13, 2008 at 12:26 p.m.
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Oh, and by the way, my son dropped out of school too, but went on to get his HSED and I am quite proud of him.
Sep 13, 2008 at 12:24 p.m.
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I notice the "green with envy" in some of these comments. Jamin is a nice guy who my son used to work for at Big 10 Subs. He inspired my son to start his own business and it is doing quite well in a city our size. Give him credit not cut downs, becuz you can't do the same!
Sep 13, 2008 at 11:54 a.m.
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Dear Yes:
If blogging made people millionaires, you would be poorest soul on the planet for your unfounded, uneducated comments.
Your green glow from your overflowing envy is showing its true color. Work hard and you too can have your 15 seconds of fame.
He is just a squirrel trying to earn a nut!
Sep 13, 2008 at 10:37 a.m.
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And to compare or even mention Mr. Hendricks in this article.........unreal. Nice try.
Sep 13, 2008 at 10:35 a.m.
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Please......OfficePro? Are you kidding me? Apparently enough money has been spent in advertising to get this article written. There are dozens of companies in Janesville and surrounding areas that deserve to be written about, but OfficePro? Am I missing something? Big Ten Subs? Wow! Lawn Mowing?
Sep 13, 2008 at 9:32 a.m.
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THIS is the American dream, not government based social welfare programs. If you want a better life, make it don't take it (from others).
Sep 12, 2008 at 11:11 a.m.
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Congratulations on making the Inc. list.
Sep 12, 2008 at 9:55 a.m.
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Good for you Jamin! I met him at a Young Professionals meeting in Janesville about a month ago! A true leader at heart!
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