Do you remember the days when office equipment was just office equipment? Before “mobile connectivity” or “wireless connectivity” were ever phrases, and long before you ever had to worry about the idea of someone hacking into your printer.

We remember those good ole days. But, in those days, computers didn’t even exist yet. Now, our daily lives run on our phones, and what doesn’t run on our phones runs on some other kind of advanced technological capability.

Lineage needed the growth and change that we have had since our beginnings in 1984, because it led us to April 2023 for the next stage of Lineage’s growth. What is it?

Introducing The “New” Lineage Family

Three Divisions To Better Serve You

We are excited to announce the expansion of our company with three new divisions within the company:

Lineage is now Lineage Accelerate, Lineage Optimize, and Lineage Connect!

We believe these new ventures will allow us to better serve our customers, while also positioning us for future growth and success.

Before we dive into each of these, let us take a moment to reflect on where we have been and where we are today.

Where We Started: A Traditional Office Machine Company

It all started in 1984 when David and Anna Williams, the parents of our CEO, Richard Williams, founded Advanced Business Machines, an office equipment company based in Buffalo, NY. From the very beginning, the company was built on the principles that continue to guide us today: family, pride in your work, keeping your word, and taking care of your customers as if they were family.

Over the years, the company grew and acquired other similar businesses, assembling a depth of experience in the office equipment industry that few could match.

In 2007, Richard Williams became president of the company, and, in 2009, he re-branded the then-four different companies under one name: Lineage. This move clearly spoke to the company’s heritage of doing business in an old-school way, back to those early commitments of taking pride in your work, keeping your word, and treating customers like family.

Where We Are Now: Diversifying Our Services And Locations

As Lineage continued to thrive, Richard Williams saw an opportunity to diversify and reach other markets. In 2012, Richard added printer and copier sales and service to its offerings in New York. In 2022, Lineage acquired Business Imaging Equipment, solidifying its position as one of the largest Konica Minolta dealers in the region.

Meanwhile, Richard Williams also had his eye on a complimentary, but totally different business: outsourced mailing services. In 2013, Lineage acquired Stampede Mailing Services and launched Lineage Mailing Services (LMS). Two subsequent acquisitions, American Presort Inc. and Strahm Automation, further fortified the offerings and positioned LMS as a regional powerhouse.

This presented Lineage as a company with three distinct types of solutions, allowing us to reach different markets and solve different types of business-critical communication issues. We now had a foothold in office business machines, printers and copiers, and outsourced mailing services, operating out of offices in New York, North Carolina, Kansas, Missouri, and Arkansas.

As a company with a rich heritage in office equipment and mailing services, we’re thrilled to announce our solution to take our offerings to the next level: the launch of three new divisions that allow us to go to market with all the expertise and confidence of separate, diversified divisions while remaining part of the Lineage brand.

Where We’re Going: Lineage Accelerate, Lineage Optimize, and Lineage Connect

Introducing Lineage Accelerate, our core division dedicated to accelerating our clients’ accuracy, speed of communication, compliance, and revenue streams. We know that speed to market is essential in today’s competitive landscape, and Lineage Accelerate is committed to providing the tools and strategies to help our clients stay ahead of the curve. This division solely operates out of our territories in New York, North and South Carolina, Arkansas, and greater Kansas City.

Next up is Lineage Optimize, our specialized printing technology division located in New York. Under Lineage Optimize, we’re focused on optimizing our clients’ systems and processes, improving efficiencies, protecting data, and increasing revenue. Our clients will benefit from improved print performance and industry-leading print technology, ensuring that their businesses are operating at maximum capacity. This division solely operates in New York.

Last but certainly not least, we have Lineage Connect, our nationwide outsourcing service. Formerly known as Lineage Mailing Services (LMS), Lineage Connect takes our clients’ documents from creation to distribution, connecting them with the resources, security, and care they need along the way. Our team is dedicated to ensuring that your mail is delivered to the right people at the right time, with the utmost care and attention to detail. This division services all of the continental US and offers select local outsourcing services to the greater Kansas City area (where operations are based).

So, what is the advantage of having three divisions? With our new structure, we can now go to market separately, when our client needs one of our solutions, or cohesively, when our client needs two or perhaps all three of our solutions. This allows us to better position ourselves as best in class in the marketplace and further differentiate us from our competitors.

In summary, Lineage now has three unique offerings for our clients, three unique divisions, and three unique brands, all under the umbrella of ONE company. ​​Each of these new divisions offers unique solutions to meet the specific needs of our clients, and we are excited to offer these “new” services and to help our clients achieve their goals in a new and improved way.

What’s Not Changing

We share the same purpose: honor God by serving, supporting, and caring with excellence.

We share the same mission: transform business critical communications from creation to distribution. 

We share the same core values: integrity, growth, family culture, pursuit of excellence, and compassion

We share the same commitment: we come through for our customers. We come through for each other. Neither rain nor snow nor gloom of night, nor a heavy workload, nor even a really, really bad cold will stop us from the swift completion of our mission. We come through.

Because we are Lineage, and the important things never change.

Conclusion

With the launch of Lineage Accelerate, Lineage Optimize, and Lineage Connect, we’re excited to expand our offerings and take our commitment to customer service to new heights. We’re dedicated to staying at the forefront of the industry, and these new divisions are just the beginning of what’s to come.

We are proud of our heritage, and we remain committed to the principles that have guided us from the very beginning.

As we continue to grow and expand, we are excited about the future and look forward to serving our customers and partners with the same dedication and commitment that has always been at the heart of our company.

Stay tuned for more updates from Lineage as we continue to grow and evolve!

If you would like to explore the new way that we do business – with an updated consultative approach to create custom solutions – get started by booking your strategy session here.