The Cartridge World store in Olympia, Washington
The franchisees of the store in West Olympia, Washington were interviewed by local news.
Thurston Talk reported on the interview with franchisees Pat and Jenny Anderson, the “husband and wife team” who run the Cartridge World store in West Olympia in Washington state. The Andersons set up the “family-owned franchise” after meeting in high school, with Pat Anderson working at another franchise in Pullman, before they both invested in the franchise in 2009.
The “locally-owned and operated franchise”, Jenny Anderson stated, came about as “instead of buying a house, we bought a business”, because the business is something “they know and understand, all while providing a service the community needs”. She noted that “together, we’ve been doing this for six years, and Pat’s been doing it for 10”, adding that their experience means they can recommend printers and help troubleshoot issues, as well as provide technical support.
She also commented that “we’re not trying to get you the cheapest products possible. We’re trying to get you something that works as good as the original, for less. We have, at a minimum, recycled 5,692 laser cartridges and 21,673 ink cartridges since we opened. We do about 50 percent retail customers and 50 percent business”.
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Business customers who bring in empty cartridges for refilling receive a $1 (€0.92) discount on inkjet refills and a $3 (€2.76) discount on toner refills, with “all of Cartridge World’s customers […] in fact people and businesses located right here in Thurston County”. The franchise is also “passionate about giving back”, with a cartridge collection bin at the local library allowing the Andersons to donate $1 and $3 for inkjet and toner cartridges respectively to the library.
According to Jenny Anderson, this has meant that the store has “donated $1,059 (€977) to the Friends of the Olympia Timberland Library” since the programme began in 2009. The news site points out that “with community, affordability, eco-conscious products and family-friendly service at the forefront of their business, Pat and Jenny are excited to continue providing Thurston County residents and businesses with reliable, low-cost products for years to come”.