STRENGTH IN NUMBERS: CONTINUING TRADITIONS OF EXCELLENCE FROM ONE GENERATION TO THE NEXT.

• Position: BNC 125: TOP PRIVATE COMPANIES

Systel Business Equipment was founded in Fayetteville, North Carolina on November 1, 1981 by Keith Allison. At the time, he was operating from a $10,000 loan in an office that had once been a small home, a handful of employees, and a whole lot of faith. Fast forward to 2022, and Systel's humble beginnings have grown to become a multi-million dollar company with over 250 employees and 13 office locations across the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

Today, Allison has taken a back seat to the daily operations at Systel while his three daughters, Janene Aul, Jacqueline Smith, and Cara Spencer have taken the reins, after working in various areas of the business over the last 15 years. In addition to expanding Systel's territory and vast portfolio of products and solutions, Allison's daughters have placed emphasis on growing and sustaining the company culture that he created, one of which breeds loyalty and longstanding relationships among both customers, and employees. "Systel's company culture goes back to our Dad and the loyal, dedicated employees he cultivated, along with the new people we've brought in over the last couple of years," says Janene Aul, VP of Operations/ General Counsel.

From the beginning, Allison has held the belief that each employee contributes to the company's growth and success. Anita Willoughby, who recently celebrated her 38 year anniversary with Systel, says that Allison's genuine regard and appreciation for employees set the foundation for the company's culture. "Everyone became part of the family, and there was the feeling that we were helping build the business every day by helping our friends," Willoughby recalls. She is one of over a dozen current Systel employees that have been with the company for more than 30 years.

In recent years, the company has embraced a younger generation of Systel employees who serve on committees with longstanding team members, offering fresh perspectives and skill sets that contribute to company decisions and actively coincide with Allison's vision for positive progression towards the...