Our Company
Company Timeline
From our humble beginnings in Harlan, IA & Omaha, NE we have grown to become one of the largest locally managed business technology companies in Iowa, Nebraska.
Also serving Minnesota, South Dakota & Missouri.
We are two brands but one team! We care for each other. We appreciate each other’s efforts. We are fun to be around. You want to work with us. Most importantly we care about the health of your business. Choosing the right technology partner has never been as important as it is today. As the needs of business are changing we have been able to adapt and implement new technologies to ensure your business is running as effectively and securely as possible.
1989
Founded in Harlan, IA under brand Bro Business
1997
Bro Business awarded BTA Award of Excellence
2003
Bro Business was acquired by Joel & Karen Longtin and the brand name was changed to COUNSEL
2004
Midwest Office Automations was founded with the support of Ricoh in Omaha, NE by managing partner TJ Goltl along with other industry leaders and veterans
2005
COUNSEL acquired Dicks Office Equipment in West Bend, IA to expand into the Mason City, IA marketplace
2006
Midwest Office Automations obtained the recognition of Masters Circle of Sales Excellence by Ricoh
2010
Joel & Karen Longtin partnered with TJ Goltl by purchasing the majority stock of Midwest Office Automations
2011
COUNSEL honored by Lanier with Award of Excellence – Dedicated Dealer Revenue Growth
2015
COUNSEL acquired the technology division of Office Elements expanding their footprint into the Sioux City, Storm Lake & Iowa Great Lakes marketplace
2018
COUNSEL & Midwest Office Automations join Visual Edge Technology family of companies
2018
COUNSEL & Midwest Office Automations become HP Managed Print Premier Dealers
2020
Visual Edge IT launch Managed IT Services and VoIP offerings
2020
COUNSEL & Midwest Office Automation partner with Xerox as a technology partner
INDUSTRIES WE SERVE
We are proud to support businesses of every industry and size! We know that some organizations face specific challenges and we have the expertise and solutions to help them make their organizations more secure, productive, and profitable.
WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY
“Midwest Office has been great at being responsive to our needs. We lease our copier systems through them and they have been very hands on with installation as well as our service needs. We recently switched to managed IT services with Midwest as well, and have been very pleased with their excellent customer service and the pricing for our needs. I would highly recommend Midwest office to my colleagues.”
“Having been in the IT field for 20+ years, it is so very rare when you find a vendor that is not solely focused on closing a sale, or overselling themselves, their product, or support. Or trying to signing you to a long term contract that benefits them, not YOU, the customer. Visual Edge IT is that rare vendor, or should I say, strategic partner.”
“It was very easy to work with Sam Avery in sales. He worked with us on pricing, service and quality equipment. Install was very quick and easy. All have been so helpful. I was in the IT business for nearly 20 years and really appreciate the effort that everyone put in. The install was for the First Lutheran Church of South Sioux City NE, where I am now pastor of. I would highly recommend using Counsel!”
“Phenomenal experience – massive cost savings dating back to our first work with them in the Managed Print Services environment. Ryan & Sam put a tremendous amount of work into assessment and recommendations for us, resulting in BIG SAVINGS since March 2013. They are true partners with our organization every step of the way. The subsequent technical support they provide has also been top notch. Great company to work with.”
“Visual Edge IT helped us upgrade to a better copier, with more features than we could have imagined, for a much lower price. Sam Avery is great to work with, and he and his team are always quick to answer all of our questions.”
“Today there is a lot of correlation between a good employee and a good relationship with our copy machine executive! We could not be more satisfied or happier with our recent purchase of our new copier/scanner/fax/ printer that we purchased from our Visual Edge IT Rep. Aly Huges. She made the new purchase painless and a enjoyable experience. Over the years we have found that Counsel’s customer service is second to none (exemplary!) and would highly recommend them for all of your copying service needs….. “