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BP-4 Hartford Business Journal • March 3, 2014 www.HartfordBusiness.com HBJBUSINESSPROFILES At The Leading Edge of Technology Innovation for 40 Years C elebrating its 40th anniversary this year, ACT Group, formerly Advanced Copy Technologies Inc., has become an innovative leader in print technology. Once focused chiefly on office equipment sales and ser- vice, the company has diversified into five divisions and is now completing a rebranding initiative that more accu- rately reflects the company's emergence as an industry leader in innovation including 3-D printing. The Gondeks are poised to capitalize on a technology that is changing design, manufacturing and printing processes in virtually all industries. "Our original mission was, and still is, to be the fin- est services support provider in the marketplace," said Gondek. "We offer the best service in New England. Where many office equipment customers wait two to three days for service, we average a three hour response time. Prob- lems are rarely escalated because everyone here is empow- ered to do whatever it takes to satisfy the customer. All of our employees are at a very high, senior level ability. They are able to make decisions on the job and create customer solutions that resolve real-time problems and leave the customer very satisfied." Over the years, that customer commitment has meant accolades from local and national sources, including three consecutive national J.D. Power and Associates awards, the 2013 Metro Hartford/ Hartford Business Journal's Business Champion Award for Innovation and the Women Owned Business of the Year Award presented by the Mid- dlesex Chamber of Commerce. Most recently, in October, the company was presented with its second Elite Dealer Award, a national honor that recognizes only 40 office equipment companies out of thousands nationally. ACT Group's focus on 3-D printing is the latest step in the company's strategy to stay ahead of the competition and become a national resource for 3-D printing solutions. "We're very proud of the fact that we're not just sell- ing 3-D equipment. We're an important resource for companies, helping them solve problems and showing them new ways of doing things for manufactur- ing," they said. Manufacturers are using 3-D printing today in every industry from metal work to medicine, Gondek said. One example they provided are the fuel nozzles used on commercial jet engines. There are thousands more, he said. Gondek added that ACT was also working closely with UCONN and other institutions, helping engineering stu- dents learn more about the technology. "We've become a resource center for education and industry and that's what makes this fun," they said. "Our vision is to be the resource center for the entire 3- D world, from printing to metals, to prototypes, to scan- ning and software. We are going to be the center of innova- tion for all of New England." Clockwise from top left: the aCt Group headquarters in Cromwell, Ct; City model printed from a 3-d printer; aCt executivves Greg and Cindi Gondek; Models printed from 3-d printers. ACT Group Address: 20 Commerce Drive, Cromwell, CT 06416 Phone: 800-548-9929 Website: www.goACTgroup.com Number of Employees: 33 Top Executives: Cindi Gondek, Principal; Greg Gondek, President Product or Service: Digital Office Equipment and 3-D equipment and scanners Year Founded: 1974 ' ' Doing things no other copier dealer in the country is doing. – Forbes, August 6, 2012 An AdvancedCOPY Technologies Inc. Company