Mission & Culture
Our team prides itself on embodying our mission, “We are a people company with an intense passion for improving our customers’ businesses and enhancing our team members’ lives.”


A Culture of Nurture
Advance's mission reflects our philosophy that places equal importance on the well-being of our team members as it does on the customers we serve, "We are a people company with an intense passion for improving our customers' businesses and enhancing our team members' lives". This guiding principle enables us to cultivate what we like to call "A Culture of Nurture" that empowers our team to be the best version of themselves - both during and outside of work hours.
This culture transcends our team and can be felt by our customers each and every day. Sure, we provide them with best-in-class office technology, workflow solutions and IT services, but what we truly provide them, is ourselves. Us. Fully. In the form of real human support and honest-to-goodness integrity and graciousness. As such, we strive to be (and believe that we are!) a huge part of their opportunities and successes.
As we grow and evolve our business, we don't just take new clients on, we choose them as much as they choose us. We make sure their values work with ours. Those values needn't be the same, but they must align. Because if they don't, we know, as hard as either of us tries, things probably won't end up well. And we are driven by doing things right. And good. And well.
This philosophy, this drive, this culture... it comes back. That's the beauty of it. When we're better, our clients are better. And when our clients are better, they feed our want to be even better still. It's the great vice versa. The yin and yang. It's what a truly sincere and nurturing culture does. It fuels itself. And others.
Proudly Family-Founded
Local legends, Alan and Lois Elkin, founded Advance in 1964. Since then, the Elkin family has carefully built Advance to what it is today. Watch this video, produced for Advance's 50th Anniversary in 2014, to hear the incredible story of how founders, Alan and Lois built Advance through passion and care for our customers. While Alan and Lois sadly are no longer with us, the passion and culture that they devoted their lives to building continues to be the bedrock of Advance's success today.

As business has transformed, Advance has remained true to an exceptional customer experience but evolved what we offer to align with the changing needs of our valued customers. The Advance team has built unparalleled services to support the needs of businesses today including best in class Managed IT and Managed Print Services offerings for our customers.
When it became clear that the next generation of the Elkin family wouldn’t be joining Advance, Jeff embarked on a mission to find the best partner to carry forward Advance's unique culture and values. After an extensive search process, Jeff found Flex Technology Group, an organization that aligned perfectly with Advance’s vision. This strategic partnership allows Advance to retain its unique culture and identity while gaining access to the extensive resources, national footprint, and manufacturer support of a much larger organization.


We Live and Breathe for the Future
Advance is committed to providing customers with environmentally conscious products and lower-impact workflows and processes. That’s why, as agents in promoting sustainability, we find ways to be greener, more productive members of the community we serve. We’re proud to say we live and breathe “green” too!
Trusted by the Maryland Community
Awards & Recognitions

Award 1

Docuware

Award 2

BBJ

ENX
2017 Baltimore Sun Top Workplaces
2015 Ricoh Service Excellence Certified Dealership
2014 The Week in Imaging Elite Dealer Award
2013 Ricoh Family Group Dealer Renaissance Award
2013 Ricoh B2C Unit Sales Award
2013 Finalist – Baltimore Sun Top Workplace Award
2013 The Week in Imaging Elite Dealer Award
2013 Finalist – Baltimore’s Best Places to Work by Baltimore Business Journal
2013 Maryland Chamber of Commerce Business Hall of Fame - Alan and Lois Elkin
2012 SmartCEO Magazine VOLT Award Nominee
2012 The Week in Imaging Elite Dealer Award
2012 Alan Elkin - Hunt Valley Business Forum's Business Person of the Year
2012 Lois Elkin - Women in Business Intra-Club Trailblazer Honors
2012 DocuWare Diamond Club Member
2011 Office DEALER Magazine’s Elite Dealer Award
2011 imageSource Magazine's Perfect Image Award
2011 Baltimore Magazine's Best Places to Work
2011 DocuWare Diamond Club Member
2010 Office DEALER magazine’s Elite Dealer Award
2009 Carroll County Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year Award
2009 Finalist – Baltimore’s Best Places to Work by Baltimore Business Journal
2009 Office DEALER magazine’s Elite Dealer Award
2008 Ichiban Award for Excellence from Savin for Highest Revenue in 2007
2008 Lois Elkin, Business Person of the Year Award from Delta Sigma Pi, Baltimore Chapter
2008 Alan Elkin, Delta Sigma Pi Career Achievement Award
2008 Office DEALER magazine’s Elite Dealer Award
2008 DocuWare Diamond Club Member
2007 Savin Corporation President’s Award
2007 Savin Corporation Marketplace of the Year
2007 Office DEALER magazine’s Elite Dealer Award
2007 Baltimore Business Journal’s Top Private Companies
2007 Alan Elkin, University of Baltimore’s Virtuoso Award
2006 Office DEALER magazine’s Elite Dealer Award
2006 Savin Corporation President’s Award
2006 Savin Corporation Marketplace of the Year Award
2006 Baltimore’s Best Places to Work by Baltimore Business Journal
2006 Alan and Lois Elkin, National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Champion of Hope Honorees
Alan and Lois Elkin, Baltimore County Chamber of Commerce 2007 Business Hall of Fame Inductees
2005 Lois Elkin, Baltimore Smartwoman Magazine Bravo! Entrepreneur Award
2005-2006 Konica Minolta Corporation Pro-Tech Service Quality Award for Excellence
2005 Savin Corporation President’s Award
2005 Office DEALER magazine’s Elite Dealer Award
2004 Savin Corporation Dealership Performance Award, B2C Sales
Alan and Lois Elkin, Co-Chairs, Baltimore Zoo Zoomerang
2004 Lois Elkin, Maryland’s Top 100 Women by The Daily Record
2004 Konica-Minolta Corporation, Honor Council and Outstanding Achievement Award
Champion of Children Award from Casey Cares Foundation
2004 Office DEALER magazine’s Elite Dealer Award
2003 Maryland Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year Award
2003 Savin Corporation Marketplace of the Year Award
2003 Savin Corporation Dealership Performance Award
2003 Konica-Minolta Top Achievers Program
American Red Cross Disaster Relief Operations, Citation for Outstanding Support during Hurricane Isabel
2002 Savin Corporation Marketplace of the Year Award
2002 Savin Corporation Digital Duplicator Sales Award
Alan and Lois Elkin, Honorees, The Chimes Annual Hall of Fame Tribute
“Hearts of Love” Recognition Award from Aunt Hattie’s Place Inc.
2002 Savin Corporation Dealership Performance Award
2001 Savin Corporation Dealership Performance Award
2001 Lois Elkin, Top 500 Women-Owned U.S. Businesses Working Woman magazine
2001 Lois Elkin, Maryland’s Top 100 Women by The Daily Record
2001 Alan and Lois Elkin, Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Maryland-Business Products Category
2000 Savin Corporation Dealer Performance in Excellence Award
2000 Savin Corporation Digital Duplicator Sales Award
Business Philanthropy Award Nominee, Maryland Chamber of Commerce
2000 Lois Elkin, Top 500 Women-Owned US Businesses Working Woman magazine
1999 Lois Elkin, Top 500 Women-Owned US Businesses Working Woman magazine
1999 Lois Elkin, Maryland’s Top 100 Women by The Daily Record
1998 Savin Corporation Dealer Performance in Excellence Award
National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Leadership Award
1997 Better Business Bureau Torch Award for Ethics in Business
1997 Alan and Lois Elkin, Nominees, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year
1995 Alan and Lois Elkin, Nominees, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year
1995 Minolta Corporation Dealer of the Year
1994-2003 Minolta Corporation Pro-Tech Service Quality Awards for Excellence
1994 Minolta Corporation Dealer of the Year
1985 Lois Elkin, Woman of the Year Award, National Association of Women Business Owners, Baltimore Chapter
1978-2003 Minolta Corporation, Honor Council
Get in touch with Advance today.
