About Advanced Office Systems, Inc.
Businesses rely upon records that are crucial to their operations. As the volume of information increases, so does the challenge of managing and storing these records. The recognized leader in meeting that challenge is Advanced Office Systems, Inc. (AOS).
Founded by two inspiring entrepreneurs, AOS has its roots in the belief that anyone can lay claim to the American dream. Robert Hatfield started with nothing, growing up in a San Francisco orphanage. His wife, Kajsa, left her native Sweden as a young woman to work at the Swedish Consulate in San Francisco. They met in 1948 and were married three years later. In 1952 the couple moved to Sweden, where Bob sold office systems and equipment for Remington Rand. The Hatfields returned to the United States in 1956, and Bob worked for Remington Rand until 1970 when he decided to start his own business.
Using Bob’s office systems experience and Kajsa’s accounting background, the Hatfields started Advanced Office Systems as a microfilming service in 1971. The company grew, and in 1972 it moved from the Hatfields’ home into a downtown Lafayette office. Needing more space to accommodate increased business and services, AOS relocated to a larger facility in Concord one year later, and to its current Pike Lane location in 1985. Four years later Robert Sr. retired and Kajsa became president, starting a transition that would culminate with her retirement in 1994.
Today, the company leadership is vested in the family’s second generation. The youngest son, Gary, serves as president. David is a systems and sales specialist, Robert Jr. is the installation and service manager, and his wife, Vicki, is the company controller. AOS currently employs 40 people and has an extensive list of clients that includes businesses, local and regional government agencies, banks, hospitals, and other medical facilities. Its services and products now feature office record management systems, optical disk imaging, microfilming, and material handling equipment such as filing systems, adjustable and industrial shelving, movable files, and free-standing and modular work stations. In the late 1990s it added medical patient moving equipment such as walkers, lifts, and portable bath systems.
One of the keys to success of Advanced Office Systems is the multifaceted service it provides. “The main strength of our company has been in offering solutions to problems,” Robert Hatfield Sr. explains. Gary Hatfield elaborates: “We look at what a client is trying to store, and then come up with the most practical and cost-saving solution.” That solution involves working with the client through every step of the process: analysis, design, and installation. The job is not considered done until the client is completely satisfied.
Since 1970, clients have come to rely on Advanced Office Systems to solve their record management challenges. By making it easier for hospitals and other institutions to store and access information, AOS provides a valuable ongoing public service. By the very nature of its business, Advanced Office Systems gives back to the community, something to be expected from a company founded on the best American traditions: believing in one’s self, belief in the family, seizing opportunities, and overcoming challenges with creative persistence.
Adapted from original article in Concord’s Dynamic Half Century, Published by Heritage Media Corporation.
