Within a "Consumer Goods" section, "Business Equipment" can be understood as the class of products that enable day-to-day business operations, tools that organizations use rather than sell, and goods whose identity is rooted in their design, engineering, and manufacture, not in the retail channels through which they are purchased, as these will be covered in appropriate "Shopping & eCommerce" categories.
This section of our guide highlights the companies that develop, produce, and refine these technologies, focusing on product capability, innovation, and application rather than storefronts or distributors.
For the purposes of categorization, "business equipment" consists of light-to-medium-duty operational tools that support administrative, technical, and security functions across workplaces of all sizes. Typically, these products are engineered for reliability, precision, and high-volume use; are designed to integrate into office, institutional, or commercial workflows; manufactured by companies specializing in electronics, data handling, or workplace technology; and are distinct from furniture, hardware, or heavy industrial machinery, which will be covered in separate categories. This category captures the technology backbone of modern business environments.
Several product families fall naturally within "Business Equipment," each defined by its manufacturing expertise and functional use.
These include office supplies and equipment, such as everyday consumables and devices such as shredders, laminators, calculators, and binding machines, produced by companies focused on workflow efficiency and document handling.
They also include computers and workstations, such as desktop systems, laptops, thin clients, and small-form-factor PCs engineered for business performance, security, and manageability.
Printers, scanners, and photocopiers would also be appropriate for this section, particularly imaging and document-processing equipment manufactured by firms specializing in print engines, optical systems, and enterprise-grade output technologies.
Network and security equipment, such as access control systems, surveillance cameras, biometric devices, and small-business network hardware designed to safeguard facilities and data, are also a good fit for this part of our guide.
Nice tools, such as point-of-sale terminals, barcode scanners, label printers, dictation devices, and other category-specific technologies that support specialized workflows could be placed here, as well.
Across these segments, the emphasis remains on manufacturers and product design, not on the retailers who distribute them, although some manufacturers may also offer their products directly to business consumers.
Business equipment represents a significant portion of the global consumer-facing technology market, but its identity is distinct from general consumer electronics. These products are built for durability and long service life, supported by professional maintenance and technical ecosystems, central to the operational continuity of offices, clinics, schools, and service providers,s and often governed by industry standards for security, interoperability, and data handling. By focusing on producers rather than sellers, this category highlights the companies driving innovation in workplace technology, advancing print efficiency, imaging accuracy, device security, and workflow automation.
To maintain clarity and discourage overlap with adjacent categories, this category does not include furniture, hardware, tools, store fixtures, and heavy industrial equipment, as these will be covered in separate categories. These exclusions ensure that this category remains focused on technology-driven, office-oriented products rather than the physical infrastructure or industrial machinery.
Within the broader "Consumer Goods" taxonomy, "Business Equipment" serves as the bridge between everyday consumer electronics and specialized industrial tools. It highlights manufacturers whose products are used by businesses, but purchased through consumer-accessible channels. This keeps our larger guide coherent, avoids duplication with "Shopping & eCommerce," and preserves a clear distinction between makers and retailers.
Recommended Resources
Founded in 1902 as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, the company began as a mining venture in Two Harbors, Minnesota, but currently produces over 60,000 products, including adhesives, abrasives, laminates, passive fire protection, personal protective equipment, window films, paint protection film, electrical, electronic connecting, insulating materials, car-care products, electronic circuits, and optical films, although it is best known for Scotch Tape.
https://www.3m.com/
ACCO Brands Corporation is an American multinational company created by the 2005 merger of ACCO World from Fortune Brands with General Binding Corporation. It was originally founded in 1893 as the Clipper Manufacturing Company, producing paper clips. Today, it is a publicly traded global supplier of office, school, and consumer products that designs and distributes brands across work, learning, and play. Its brands, career opportunities, anc contacts are provided.
https://www.accobrands.com/
Avery Dennison Corporation is a US-based multinational manufacturer and distributor of pressure-sensitive adhesive materials, such as self-adhesive labels, apparel branding labels and tags, RFID inlays, and specialty medical products. Headquartered in Mentor, Ohio, the company is a member of the Fortune 500. Its website sorts its products into the following categories: Blank Labels, Custom Printing, Templates, and All Products, and offers them for sale on the company's website.
https://www.avery.com/
BOS is a Maryland-area provider of copier and printer leasing, sales, rentals, service, and document-management solutions, serving Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Northern Virginia. The company offers short-and long-term rentals, maintenance contracts, factory-certified technicians, and on-site IT integration for multi-function devices. Customer resources include driver downloads, user manuals, and step-by-step tutorial videos. Customer testimonials are provided.
https://www.beltwayos.com/
Canon Inc. is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Tokyo, specializing in optical, imaging, and industrial products, such as lenses, cameras, police equipment, scanners, printers, and semicoonductor manufacturing equipment. Product categories include Cameras, Lenses, Video, Printers, Ink/Toner/Paper, Office, and special offers. Product protection options and educational and support information is included, along with a site search and contacts.
https://www.usa.canon.com/
Fellowes Brands, Inc. is a privately held manufacturer of office equipment based in Itasca, Illinois. Founded in 1917 as the Bankers Box Company, it is currently a market leader in paper shredders and record storage products in the United States, also offering laminating and binding equipment, modular walls, business machines, commercial air purification products, and furniture, with 24 regional offices worldwide. Its business (and other) products are featured on its website.
https://www.fellowes.com/
Established as Hoffman Technologies in 1997, Item Grabber is an online supplier of commercial and facility needs products that include restaurant and commercial furnishings, commercial kitchen equipment, office and facility supplies, and technology products, including electrical supplies, tools, cleaners, safety gear, paper, binders, computers, and printing supplies. Customer support is available Monday through Friday, by chat, phone, or email. Contact details and a support form are provided.
https://itemgrabber.com/
Meezo is an online supplier of sustainable and eco-friendly products for the home and office, selling items like bamboo drinkware, biodegradable toothbrushes, coconut-shell bowls, wooden serveware, and scented candle gift sets. Meezo also offers private-label and white-label business services and products through collaborative product development with brands, and produces eco-conscious stationery and workplace items. Its process and policies are set forth on its website.
https://meezo.eco/
Previously known as NCR Corporation and National Cash Register, NCR Voyix is a global software, consulting, and technology company providing several professional services and electronic products. It produces self-service kiosks, point-of-sale software and terminals, check processing systems, thermal printers, and barcode scanners. NCR was founded in Dayton, Ohio, where it remains headquartered, in 1884, and originally manufactured the first mechanical cash register, invented by James Ritty.
https://www.ncrvoyix.com/
Nixon Hire supplies sustainable, full-service site solutions for utilities, infrastructure, construction, and renewables, specializing in site accommodation, welfare, modular buildings, and renewable power backed by service and monitoring capabilities. Its core offerings include site accommodation and welfare (portable offices, canteens, drying rooms, showers, toilet units), modular buildings, renewable power (solar mobile units, full-roof solar panels, energy storage), and other products.
https://www.nixonhire.co.uk/
Peleman Industries is a Belgian company that produces physical branding and presentation products, such as printing and binding supplies, boxes, holders, photo solutions, and personalization services, including in-house development and production across the full value chain (design to finished product), as well as options for self-service, co-creation, or fully outsources personalization. The company actively recruites resellers and exclusive distributors.
https://peleman.com/
Founded in 1920, Pitney Bowes is a US-based technology company known for its postage meters and other mailing equipment, services, and technologies. The company provides mailing, shipping, and financial services, and is a work-share partner of the U.S. Postal Service, helping the agency sort and process billions of pieces of mail annually. The company has also commissioned surveys on international e-commerce and produced copiers and fax machines until 2001, when it was spun off.
https://www.pitneybowes.com/us
Ricoh USA provides office technology, managed print and document services, adn digital business products focused on automating information workflows and improving workplace productivity. Its website emphasizes its multifunction printers and MFP technology, automation tools, cloud-managed print and print infrastructure, and industry-specific services for banking, healthcare, education, manufacturing, legal, government retail, and graphic communications.
https://www.ricoh-usa.com/
