For nearly 70 years, if your business needed a Thomasville copier dealer, the answer was simple: call Rumble’s. Rumble’s Office City was a name every business owner in Thomasville, Georgia knew.

Rumble’s Office City on West Jackson Street was as much a part of Thomasville as the rose gardens and the Thomas County Courthouse. Fortson Rumble built something rare — a family business that lasted, that knew its customers, and that showed up when something broke. The company started with office supplies, grew into document management, and for decades was one of the most respected Mita and Kyocera dealers in South Georgia.

What Changed at Rumble’s Office City (As We Understand It)

Based on public information and what’s widely known around town, the business many Thomas County owners knew as Rumble’s is now operated as part of Kyocera‘s own operations rather than as the independent, family-owned dealer it once was. We aren’t party to the details of that transaction, so we won’t pretend to know them — the storefront on West Jackson Street is still there, but the local, family ownership that defined it for so long is, as we understand it, no longer part of the picture.

Fortson Rumble — by any measure a genuine pillar of his community — is no longer at the helm. In our opinion, that kind of local, owner-led leadership is hard to replace. We wish him well; he built something that lasted 70 years, and that’s not nothing.

What We Think It Might Mean for Local Businesses

If you’re a Thomas County business weighing your options, here are a few things we’d suggest asking any provider — including us — before you sign anything: When you call for service, who picks up: a local team, or a national support line? Where are pricing, contract, and service decisions actually made? And does whoever answers know your account, your machine history, and your area?

We’re an independent Thomasville copier dealer, so we obviously have a point of view here — take it for what it’s worth. But we think those are fair questions to ask anyone, and you should get the answers directly and decide for yourself. In our experience, a local family dealership and a large corporate operation simply tend to work differently, and different businesses value different things.

If your equipment is Kyocera and your service contract was with Rumble’s, it’s worth reviewing what you actually have now — who holds that contract, what the response-time commitment is, and what your options are when it expires — and whether an independent dealer is a better fit for you going forward.

Where We Fit In as a Thomasville Copier Dealer

Advanced Business Systems has served Tallahassee and South Georgia since 1984 — the same era Rumble’s was building its reputation in Thomas County. We’re family-owned and independent. We’re authorized dealers for Canon, Ricoh, and Toshiba, and we’re an authorized Kyocera printer reseller and service provider for the EcoSys printer and multifunction line.

Because we’re an independent, multi-brand dealer, you deal directly with our team rather than a national call center. If your copier or printer goes down, our technicians get moving. We cover Thomas, Grady, and Decatur counties, and we’ve been doing it long enough to know the territory.

In our opinion, the difference between an independent Thomasville copier dealer and a manufacturer-owned operation shows up most when something goes wrong. We like being independent — it means we have to earn your business every day, and we think that keeps us sharp.

What to Look For If You’re Re-Evaluating Your Copier Situation

If you were a Rumble’s customer — or you’re simply wondering whether there’s a better fit for your office — here are the things worth asking any Thomasville copier dealer before you sign:

Who actually holds my service contract, and what are the response-time commitments in writing? Some agreements guarantee next-business-day response. Others just say “commercially reasonable efforts.” Those aren’t the same thing.

Am I paying for capacity I don’t use? A lot of businesses are running equipment sized for print volumes they no longer have. A good dealer reviews your actual meter reads before recommending a machine — not after.

Will the price change at renewal? Introductory lease rates and renewal rates are often very different. Ask what the standard renewal terms look like before you sign the first one.

The Bottom Line

Thomasville had a beloved, locally-owned copier dealer for nearly 70 years. Ownership has changed, and in our opinion it’s completely reasonable for local businesses to look at their options for a Thomasville copier dealer and decide what fits them best.

If you’re in Thomasville, Cairo, Bainbridge, or anywhere in the Thomasville corridor and you’d like to talk to someone local about your office equipment — sales, service, leases, or just a second opinion on what you’re currently paying — we’re just down the road, and as a local Thomasville copier dealer, we pick up the phone.

Not sure if you’re overpaying? Upload your current lease or maintenance invoice and we’ll review it — free, confidential, no obligation.