In Memory of Paul F. Lombardi
July 18, 2017
It is with great sadness we announce the passing of Paul F. Lombardi, Principal and Chairman of the Board for Office Images Inc. Paul passed away peacefully at his home on Friday, January 22, 2016, with his family by his side, after an eleven month battle with brain cancer.
In 1995, Paul and his business partner purchased a very small office furniture dealership, Pacesetter Office Images, in Atlanta, Georgia. He had a vision for the company as a premier office furniture dealer that would ultimately secure its place as a leader in the industry and, along with his business partner, set to make the dream become reality. “Pacesetter” was reincorporated as “Office Images Inc.”. He then secured a 10-acre parcel of land in Roswell, Georgia, and over the next 2 years proceeded to build the 100k square foot showroom and warehouse facility which today is still home to Office Images Inc.
Throughout his career, Paul served on The Board of Directors for The Atlanta Chamber of Commerce; he also served as President of the Northwest Area Council, Board of Directors and Officer for the Georgia Society of CPA’s and was an honorary 40-year member of AICPA, Board of Directors at The Financial Executives Institute, Board of Directors at Atlanta Country Club, Vistage CEO member, and the Finance Committee at The Cathedral of Christ the King under Monsignor McDonough.
Here at Office Images, Paul is remembered as a leader who exemplified consummate professionalism; he was always a gentleman and was completely dedicated to his work. Paul’s door was always open to anyone who sought him out, regardless of place or position in the company. He was known for his upbeat and soft spoken persona and was always ready to find a reason to light up and chuckle when the opportunity presented itself.
From Bryan Roberts, President, and Principal:
“I worked closely with Paul for about 13 years. In the meetings we would attend together with our industry peers, the immense respect shown to him as both a gentleman and savvy businessman was always evident. Those are traits that are earned not assumed. Paul really enjoyed business strategy, and we collaborated successfully to grow Office Images. I recall one of many turning points for the company when I approached Paul with the idea of recruiting Jim Staiti, current OI Sales Executive and VP, in 2005. Paul grilled me with questions, ran multiple risk/reward scenarios, and ultimately blessed the decision. The result: we were able to change our company’s future. Paul never lost track of where Office Images started, and I know he was very proud of what we have become. I want to acknowledge that I personally owe a lot to Paul for providing me with the opportunity to pursue opportunities and a career that otherwise would not have been available to me. He loved Office Images, and we will continue to build on his work. Nothing in the world of business would make Paul happier than seeing continuing success at OI!”