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Kiwi Office Supplier goes Global

Published: Tue 4 Nov 2003 02:40 PM
MEDIA RELEASE
Kiwi Office Supplier goes Global
Office Products Depot, the fast growing versatile 100% Kiwi office supplier business, continues to buck the trend and has gone global on an unprecedented scale.
Office Products Depot Chairman, Keith Hunt, co-owner of the Masterton Office Products Depot dealership, has just returned from Spain where Office Products Depot signed into the US$11 billion merger of BPGI and Euro Buro, two of the largest independent dealer organisations based in the Northern hemisphere.
As part of the new BPGI, Office Products Depot is now an integral part of one of the top three office supply businesses by scale in the world and certainly among the largest in the Southern Hemisphere.
Hunt is on the Board of Managers of the newly formed BPGI entity.
Domestically, Office Products Depot’s business has more than doubled over the last three years and it is a major player in the burgeoning office supply business in New Zealand.
There are 39 Office Products Depot dealerships and 41 outlets in New Zealand.
Office Products Depot’s range includes quality general office supplies, business machines, specialist presentation and IT products, office furnishings and promotional gifts.
“We have just gone the next step to ensure that independent office supply dealerships world-wide stay ahead of the game.
“The office supply market is one of the most competitive in the world and the squeeze is on for the independents as the powerhouse conglomerates exercise their market power.
“Under this new agreement, Office Products Depot dealerships have access to 44 international vendor agreements. Year on year, our New Zealand customers profit more and more from these agreements,” Hunt said.
Hunt, who will sit on the BPGI Board of Managers as governance and operational issues are nailed down, has no illusions about the task ahead for Office Products Depot in New Zealand.
“We want to grow our share of the middle tier office supplies procurement market. It’s as simple as that.
“With the BPGI focus on growing the global marketplace, Office Products Depot’s role is to take on higher level regional leadership and build vendor agreements that are geographically suitable in terms of delivery, quality and cost.
“As a BPGI Board of Manager member, Office Products Depot has equal authority with every other member buying group. There are 20 members.
Importantly, with this level of authority we can continue to negotiate in the best interests of our suppliers, dealers and customers,” he added.
Participation on the BPGI Purchasing Committee, the buying group, is not optional – it is a contractual responsibility.
“Between me, as a BPGI Board of Managers member, and the Office Products Depot dealer in Invercargill is the Purchasing Committee. It is the ultimate low cost flat structure ensuring BPGI and the dealer the highest level of operational efficiency,” Hunt said.
Office Products Depot releases an annual catalogue. The product rewards from the latest BPGI deal will come through in the 2004 catalogue. The 2004 catalogue will be available from the end of November.
ENDS

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