OfficeMax

NAPERVILLE, Ill. — OfficeMax is taking its new Business Solutions Center store concept to Chicago’s business-rich Streeterville neighborhood later this summer. The retailer opened its first center in Milwaukee back in April to test the pilot concept. 

The currently unoccupied street-level location at 550 St. Clair St. will give the retailer 3,900-sq.-ft. of retail space where it will be able to showcase business services, solutions and products to help local entrepreneurs grow their businesses. 

Naperville, Ill. – OfficeMax has signed a lease agreement to open the first of its business solutions center concept stores in Chicago. The 3,900-sq.-ft. store, located in a currently unoccupied space at 550 St. Clair Street in the Streeterville neighborhood, will open later this summer and cater to the needs of business customers.

Special services for business customers will include enhanced technology support, marketing, document and shipping services, and expert associates.

Naperville, Ill. – OfficeMax Inc. is expanding its offering of private-label writing products by 75%. The new products include pens, mechanical pencils, highlighters and permanent markers. OfficeMax is offering more private label writing items while it is also restyling existing ones.

"Our new and re-styled OfficeMax brand writing products round out our private brand solutions to meet a variety of price points and writing needs for our customers," said Ronald Lalla, executive VP, chief merchandising officer at OfficeMax.

Office Depot has launched a new rewards program with several loyalty enhancements even as it moves closer to consummating its merger with OfficeMax.

The company’s new program, called simply Office Depot Rewards, is designed to reward shoppers for spending money, sharing information about themselves and recycling. It is a novel approach that is intended to offer a more customized approach to shoppers’ unique behaviors and preferences.

Springfield, Ill. -- OfficeMax Inc. is asking the state of Illinois for tax breaks to keep the company's headquarters in-state after the office supply chain's merger with Office Depot Inc. is complete.

OfficeMax CEO Ravi Saligram and state Sen. Tom Cullerton made their pitch Tuesday during a hearing on the state's pension crisis. Cullerton is a Villa Park Democrat sponsoring legislation to provide incentives if the company keeps at least 2,000 full-time jobs at its headquarters and other non-retail locations.

OfficeMax and Office Depot have tapped global talent management consultancy Korn/Ferry International to assist the CEO selection committee in finding a CEO for the combined company in the pending merger.

Dennis Carey, vice chairman of Korn/Ferry International, is leading the search. The CEO selection committee is co-chaired by Office Depot board member Nigel Travis, chairman and CEO of Dunkin' Brands and OfficeMax board member Jim Marino, former president and CEO of Alberto Culver Company.

Naperville, Ill. – OfficeMax Incorporated and Office Depot Inc. have hired global talent management consulting firm Korn/Ferry International to assist the search for a new CEO for the combined company that will result from the proposed OfficeMax-Office Depot merger.

The search will include both incumbent CEOs Neil Austrian of Office Depot and Ravi Saligram of OfficeMax, as well as external candidates.

Naperville, Ill. – OfficeMax shareholders will vote on a proposed merger with Office Depot on July 10, in a special meeting to be in Naperville, Ill. Shareholders of record as of May 28, 2013 are eligible to participate.

Shareholders will vote on a merger initially announced by OfficeMax and Office Depot on February 20, 2013. The merger process is ongoing and the transaction is expected to be completed by the end of this year subject to shareholder and regulatory approval.