OPI TALK (opitalk)

OPI Talk speaks with Tricia Judge, a leading authority on remanufacturing in the imaging supplies industry.

14 April 2022 is Global Reman Day, a worldwide initiative to promote and raise awareness of the remanufacturing industry across many sectors – including imaging equipment and consumables.

To mark this occasion, the guest on this episode of OPI Talk is Tricia Judge, Executive Director of the International Imaging Technology Council. Tricia is a globally recognised authority in the imaging supplies channel and a strong advocate of remanufacturing.

Topics covered include the state of the remanufacturing industry, pressures from OEMs and newbuild cartridge producers, and environmental issues.

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With 68 independent dealer members throughout the US, AOPD is an important player in the business products national accounts arena, both for the public and private sectors.

In this episode of OPI Talk, the organisation’s Executive Director Mark Leazer explains how national accounts have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and how his members are now focused on growth as we get into the final stretch of 2021.

"We’ve seen a distinct turnaround beginning in about March 2021"

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OPI Deputy Editor Michelle Sturman reveals more about OPI’s CSR mission and why this is a crucial topic for the business products industry.

The environment has been an important part of OPI’s editorial coverage for many years. Now, as OPI Deputy Editor Michelle Sturman explains, it is something that will be featured in even more depth in the future in line with our new CSR mission statement.

OPI Talk spoke to Acme United CEO Walter Johnsen shortly after the supplier’s FY2022 earnings conference call.

Johnsen gives his frank assessment of Acme’s performance in 2022, provides more details of an acquisition in Europe and discusses future acquisition possibilities.

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The OPI European Forum is taking place in Amsterdam from 22-24 May 2023, but you can listen now to three of its keynote presenters.

In this episode of OPI Talk, OPI Director Janet Bell goes through some of the highlights in store for attendees. You can also hear extracts of interviews with three high-level speakers who will be presenting and leading roundtables on key topics at the event:

• James Brown, Senior Partner & Managing Director UK at Simon-Kucher & Partners: managing pricing in an inflationary environment.
• Mick Heys, VP of Imaging & Future of WorkSpace Practice Lead at IDC EMEA: the relevance of the office and opportunities for the business products channel.
• Perry Timms, founder & Chief Energy Officer at People and Transformational HR (PTHR): tackling human resources issues and developing great teams.

These are parts of more in-depth interviews that can be found on a new OPI webinar. To watch that webinar, click here.

The early rate that offers significant discounts (in the hundreds of euros) on the standard price of attending the European Forum ends at midnight (UK time) on Sunday 30 April. Find out how to book your place on the Forum web page.

The European Forum is just one of several events that OPI is organising in the coming months. These include a number of Executive Dinners that are exclusively open to OPI’s VIP, Corporate and Ultimate members. More details of memberships can be found here.

In November, the OPI team will be heading to Chicago for the annual Global Forum, which is tailored specifically for leaders in the international workplace products segment. Registration is now open, with a $755 discount on the standard rate available until 30 June.

As Janet mentioned in the podcast, she is currently taking part in the annual retreat of the Office Products Women in Leadership (OPWIL) organisation. Any female executives who are interested in finding out more about OPWIL or are interested in joining should click on this link.

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This week’s episode of OPI Talk features two guests: Greg Gibson, VP and General Manager, North American Papers at International Paper, and Matt Dodd, Senior Executive Director of Corporate Philanthropy at City of Hope.

Gibson is this year’s National Business Products Industry’s Spirit of Life Honouree, spearheading the 2021 Sustain Hope campaign. NBPI has been supporting City of Hope for over 40 years, raising more than $220 million during that time.

This fundraising campaign has been like no other, of course, with so many physical events cancelled. One of these is the City of Hope medical research centre campus tour, typically held in February. As Dodd explains, this is being replaced by a Virtual Tour in mid-June, preceded by a final push for the NBPI’s personal giving campaign.

Gibson and Dodd talk to OPI’s Heike Dieckmann about this unique year – the challenges faced, the opportunities embraced and the progress made in terms of moving a step closer to City of Hope’s ultimate mission and focus – to eradicate cancer and diabetes.  

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When you look at what products and services businesses will need to function efficiently in a hybrid working environment, then a fit-for-purpose audio and video communications system surely makes the list.

Demand in the videoconferencing market has surged in the past couple of years and looks set for a period of sustained growth. For resellers that describe themselves as ‘solutions providers’ and want to go beyond the transactional selling of headsets and webcams, videoconferencing could be an interesting area to look at, particularly as it ties in with adjacencies such as furniture, ergonomics, acoustics, viscom and collaboration tools.

Sweden-based Konftel has specialised in B2B audio solutions for more than three decades, but is something of a ‘new kid on the block’ in videoconferencing. In this episode of OPI Talk, Andy Braithwaite speaks with Stefan Eriksson, Konftel’s Chief Marketing Officer, to find out more about the potential in this growing category.

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This week’s OPI Talk features Paddy Donnelly and Dave Bent, Group CEO and President North America respectively at ES Tech Group.

OPI’s Heike Dieckmann caught up with both for the Big Interview in the September issue of OPI. One of the many topics discussed was the vital importance of a great online customer experience. This then seamlessly led to the challenges so hotly debated particularly in the US business supplies space right now around technology and content. As this excerpt from the interview reveals, Donnelly and Bent feel very strongly about who should – and shouldn’t – be at the forefront of tech developments and why.

To read the full feature in the magazine, make sure you are subscribed to OPI.

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Our guest in this episode of OPI Talk is Darren Hayes, CEO of Quick Corporate Australia. Quick Corporate is the third largest B2B business supplies operator in the Australian market; it’s also the largest member of the Office Choice dealer group. 

OPI’s Heike Dieckmann spoke to Darren for an interview in the forthcoming May/June issue of OPI. Topics, following an overview of Quick Corporate and the Australian market post much consolidation, include the pressing need among the independent dealer community to cooperate more, particularly as regards logistics.

This is an excerpt from the interview. For more in-depth information and to read the full feature in the magazine, make sure you are subscribed to OPI.

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OPI speaks to Mike Tucker about IOPFDA’s new relationship with cleaning association ISSA.

Towards to the end of last year, it was confirmed that the Independent Office Products and Furniture Dealer Alliance (IOPFDA) – which includes NOPA – had merged with worldwide cleaning association ISSA.

OPI News Editor Andy Braithwaite caught up with IOPFDA Executive Director Mike Tucker for more details of this partnership and what it means for IOPFDA and its members.

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In this episode of OPI Talk, NPD’s Leen Nsouli discusses the back-to-school (BTS) season and year-to-date performance of the office supplies sector in the US.

Nsouli looks at some of the reasons for the challenging BTS sales picture during August, the continued share gains in the online channel and the potential for environmentally friendly products.

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In this final OPI Talk of 2021, OPI CEO Steve Hilleard and News Editor Andy Braithwaite discuss some of the main events and stories of the past year and look ahead to what we might expect in the business products industry in 2022.

The latest office breakroom trends with Office Snax CEO Todd Elmers.

Pre-COVID, breakroom had developed into a key category for many office supplies resellers. The bottom fell out of the market virtually overnight when the pandemic forced most offices to close.

Now, as offices begin to reopen, resellers will be banking on a return to growth of the breakroom category. But will things be the same as before? What new breakroom trends might emerge post-COVID?

In this episode of OPI Talk, Andy Braithwaite catches up with Todd Elmers, CEO of Office Snax, a leading distributor of breakroom products into the office products channel. The company was in the news recently after it acquired the snack and candy business of Advantus, and consolidation is one of the topics that Todd addresses in this podcast.

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As this podcast goes out at the end of July 2021, we are right in the middle of the quarterly earnings reporting season. Many businesses are seeing strong improvements versus last year – when earnings were hit by COVID lockdowns – and one such company is ACCO Brands, where organic growth was more than 20% year on year, with the EMEA region growing by over 50%.

About an hour after ACCO’s analyst conference call had finished, OPI News Editor Andy Braithwaite had the opportunity to speak with CEO Boris Elisman about the company’s results and some of the trends he is seeing.

Topics covered included: taking share in EMEA, Brexit, supply chain issues, back-to-school replenishment, local manufacturing, the recovery in the B2B channel, continued growth in the e-commerce channel, opportunities in the wellness category and learning to live with COVID despite the rise of the Delta variant in many of ACCO’s markets.

All packed into 20 minutes!

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Andy Braithwaite is joined by OPI Director Janet Bell to look at the upcoming OPI Global Forum taking place in Chicago.

It promises to be another excellent OPI Global Forum, with a packed and relevant programme awaiting delegates who will gather at the Swissotel in Chicago from 5-7 November.

In this episode of OPI Talk, OPI’s Janet Bell discusses some of the Forum’s highlights, including the hot topic of AI.

There is a discounted delegate rate for the Global Forum that expires on 6 October. To take advantage of this, head over to the event’s website for more details.

The full agenda of the Forum can be found here.

www.opi.net/gf2023

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There were several awards presentations at Industry Week '21 in Orlando. In addition to the North American Office Products Awards (NAOPA), Independent Suppliers Group (ISG) recognised its top suppliers, while the Business Solutions Association (BSA) held its annual awards.

OPI CEO Steve Hilleard spoke to several of the awards winners: Christoph Skopek from COLOP, Yancey Jones Sr and Hunter Jordan, all of whom took home NAOPA trophies; Avery was named ISG Supplier of the Year; while S.P. Richards (SPR) CEO Mike Maggio was presented with the BSA Leadership Award.

They give their views on Industry Week and also some of the key issues in the independent dealer channel.

We also hear from SPR’s Nick Lomax on some of the latest trends and opportunities in the jan/san category.

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OPI Talk speaks to mother and daughter duo Kim Leazer and Beth Freeman, part of the leadership team at family-owned US independent dealer FSI Office.

The two ladies represent the second and third generations at FSI, which was founded by Jimmy and Diane Godwin back in 1962. Among other things, they talk about generational change, renewing sales teams, women leaders in the business products industry, and the recent acquisition of wholesaler S.P. Richards.

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How did the pandemic impact the US office supplies retail channel in 2020, and what are the opportunities for resellers in 2021?

In this episode of OPI Talk, Leen Nsouli, the Industry Analyst for The NPD Group’s Office Supplies division, discusses results of the firm’s research into the retail channel in 2020.

She also looks ahead to opportunities for the 2021 back-to-school season and highlights other market trends that office products resellers ought to be focusing on.

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A series of interviews from the show floor at Ambiente 2024 in Frankfurt, Germany.

Mega consumer products show Ambiente took place in the German city of Frankfurt at the end of January. Following the demise of Paperworld as a standalone event in Frankfurt, this was the second year that Ambiente had included a special Working section for the traditional office products segment.

OPI News Editor Andy Braithwaite spoke to a number of exhibitors to get their impressions of Ambiente Working and for a general business update. The podcast concludes with the thoughts of Messe Frankfurt’s Julia Uherek.

The exhibitors featured are: Acme United, Novus-Dahle, Durable, Djois, Hopax, Tesa, and Edding.

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On 5-6 May, OPI will be holding its annual Global Forum, an interactive forum for key industry leaders in Europe, North America and beyond to debate and define the future of the OP sector.

A virtual event this year due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Global Forum Online has been specially put together to help business leaders develop strategies to succeed in a post-pandemic world.

In this episode of OPI Talk, News Editor Andy Braithwaite speaks to OPI CEO Steve Hilleard about the forum’s programme and why it is an event not to be missed.

More details about the OPI Global Forum Online can be found by clicking here.

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Leading Scottish independent dealer Langstane has been celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2022.

To mark that occasion, and to find out how Langstane has been dealing with recent market challenges, the guest on this episode of OPI Talk is the company’s Managing Director Colin Campbell.

Campbell talks about the Scottish business products market, how Langstane has diversified its product and service offering and customer base, current inflationary and macroeconomic pressures… and what he thinks of England’s chances at the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar!

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OPI speaks to Richard Scharmann, this year’s recipient of the Industry Achievement award at the 2021 European Office Products Awards.

OPI News Editor Andy Braithwaite caught up with Richard shortly after he was presented with his award. They spoke about what the award meant to him, how PBS has navigated the COVID crisis, market trends and recent acquisitions. Richard also gave his views on the dismantling of the Staples and Office Depot businesses in Europe.

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Jan Van Belleghem on why sustainability is core to the development of Interaction’s Q-Connect brand.

European distributor alliance Interaction recently announced an initiative called Q-Conscious. OPI speaks to its Managing Director Jan Van Belleghem to find out more.

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OPI Talk spoke with Boris Elisman straight after ACCO’s FY2022 earnings conference call.

Last Thursday, 24 February, ACCO Brands published its Q4 and FY2022 earnings. In what was a year of two halves, the business products supplier managed to achieve organic sales growth despite a slowdown in consumer-related channels and a soft market for gaming products.

In this podcast, Elisman, who is the 2023 Spirit of Life honouree, talks about the start to this year’s City of Hope fundraising efforts, ACCO’s performance last year, its new restructuring programme, and some of the market trends he is seeing.

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The March 2023 issue of OPI magazine will feature the inaugural Influential Women in the Business Products World list.

To mark the occasion, the issue also includes a Big Interview with Beth Wright, Chief Commercial Officer at leading vendor, Fellowes Brands.

In this Big Interview ‘teaser’ podcast, OPI CEO Steve Hilleard talks to Beth about how she got started in the business supplies sector, her rise to her current role at Fellowes and why there are so few women in leadership roles in the industry.

Recently on the opi.net news service, we reported on the acquisition of leading US dealer Source Office & Technology by The Supply Room.

OPI News Editor Andy Braithwaite caught up with Source founder John Givens and The Supply Room COO Yancey Jones Jr to learn more about the transaction and discuss The Supply Room’s growth strategy.

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The guest on this episode of OPI Talk is Alex Dunn, Managing Director of UK dealer group Superstat.

Superstat has just introduced an initiative called the Sales Academy, which aims to help sales professionals in the business products industry develop their selling strategies and skills.

The conversation with Alex touches upon the Sales Academy, but is mainly focused on the challenges sales people have had to face over the past year and what some of the permanent changes to their role may be post-COVID.

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Our guest in this episode of OPI Talk is Simon Drakeford, CEO of the UK’s EO Group. Simon has been at the helm of this multi-faceted but deeply technology-rooted company for about 14 years. Fiercely passionate about the business supplies industry, he also extends that involvement beyond EO Group with his current Chairmanship of UK trade federation BOSS. 

 OPI’s CEO Steve Hilleard recently caught up with Simon for our Big Interview in the July/August issue of OPI. This is an extract from the interview. For more information on topics such as EO Group’s latest financial results, the continued – and impressive – resilience of the independent dealer channel and ongoing progress at BOSS, make sure you are subscribed to OPI.

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With Paperworld set to return as a physical event in January 2022, OPI catches up with Messe Frankfurt’s Julia Uherek.

You don’t need us to tell you that the business products events calendar has been turned on its head by COVID.

One company that has been in the firing line is Messe Frankfurt, organiser of the Paperworld brand of shows around the world. However, after months of Zoom and Teams calls and online events, we are slowly starting to see a return to in-person conferences and shows.

Our guest on this episode of OPI Talk is Julia Uherek, recently appointed as Vice President of Consumer Goods Fairs at Messe Frankfurt. She talks about how Messe Frankfurt has been coping with the impact of the pandemic, some of its digital initiatives and what we can look forward to at the next Paperworld show in Frankfurt at the end of January 2022.

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Earlier this month, POS data and market intelligence firm The NPD Group released some eye-catching numbers for the US office supplies industry in 2021. Revenue increased by 11% versus 2020 to $14.5 billion, a figure that was also 12% higher than pre-pandemic 2019.

In this episode of OPI Talk, Andy Braithwaite speaks to NPD Industry Analyst Leen Nsouli about those 2021 results.

What were the drivers behind the double-digit growth two years in a row? What were some of the key category highlights? Was there any share shift between online and bricks-and-mortar? What can we expect in 2022?

Listen to the interview to discover the answers to these questions, and more!

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Discussing the importance of data with Lars Faustmann from HP Inc.

In this episode of OPI Talk, OPI CEO Steve Hilleard speaks with Lars Faustmann, Digital Transformation Manager at HP Inc in Europe.

The focus of their conversation is the role of data in driving the customer experience and what this means for HP and its channel partners. Lars also explains the rationale behind HP’s new Amplify partner programme.

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The guest in this episode of OPI Talk is Boris Elisman, CEO of ACCO Brands.

ACCO has recently announced a significant acquisition, buying video games accessories manufacturer PowerA in a deal worth up to $400 million. This is part of a strategy to transform ACCO into a consumer products-oriented branded supplier.

With this in mind, OPI News Editor Andy Braithwaite asks Boris about how he views the office products channel, given the secular declines in many core categories and the challenges thrown up by the COVID-19 crisis…

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A closer look at ACCO Brands’ Q2 2022 performance with the company’s CEO Boris Elisman.

ACCO Brands reported its second quarter 2022 earnings on 9 August. Shortly after the manufacturer’s analyst conference call had ended, OPI’s Andy Braithwaite spoke with ACCO CEO Boris Elisman about the results and some of the main issues and trends in ACCO’s key markets.

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The third and final podcast from the recent Industry Week ’21 in Orlando focuses on two key figures from the event’s organiser, Independent Suppliers Group.

Chairman Jordan Kudler and CEO Mike Gentile give their reaction to the first-ever Industry Week and discuss some of the key issues in the independent dealer channel with OPI CEO Steve Hilleard.

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Lyreco Germany’s Falko Köhler is making something of a name for himself in the business products industry.

Following an impressive appearance at last year’s OPI European Forum Online and a place in OPI’s 30 Under 30 feature, the now-31-year-old was presented with the 2022 Young Professional of the Year prize at March’s European Office Products Awards (EOPA).

In his EOPA acceptance speech, Köhler said: “We need to push a dusty industry into the digital era.”

In this episode of OPI Talk, Andy Braithwaite asks Köhler to elaborate on this statement, and for his views on the industry from a younger person’s perspective.

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For procurement departments, sustainability and corporate social responsibility criteria are increasingly playing an important role in supplier selection. Global business products reseller Lyreco has a strong track record in these areas, and last year launched its Circular Economy Pledge, a five-year project that aims to develop fully circular solutions for its customers.

Following on from last November’s article in the How to… section of OPI’s Green Thinking special issue, OPI News Editor Andy Braithwaite caught up with Isabelle Daubney, Lyreco’s Circular Economy Project Leader, to speak more about the Circular Economy Pledge project and other sustainability priorities at Lyreco.

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The Big Interview in the special 30th anniversary issue of OPI – which will be published shortly – is none other than Mike Gentile, CEO of Independent Suppliers Group (ISG), the US’s – and the world’s – largest cooperative for independent resellers in the business supplies community.

In this episode of OPI Talk, you can listen to extracts from that Big Interview, which was conducted by OPI CEO Steve Hilleard.

• How has ISG benefitted from the dealer group merger that took place just over two years ago?
• How did the group and its members handle the COVID-19 pandemic?
• What’s new with ISG’s EPIC Business Essentials national accounts programme?
• What does Gentile think about the breadth of product that wholesalers sell into the independent dealer channel?
• What could recent developments at the US big-box players mean?

Listen to this podcast to find out the answers to these questions, and more!

And make sure you read the September issue of OPI magazine for the complete interview.

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On 4 May 2021, US-based independent dealer Guernsey celebrates its 50th year in business.

To help mark the occasion, OPI CEO Steve Hilleard talks to Guernsey founder and CEO David Guernsey, a man who has had an immense impact on the business supplies industry, not just in the US, but globally.

In this episode of OPI Talk, Dave chats about the trials and tribulations of being an independent dealer spanning five decades, including the milestones, the highs and lows, the pandemic, the future of the IDC and the wider industry, and much more.

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As the US state of Arizona sweltered in temperatures exceeding 110°F (43°C), OPI Talk spoke to Ian Wist, General Manager of leading independent dealer Wist Business Products and Equipment – which is headquartered near Phoenix.

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On 9 August, ACCO Brands CEO Boris Elisman announced he would be retiring as CEO of the company effective 1 October, with COO Tom Tedford stepping up to succeed him.

Elisman has been with ACCO for 18 years, the past ten as CEO, and has been a regular guest on OPI Talk over the past three years – indeed, no one has taken part more times than him.

In this episode, recorded on 14 August, Elisman looks back over his time at ACCO, reflecting on how the company has changed and navigated the ever-evolving market conditions. He also gives his take on current business trends and ACCO’s performance in the second quarter.

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With cleaning and hygiene taking on even greater importance since the COVID pandemic, one way of driving productivity and efficiency gains is through a better understanding of data.

In this episode of OPI Talk, Nancy Farrell, Senior Product Manager, Tork Services & Solutions at Essity discusses how data-driven cleaning benefits both facilities managers and frontline cleaners.

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The Business Solutions Association in the US recently named TOPS Products’ Bill Cardone as this year’s recipient of its Lifetime Achievement award.

Cardone has been involved in business products sales since 1987 and has seen a lot of changes over the decades. One thing that hasn’t changed in all that time is his passion for the industry and its people.

In this episode of OPI Talk, Cardone looks back at some of the people who have inspired him during his career, describes some of the key changes he has seen in the industry and gives his take on the state of the market today.

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This week’s episode of OPI’s podcast, OPI Talk, is all about sustainability and how to improve a company’s environmental credentials.

OPI Deputy Editor Michelle Sturman speaks with The Planet Mark Head of Business Development Jonathan Withey, an expert on sustainability who also has in-depth knowledge of the business supplies industry.

He discusses the journey to becoming more sustainable, how to reduce your carbon footprint and aim for net zero, the benefits of social value, the rise of plastics, and employee engagement.

The podcast features exclusive extracts from the Big Interview conducted with Jonathan for the November/December issue of OPI. Read the interview here.

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Leading consumer and business products vendor ACCO Brands recently reported its 2023 financials.

In this episode of OPI Talk, Andy Braithwaite caught up with ACCO CEO Tom Tedford to discuss the 2023 results as well as some recent developments at the company – including its divisional restructure and some category exits.

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Alan Calder, Marketing Manager at Nemo Office Club, talks about his group’s Keep It Local campaign.

The COVID-19 pandemic put a renewed focus on buying from local businesses and supporting local communities. Even before that, UK dealer group Nemo Office Club had been fighting the buy local corner. Now, it has taken things further by establishing a longer-term campaign called Keep It Local and will shortly be running the very first Keep It Local week.

OPI’s Andy Braithwaite caught up with Nemo Office Club Market Manager Alan Calder to find out more about the campaign and look at some of the issues impacting the buy local movement.

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In the final OPI Talk podcast of 2022, Andy Braithwaite catches up with Charlie Kennedy, winner of the Professional of the Year prize at the 2022 North American Office Products Awards.

Charlie discusses some of the opportunities in the US independent dealer channel, the priorities at his dealership, Kennedy Office, and his role as Chair of the Independent Office Products and Furniture Dealers Association.

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OPI Talk catches up with Acme United CEO Walter Johnsen following the release of the company’s Q2 earnings.

Johnsen gives his take on a number of market areas and trends, including this year’s back-to-school season, the state of the economy, reducing supply chain risk and the office products channel.

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Our guest in this episode of OPI Talk is Greg Liénard, CEO of Lyreco. Greg – a long-standing company executive – has been at the helm of the global business supplies reseller since July 2019. During the past 18 months or so, he’s certainly had his work cut out, first continuing on the transformation path that his predecessor set out and then dealing with a global pandemic while at the same time putting a new long-term strategic plan in place.

OPI’s Heike Dieckmann caught up with Greg just before Christmas for a chat that formed the basis of our Big Interview in the January/February issue of OPI. This is an excerpt from this interview. For more information on topics such as Lyreco’s global footprint – and why it exited markets such as Canada and Australia – plus its five new strategic pillars, make sure you are subscribed to OPI, so you can ready the full feature in the magazine.

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In the second episode of OPI Talk with Fellowes Brands’ Head of European Marketing for Workplace Health Solutions Louise Shipley, the discussion revolves around hybrid working.

The term ‘hybrid working’ is a relatively new phrase related to when employees will work in the office, home or elsewhere, and is widely believed to be the future of working post-COVID.

In this conversation with OPI CEO Steve Hilleard, Louise delves into what this means for employers moving forward. She also explains the role our industry’s resellers can play in supporting customers with a hybrid working set-up, as well as the potential commercial opportunities.

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In March 2024, the US General Services Administration awarded contracts for its Commercial Platforms Programme. Along with household names Amazon Business, Staples and Grainger, four small businesses were also given awards.

OPI Talk spoke with two of these: San Diego-based Pacific Ink, led by Jaime and Alex Mautz, and Glass Commerce, a Silicon Valley start-up founded by Paola Santana.

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In this episode of OPI Talk, OPI CEO Steve Hilleard speaks to Mike Booth, Global Market Director for Air Treatment at Fellowes Brands.

The conversation couldn’t be timelier as companies seek to figure out how to return to the office safely, following more than a year of dealing with COVID-19.

As coronavirus is an airborne transmitted virus, the critical need for 'smart' air cleaners that use HEPA filters to enhance the air quality in shared work, education and public spaces has never been more vital.

Mike, one of the leading experts in the field, explains the importance of air filtration, especially in light of the pandemic, answers the questions that customers are asking, and details the opportunities the air treatment category offers business supplies resellers.

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If you are an OPI subscriber, you should have seen or even received the latest issue of OPI magazine, which is our annual Green Thinking issue.

In keeping with that sustainability theme, for this podcast, News Editor Andy Braithwaite spoke with Bernhard Cantzler, the Marketing and Sales Director for Mondi’s Uncoated Fine Paper (UFP) business in the EMEA region.

While many are quick to point out the environmental benefits of paper, this podcast covers some of the thornier issues related to papermaking, including the use of recycled versus virgin fibres, processes such as de-inking and bleaching, and the use of carbon offsetting to achieve sustainability goals.

More on Mondi UFP’s sustainability initiatives can be found here.

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OPI Talk speaks with Beth Langley, Out-of-Home Director for Nespresso Professional in the UK & Ireland.

Beth Langley joined Nespresso Professional at the beginning of 2021 – certainly an ‘interesting’ time for the away-from-home coffee segment against the backdrop of COVID restrictions and office closures.

The situation is gradually improving, but there are still concerns about the Delta variant which is delaying the return to the office in some places. In addition, what will the hybrid workplace mean for coffee consumption in the office?

In this episode of OPI Talk, Langley discusses Nespresso Professional’s go-to-market strategy in the UK & Ireland and looks at some of the opportunities in the office coffee space: these include evolving consumer tastes, e-commerce sales, co-working and sustainability.

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OPI catches up with Mike Gentile shortly before he steps down as CEO of leading US dealer group ISG.

Earlier this year, Mike Gentile announced he would be leaving ISG after almost 20 years at the organisation, most of that time as CEO.

In this interview, recorded at ISG’s headquarters in November, Gentile reveals what his future plans are, looks back at the highlights of his tenure at the dealer group, and gives his thoughts on some of the key issues impacting the independent dealer channel in the US.

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Welcome to the first of three episodes of OPI Talk featuring interviews conducted by OPI CEO Steve Hilleard at Industry Week ’21, powered by ISG.

Steve managed to get on the first flight from London to Orlando following the easing of travel restrictions into the US on 8 November, meaning he was able to attend this highly anticipated event.

During the vendor expo, he worked the show floor and recorded interviews with a wide range of attendees.

In this episode, you’ll hear from ECI’s Brian Bowerfind, Clem Restaino from Zebra Pen, Rosemary Czopek of California dealer Gorilla Stationers, industry veteran Paul Ventimiglia and the City of Hope’s Matt Dodd.

Steve asked them for their takeaways from Industry Week and then discussed a number of key topics, such as e-commerce, sustainability, attracting young talent and the City of Hope.

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Desktop and surfaces cleaning specialist AF International believes that its longstanding commitment to the environment is its ‘best-kept secret’.

In this episode of OPI Talk, Andy Braithwaite speaks to the manufacturer’s Paul Hardy to find out more. Paul also looks at some key trends in the cleaning market and the opportunities in the category for resellers.

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The North American Office Products Awards are back!

After a break in 2020, OPI is delighted to confirm that the 2021 North American Office Products Awards (NAOPA) will take place during Industry Week ’21 being held from 7-12 November in Orlando, Florida.

OPI is now accepting entries and nominations for the nine NAOPA categories.

What are the categories? Who can enter these awards? Why should I even enter? What is the judging process?

OPI Director Janet Bell answers these questions – and many more – in this episode of OPI Talk, hosted by OPI News Editor Andy Braithwaite.

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OPI Talk speaks to Ken Sweder following the closing of the transaction that has brought together leading US facilities and jan/san distributors BradyIFS and Envoy Solutions.

The biggest deal this year in the jan/san distribution space is undoubtedly the one that has created a $5 billion group in the US – known, for the time being at least, as BradyIFS + Envoy Solutions.

Leading the combined companies is Ken Sweder, and OPI News Editor Andy Braithwaite had the pleasure of catching up with him on a Teams call less than two weeks after the merger had been completed to find out what his plans are.

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Acme United had another record quarter at the start of 2021 as its revenue surged by more than 20% year on year.

Yet, despite this, the company’s sales to key office products customer groups – superstores, wholesalers and independent dealers – were each down by more than 20%. Why was that?

In this episode of OPI Talk, OPI News Editor Andy Braithwaite discusses these results with Acme CEO Walter Johnsen. Walter also offers some advice on what these channel players could be doing to improve their customer experience, and looks ahead to better times as more workers return to the office.

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Effective 1 October 2021, the Printing Papers division of International Paper became a standalone publicly traded company called Sylvamo. With a manufacturing presence on three continents, Sylvamo’s annual sales are more than $3 billion.

OPI Talk spoke to Gerald Demets (Sales and Marketing Director) and Wim Dootselaere (Head of Marketing, Product Management and Development) from Sylvamo’s European operations. As well as introducing Sylvamo, they provided insight into some of the key trends and opportunities in the office paper market.

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The guest on this episode of OPI Talk is Adriano Alessio, Managing Director of the country’s last remaining B2B independent dealer group, In Ufficio.

Adriano Alessio has been a key figure in the Italian office products market for the past 25 years, both as Managing Director of In Ufficio and as President of the now-defunct trade association AIFU.

In this OPI Talk interview, Alessio discusses the impact of COVID on the Italian business products sector, talks about his efforts to help In Ufficio members evolve to changing market conditions and looks at whether AIFU could be revived.

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OPI Talk speaks with Ben Jarvis, Product Manager at ECI Software Solutions.

The stakes have never been higher for independent resellers to have robust technology tools for both customer-facing transactions and back-office productivity efficiencies.

With this in mind, this episode of OPI Talk features Ben Jarvis, Product Manager at ECI Software Solutions in the UK. He gives his take on how dealers stack up on the technology front, provides insight into recent category trends, and offers tips on how resellers can make the most of the tools they have at their disposal.

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Early 2020 saw the unprecedented mass migration to homeworking due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As many offices and businesses remain closed, just what are the implications for those remote workers in terms of comfort, safety, and productivity?

In this first of a series of three podcasts, OPI CEO Steve Hilleard talks to leading expert and Fellowes Head of European Marketing for Workplace Health Solutions Louise Shipley about this new way of working and its impact on employee health and well-being.

Louise also details the opportunities that exist for business supplies dealers to support those companies that still have a majority home-based workforce, and what the ‘new normal’ means in terms of legislation and an employer’s duty of care obligations.

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What are the priorities for Amazon Business UK? Why did a large public sector customer turn to Amazon Business during the COVID-19 crisis?

Listen to this OPI Talk podcast as Dave Brittain, Head of Amazon Business UK, and Paul Ashby, Strategic Procurement Manager at Oxfordshire County Council, answer these questions and more during conversations with OPI News Editor Andy Braithwaite.

This 20-minute podcast features extracts from those two interviews, conducted during the Amazon Business ABX conference in October. For a more comprehensive write-up and analysis, including thoughts on how the contract channel for office products might evolve, please read this article on the OPI website.

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There have been a couple of big stories in the European aftermarket print supplies channel in the past few weeks.

First, it was announced that the European Commission had rejected a Voluntary Agreement for the imaging equipment sector, saying the proposals didn’t go far enough in terms of sustainability targets. That means the EU will now draft its own legislation for the sector.

And then, shortly after that, Clover Imaging announced it was pulling out of the European market, with almost immediate effect.

What does all this mean for the remanufacturing industry in Europe? Well, that is something that OPI News Editor Andy Braithwaite recently discussed with Gerwald van de Gijp and Bob Reynolds of Armor Print Solutions.

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OPI's editorial team, along with CEO Steve Hilleard, take a look at the biggest stories and developments in the business products industry in 2020, and make their predictions for 2021.

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Writing instruments vendor uniball recently announced a rebrand of its operations in North America to uni.

As the company’s President Mike Parker says in this episode of OPI Talk, it’s more than just a name change. It’s symbolic of an ambitious strategy by uni to essentially double its sales in North America over the next five years as it looks to expand its product portfolio and grow its presence in the art and creativity categories.

Uni’s roots may go back 135 years, but it has very much a start-up mentality following the ending of a distribution agreement with Newell Brands, effective January 2020. That meant Parker – a former Fellowes exec – had to build the business out from scratch.

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Tune in to this episode of OPI Talk to hear the second part of our interview with Yancey Jones and Mike Maggio of US wholesaler S.P. Richards (SPR).

Following on from the previous episode, Yancey and Mike talk about how SPR responded to the COVID-19 pandemic and how they are encouraging more diversity at the company. They also give their thoughts on what a merger of the Office Depot and Staples retail networks in the US might mean for the company.

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OPI Talk’s Andy Braithwaite spoke to Acme United CEO Walter Johnsen on 2 March, shortly after the company’s latest earnings release that showed another record year for the supplier.

Walter talks about the challenges of doing business – both this year and last year – provides some colour on Acme’s 2021 results, gives his views on what the invasion of Ukraine might mean, and looks ahead to what might be in store for 2022.

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Vending firm Selecta now refers to itself as a ‘food tech company’ after repositioning itself in the workplace food and beverage space.

In this episode of OPI Talk, Toby Venus, Commercial Director at Selecta UK & Ireland, discusses some of the latest office breakroom trends, including the growing popularity – and sophistication – of micro markets.

Click here to read a recent opinion piece by Toby on the role of technology in creating better breakroom experiences.

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This episode of OPI Talk takes us to Canada, where we catch up with COPA President Sam Moncada.

Sam tells OPI about a recent training initiative launched by the association and then goes on to talk about the role of COPA and current trends in the Canadian business products market.

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Our guest in this episode of OPI Talk is Jeanine Goddard, Creative Director at office furniture manufacturer Bisley. Starting out, in office products terms, with steel waste paper bins, Bisley has been around for a long time and has always been known for high quality and for innovation. 

OPI’s Heike Dieckmann spoke to Goddard for a How to… guide in the March issue of OPI, discussing workplace trends as well as the essentials for employers to get right in a post-COVID office. 

This is an excerpt from the interview. For more in-depth information and to read the full feature in the magazine, make sure you are subscribed to OPI.

This episode of OPI Talk takes us to the state of California, where we speak to Steve Danziger, the founder and CEO of AAA Business Supplies and Interiors, one of the US’s most successful business products dealers.

Steve tells us about the impact that COVID-19 has had on his main customer base located in the San Francisco Bay area of California and how AAA had to come up with new solutions to market more effectively to its clients.

Then, as people start to return to the office, likely in some kind of hybrid model, what does this mean for AAA and other resellers in the independent dealer channel? And what are some of the things Steve is looking at in order to stay relevant in this ‘new normal’?

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The board of Australian dealer group Office Choice recently approved a new strategic plan. Therefore, it seemed like an opportune moment for a catch-up with the organisation’s CEO Brad O’Brien.

OPI’s Andy Braithwaite spoke to Brad about the plan, the independent dealer channel in Australia and Office Choice’s recent OPIX event, held in partnership with GNS Wholesale Stationers.

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Robert Baldrey featured in the pilot episode of OPI Talk that was recorded in July 2020. Now, 16 months later, he’s back for what is the 50th episode having recently completed his stint at Office Depot Europe following the sale of its remaining assets to RAJA – a deal that officially closed on 1 November.

In this episode, Robert talks about the impact that Staples and Office Depot have had on the European business products channel, changes brought about by COVID, and the rise of Amazon. He also looks ahead to the OPI European Forum Online on 1-2 December, at which he will be moderating a panel on dealing with the current inflationary pressures.

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Commercial furniture mega show NeoCon was back as a live event at Chicago’s theMART at the beginning of October.

One person who was there was George Ansier, Director of Sales for the US division of floor and desk protection specialist Floortex.

In this episode of OPI Talk, George discusses some of the key trends he spotted at this year’s NeoCon. He also gives his thoughts on the state of the US business supplies channel.

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OPI Talk speaks with Alain Josse, Managing Director of RAJA Office.

On 19 May 2022, European packaging, industrial equipment and business products reseller RAJA held a press conference in the French capital, Paris.

After the conference, OPI News Editor Andy Braithwaite caught up with Alain Josse, recently named as Managing Director of the RAJA Office Division, which largely consists of former assets of Staples Solutions and Office Depot Europe.

Alain provides details of the new executive board setup at RAJA, the 2021 performance of RAJA Office, the strategy for Viking – acquired in the final quarter of 2021 – and how RAJA plans to grow in the contract space.

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Economic problems, social unrest, spiralling unemployment, corruption scandals, and then COVID. You might be forgiven for thinking that running a business supplies dealer group in South Africa was a thankless task.

But where there’s a will, there’s a way. Dealer marketing organisation Inovocom has come through the pandemic with the vast majority of its larger members still up and running and adapting to the ‘new normal’.

In this episode of OPI Talk, Inovocom’s co-founder and Director Craig Noyle provides a great overview of the trading context in South Africa, and how his group and its members are rising to the challenge.

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OPI’s first chance to speak with incoming ISG CEO James Rodgers.

It’s all change at the top of ISG, the biggest business products dealer group in the US, with long-time CEO Mike Gentile set to retire in a few weeks’ time.

Succeeding him is 44-year-old James Rodgers, who joins the organisation following a successful career charging up through the ranks in both the office and facilities products distribution channels.

In a visit to the ISG head office near Chicago (IL), OPI News Editor Andy Braithwaite had the opportunity to speak to Rodgers and ask him for his early impressions of the group and his thoughts on the independent dealer channel.

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In this episode of OPI Talk, OPI News Editor Andy Braithwaite catches up with two executives from Staples’ US Retail operations: Amy Lang, SVP Strategy & Insights, and Brian Coupland, SVP Retail Merchandising.

Staples has approximately 1,000 outlets in the US and recently announced it was evolving its brand to Staples Connect, with a tagline of The Working and Learning Store.

Topics discussed in this podcast include: how Staples stores had to evolve during the COVID-19 pandemic; bringing new and innovative products quickly to market; the changing role of retail; the rebranding to Staples Connect; and the importance of an omnichannel proposition.

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At the end of January, Fellowes Brands launched its New Way of Working survey to understand how employees cope with working from home.

The survey questioned 7,000 employees across Europe to discover how lockdown has affected them and the consequences on their physical and mental health.

In this final episode in the series, OPI CEO Steve Hilleard discusses the survey with leading expert and Fellowes’ Head of European Marketing for Workplace Health Solutions, Louise Shipley.

Louise delves into the results, providing a fascinating insight into how the events of the past year are expected to reshape the world of work. She also reveals the opportunities for the business supplies industry.

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2021 was a record year for ACCO as its PowerA acquisition at the end of 2020 drove annual sales over the $2 billion mark for the first time.

But it wasn’t just about PowerA. ACCO posted healthy comparable growth too, with EMEA leading the way, up by 15%, and improvements in the other two reporting regions.

In this episode of OPI Talk, OPI News Editor Andy Braithwaite looks at ACCO’s 2021 results with CEO Boris Elisman. Topics covered include key sales channels, price increases, supply chain issues and ACCO’s M&A plans.

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Stewart Superior Managing Director Geoff Betts shares his experiences of Brexit from a UK supplier’s point of view.

In this episode of OPI Talk, hosted by OPI News Editor Andy Braithwaite, Geoff talks about the preparations the company made for the end of the Brexit transition period on 1 January 2021 and what the situation has been like over the past six months.

He also refers to freight and shipping challenges, inflationary pressures and the changing landscape of the European office products reseller channel.

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OPI Talk heads to Sydney, Australia, to speak with Amie and Belinda Lyone, the new co-CEOs of leading independent dealer COS.

Since 1 September 2021, Australia’s number one independent workplace supplies reseller COS has had a new CEO. Or more precisely, two.

On this date, Amie and Belinda Lyone officially took over from their father Dominique, who founded the company in 1976, following a well-planned succession process.

While Dominque – as Chairman – focuses on strategic acquisitions and mentoring – the Lyone sisters are now running COS’s daily operations, their experience and skillsets complementing each other nicely.

In this episode of OPI Talk, Amie and Belinda discuss the CEO handover, recent acquisitions, how they have evolved COS’s product mix in the past couple of years and what the hybrid workplace will mean for the company.

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Cezary Monko, President of ACCO Brands EMEA, looks back at some of the key moments in his almost 30-year career and gives his take on the state of the industry today.

One of Cezary Monko’s first jobs was when he was hired as Sales Manager for Esselte’s fledgling Polish operations at the start of 1992.

Back then, he was pretty much a one-man band, criss-crossing the country in his car to grow the company’s customer network. Today, he is responsible for around 2,500 staff as President of ACCO Brands EMEA – which now includes Esselte following its acquisition in 2017.

In this episode of OPI Talk, Monko reflects on the key developments in the European business supplies channel over the years, including the arrival and departure of the US-owned big boxes, the rise of e-commerce and the recent impact of COVID.

You can read more about Monko’s views of the industry – past, present and future – in the bumper 30th anniversary issue of OPI magazine, which can be viewed online here.

Before you listen to the podcast, are you sure you know how to pronounce Monko’s first name, Cezary? The correct pronunciation might surprise you!

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In its capacity as an Official Supporter of the Paris 2024 Olympics, Lyreco France is delivering tens of thousands of items of office furniture to dozens of locations.

What has this meant in terms of organisation and logistics? What have been the main challenges? How is Lyreco France delivering on the project’s sustainability goals? What will it mean for the company once the Games are over?

Eric Avril, Managing Director of Lyreco France, answers these questions and more, just three weeks before the Games are due to begin.

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Stewart Superior Managing Director Geoff Betts was recognised for his outstanding contribution to the European business products sector at the recent 2022 European Office Products Awards in Amsterdam.

In this episode of OPI Talk, Betts reflects on some of the secrets of his success and gives his views on the current state of the industry – including some potentially controversial comments on procurement. He also reveals some exciting news about how Stewart Superior is helping its customers overcome supply chain challenges.

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OPI CEO Steve Hilleard and News Editor Andy Braithwaite take a look back at the main business products stories from 2022 and make some predictions on what to look out for in 2023.

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OPI Talk speaks with South African industry veteran Hans Servas as he prepares to retire as Chairman of the country’s shop-sa stationery and office products trade association.

As reported recently on the OPI website, South African trade association shop-sa has appointed a COO ahead of the retirement of its current Chairman Hans Servas at the end of this month.

Servas enjoyed a long and successful career in the country’s stationery and office products sector before taking on the Chairmanship of shop-sa in 2012. As he prepares to step down, the association will now be led by Hanlie Delport, who was brought in as its COO in April of this year.

In this podcast, Andy Braithwaite speaks to Servas about his career, some of the challenges that shop-sa has faced in the past few years and what he hopes the association will be able to achieve going forward.

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Independent Suppliers Group (ISG) CEO Mike Gentile looks ahead to Industry Week in November 2021.

With the physical events calendar having been pretty much obliterated by COVID restrictions, everyone is looking forward – and that’s an understatement – to catching up with industry colleagues and friends again in person.

A major business products event taking place in the US in November is Industry Week ‘21, the initiative that leading dealer organisation Independent Suppliers Group (ISG) has been planning for some time.

In this episode of OPI Talk, hosted by OPI News Editor Andy Braithwaite, ISG CEO Mike Gentile looks ahead to Industry Week ‘21 and what delegates can look forward to. He also discusses ISG’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and what actions the group took to help its more than 700 members. Plus, Mike gives his thoughts on the upcoming OPI Global Forum Online and the topics that are front of mind for the independent dealer community.

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OPI Talk catches up with S.P. Richards’ Mike Maggio and Yancey Jones just over a year after they led the takeover of the US wholesaler.

The first episode of this two-part podcast looks at the progress made on implementing their vision for SPR, the efforts made in moving from a catalogue-based wholesaler to a market-driven distributor and the recent brand refresh.

Look out for part 2 next week.

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Counterfeiting is big business and fake inkjet and toner cartridges – especially the latter – have long been lucrative products for criminals. At HP Inc, Glenn Jones heads the investigations team at the OEM’s Anti-counterfeit and Fraud (ACF) unit – which is responsible for millions of product seizures each year.

In this episode of OPI Talk, Jones explains the workings of the ACF programme, provides an update on the global counterfeiting issue and explains how HP is taking steps to make counterfeiters’ lives more difficult.

With 2020’s important back-to-school (BTS) season hit by COVID restrictions and school closures, there are hopes that 2021 will see something of a return to normal. Whether that will now be the case – as the Delta variant spreads in the US – remains to be seen.

Yet, as NPD analyst Leen Nsouli explains in this episode of OPI Talk, the numbers up until the middle of August have been encouraging. She provides details on some of the key category trends, talks about retail versus online and looks at some of the factors that are impacting BTS spending this year.

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In this OPI Talk podcast, we feature part of an interview that OPI CEO Steve Hilleard and News Editor Andy Braithwaite conducted with Sean Shine, CEO of Ireland-based Paragon, and Steve Horne, CEO of OT Group, the entity created following Paragon’s acquisition of those SPOT assets.

If, like many in the office products industry, you had never heard of Paragon until last year, this podcast will give you a better understanding of the group. You will also learn why it decided to acquire OfficeTeam, ZenOffice, Spicers Ireland and certain other assets, and what the underlying problems were at SPOT that forced it into administration.

Make sure you are subscribed to OPI to read more from this interview in the January/February 2021 issue of OPI magazine and online at opi.net. It will cover topics such as the strategic priorities for the OT Group, how it is responding to market conditions in the UK, adapting to work from home and dealing with Brexit, plus its new relationship with the EOSA purchasing organisation.

Note: this interview was conducted in December 2020, before it was publicised that Steve Horne will be stepping down from his role as CEO of OT Group, effective the end of March 2021.

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When UK wholesaler Spicers folded last year, it dramatically changed the balance of what had essentially been a duopoly in the market between Spicers and VOW.

One consequence is that it has opened the door for another distributor, Exertis, to play a more prominent role.

In this episode of OPI Talk, OPI News Editor Andy Braithwaite speaks with Exertis Supplies Commercial Director Raj Advani about recent developments at the company and for his thoughts on the UK independent office products channel.

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In the first OPI Talk podcast of 2022, we speak with Marcelo Podesta, President of US-based National Business Furniture.

Prior to the recent news that Marcelo Podesta is to lead two of the three new business units at international reseller Takkt following a restructuring, we had already arranged to speak with the former Officenet and Staples exec in his capacity as President of Takkt subsidiary National Business Furniture (NBF) – a role he will continue in, incidentally.

In this episode of OPI Talk, Marcelo speaks about some of the challenges he has faced since taking over at NBF in August 2020 and current trends he sees in the workplace furniture market.

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Market research firm Circana tracks the office supplies category (excluding janitorial, breakroom and storage) at leading US bricks-and-mortar and online retailers.

OPI Talk spoke to Ben Arnold, Industry Advisor, Office Supplies at Circana, to find out about latest category trends – with a focus on this year’s back-to school season, which was in full swing when the interview was recorded.

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Software provider ECI – a key partner for many business products dealers –recently announced it is to be acquired by private equity firm LGP.

Earlier this week, just before the Thanksgiving break in the US, OPI News Editor Andy Braithwaite spoke to Ron via Zoom to find out more about the transaction and for his thoughts on how the independent channel has been faring during the coronavirus crisis.

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Our guest in this episode of OPI Talk is Jeanette Bresitz, Managing Director of UK dealer group Office Friendly. 

OPI’s Heike Dieckmann spoke to Bresitz for the Big Interview in the June issue of OPI. About a year into the job at Office Friendly but with plenty of experience in our industry, she quickly addressed some simple necessities for the group’s dealer members. Throwing off the shackles of a restricted core office products offering was just one of them, an endeavour that also involves some serious conversations with the wholesale community. 

This is an excerpt from the interview. For more in-depth information and to read the full feature in the magazine, make sure you are subscribed to OPI.

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Brother UK Managing Director Phil Jones explains how his organisation has been planning for a return to the office, why it is implementing a hybrid working policy going forward and what this means for the look and feel of the company’s headquarters near Manchester.

He also issues a rallying cry to office products resellers, calling for them to ensure they are supplying the products and services customers want, and that their digital capabilities are able to meet expectations.

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