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OfficeMax

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OfficeMax, Inc. is an American office supplies retailer founded in 1988 and headquartered in the Chicago suburb of Naperville, Illinois.

It was announced February 20, 2013, that Office Depot and OfficeMax will combine in an all-stock deal, which will create the largest U.S. office-supplies chain. On November 5, 2013, the merger was completed. The OfficeMax name continues to serve as a brand of the newly formed Office Depot, Inc.

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A Former OfficeMax on South Weber Rd in Romeoville, illinois from Google Street View in August 2008

History[]

An OfficeMax On Roosevelt Blvd In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

An OfficeMax On Roosevelt Blvd In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

On April 1, 1988, OfficeMax was founded in Cleveland, Ohio, by Bob Hurwitz and Michael Feuer. Hurwitz served as executive chairman and chief executive officer, and Feuer was the president and chief operating officer. On July 5, 1988, OfficeMax opened its first retail store in the Golden Gate Shopping Center in Mayfield Heights, Ohio; after being open for 27 years, this location closed on May 16, 2015. Hurwitz left the company in 1993 and Feuer became the chairman and chief executive officer.

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An OfficeMax in Cicero, New York.

OfficeMax grew by acquisition with Office World first in November 1990, with Office World executive and Montgomery Ward becoming minority shareholders. In 1990, Office Square stores were purchased from Kmart, in exchange for a 22% equity stake. In 1991, Kmart increased its stake in OfficeMax to 92%. In January 1992, OfficeMax acquired five sites from Highland Superstores in Boston. OW Office Warehouse, a Virginia-based regional chain, was acquired in June 30, 1992. The company then acquired BizMart, its largest acquisition (104 stores) to date, in 1993 from Intelligent Electronics. On August 16, 1993, OfficeMax joined Kmart and most of the other Kmart-owned banners in the "largest power center" Kmart operated in Utica, Michigan. OfficeMax acquired a 19% stake in Corporate Express, a contract stationer. In May 1994, Kmart put a plan in front of its stockholders to sell 20% to 30% of each of its specialty store subsidiaries shares on the open market to pay down debt and fund future expansion of the subsidiaries. Kmart's shareholders turn down the proposal at their June 3 annual meeting. In November 1994, Furniture Max store within a store concept begins testing in the Cleveland market. In 1995, Kmart sold off 51% of OfficeMax shares, spinning off the company and became a NYSE-(OMX) publicly traded corporation, based in Shaker Heights, Ohio.

On February 4, 2015, Office Depot agreed to be acquired by rival Staples for $6.3 billion. However, on December 7, the Federal Trade Commission voted to block the merger. On May 16, 2016, Office Depot announced that the merger agreement between Staples and Office Depot has been terminated.

See also[]

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