Office Depot chronological
Office Depot chronological
2009
  • Office Depot and Alshaya sign a Franchise Agreement, which includes the opening of new Office Depot retail stores in several countries throughout the Middle East
  • Ground Breaking ceremony Office Depot Israel and official opening of warehouses Grossostheim (G) and Zwolle (NL)
  • Launched new Business Partner program to leverage Office Depot into new markets through Private Brand products in Norway, Denmark, Finland, Croatia, Serbia & Montenegro and expanding
  • Leading magazine OPI 2009 Green Award for Office Depot Europe
2008
  • Building and opening of new facilities Großostheim (G) and in Zwolle (NL)
  • Official opening SSC Cluj (R) for European finance back office operations
  • After successful first year TechDepot NL (three digit grower) also start-ups in UK - September, in Germany -December and in France 1st quarter 2009
  • Besides Nordic partnerships in Finland, Denmark and Norway a new business situation with AGE in Sweden
  • Announcement of future organizational direction of Office Depot Europe
2007
  • Opened first store in Puerto Rico
  • Joined U.S. Green Building Council and announced plans to build and open the Company’s first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-certified retail store
  • Office Depot UK earned Environment Award from the British Office Supplies and Services (BOSS) Industry Awards
  • Selected as one of America's Top Corporations for Women's Business Enterprises by the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) for the sixth consecutive year
  • Opened new Global Sourcing Office in Shenzhen, China
  • Named to the EPA's list of the Top 10 Retail Partners in the Green Power Partnership
  • Viking Direct named Top Supplier of Office Paper in Europe by Opticom International Research
  • Recognized as a Top Company for Female Professionals by National Association for Female Executives (NAFE)
  • 300,000 backpacks donated by Office Depot Foundation to non-profit organizations and schools; 1.5 million donated since inception of program 52,000 associates
2006
  • Announced $4.5 million in contributions to higher education
  • Selected as one of America’s Top Corporations for Women’s Business Enterprises by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) for the fifth consecutive year
  • Acquired Best Office Co., Ltd.
  • Acquired Allied Office Products
  • Acquired Papirius s.r.o.
  • Acquired AsiaEC
  • Named “Humanitarian of the Year” by Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA)
  • Launched The Green Book™ in six countries
  • Celebrated 20th anniversary Sales of $15 billion
  • 50,000 employees
2005
  • Steve Odland is appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Office
  • Office Depot is named the Official Office Products Partner of NASCAR
  • The Company sponsors the No. 99 Office Depot Roush Racing Car
  • The Taking Care of Business tagline is re-launched
  • Office Depot is the first global office supply company to be included in the FTSE4Good U.S. and Global Indexes
  • Office Depot receives the “Outstanding Retailer” award from the International Council of Shopping Centers and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • The Company launches the extensive Private Brand initiative
  • Office Depot opens its 1000th store
  • Office Depot is listed on the Companies That Care Honor Roll
2004
  • The first M2 format store opens in Venice, FL on June 30
  • Neil Austrian is appointed the Interim Chairman and CEO
  • Office Depot partners with Conservation International, NatureServe and The Nature Conservancy in establishing the Forest & Biodiversity Conservation Alliance
  • The Company launches the first free, nationwide in-store electronics recycling program and free, in-store cell phone and rechargeable battery recycling program in all store sin the U.S. and Canada
  • Office Depot releases the industry’s first independently audited Environmental Stewardship Report; the first in the industry to establish the annual quantified environment performance goals
  • State of Florida, Office of Supplier Diversity: Corporation of the Year
  • Hispanic Network Magazine: Supplier Diversity, Best of the Best list (Nov./Dec. issue)
  • U.S. Chamber of Commerce Center for Corporate Citizenship honors Office Depot for Corporate Stewardship
  • Office Depot powers 20 retail stores with renewable “Green Power” to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
  • Office Depot is listed on the Companies That Care Honor Roll
  • Annual sales reach $13.6 billion
  • There are 969 stores in North America and 47,000 employees
2003
  • Office Depot acquires Guilbert S.A., a leading European contract stationer. The acquisition doubles the size of the Company’s European business
  • Office Depot is the first office supply superstore to offer a fully-functional and comprehensive Spanish website
  • The Company is the No. two global online retailer with sales of $2.6 billion
  • Magellan, the most ambitious supply chain initiative in the Company’s history, is launched
  • The exclusive Christopher Lowell line of furniture and accessories is unveiled; first in the industry to develop an exclusive line of furniture
  • The Office for the Environment and Environmental Paper Procurement Policy is established; Environmental Auditing and Verification policy for paper products is released.
  • The Envirocopy recycled paper receives environmental certification from Green Seal
  • Office Depot implements the Ink and Toner Recycling Program in stores nationwide
  • The “Green Book” Catalog is introduced
  • Office Depot expands the Vendor Diversity Program to include internal procurement and re-launches the process as Supply Chain Diversity
  • Women’s Business Enterprise National Council - Applause Award
  • BusinessWeek magazine lists Office Depot among the top corporate philanthropists in the U.S. on the basis of its in-kind donations
  • Annual sales reach $12.4 billion
  • There are 900 stores in North America and 46,000 employees
2002
  • Worldwide e-commerce sales reach $2.1 billion
  • Office Depot launches Web Café, an online small-business seminar series
  • Company begins Viking Direct catalog/direct mail operations in Switzerland, Spain and Portugal
  • Office Depot expands into Central America with new retail stores in Guatemala and Costa Rico through a joint licensing agreement
  • Office Depot sells its Australian operations
  • Office Depot announces its sponsorship of the 2002 and 2004 U.S. Olympic Teams
  • The Company wins the naming rights for the sports and entertainment center in Sunrise, FL. The Office Depot Center becomes the official home of the NHL Florida Panthers
  • Superintendent Award - SHOPA Foundation for Educational Excellence
  • Partnership Award - American Red Cross
  • Corporation of the Year Award - Florida Minority Supplier Development Council
  • Advocate of the Year - Florida Regional Minority Business Council
  • E.V.I.E. award for corporate best practices- Professional & Business Forum
  • In the Mercury Awards competition, Office Depot receives Gold Awards for Great Places to Work campaign and fundraising campaign for City of Hope
  • Annual sales reach $11.4 billion
  • There are 861 stores in North America and 43,000 employees
2001
  • Bruce Nelson is appointed Chairman
  • Office Depot acquires 4Sure.com
  • Worldwide e-commerce sales reach $1.6 billion
  • Smart Business Magazine - Office Depot ranks in “Smart Business 50” for the second consecutive year
  • CIO Magazine - Winner of the Annual Enterprise Value Award
  • Office Depot has the first annual Success Strategies Conference for women business owners
  • Women’s Business Enterprise National Council names Office Depot one of America’s Top Corporations for Women’s Business Enterprises; Company is still listed as of 2005
  • Florida Regional Minority Business Council - President’s Award
  • Office Depot partners with Gifts In Kind to launch the nationwide product donation program
  • The Company inaugurates the National Backpack Program providing free backpacks filled with school supplies to underprivileged children
  • Annual sales reach $11.2 billion
  • There are 859 stores in North America and 45,000 employees
2000
  • Bruce Nelson is appointed Chief Executive Officer
  • Office Depot enters the European contract stationer market with the launch of the European Business Services Division
  • Office Depot introduces its first private brand ink
  • The Company adopts a strong commitment to the corporate values of Respect for the Individual, Fanatical Customer Service and Excellence in Execution
  • CIO Magazine designates Office Depot as the top-rated retail company in the annual Enterprise Value Awards, which honor technology use, technology innovation and industry leadership
  • Information Week selects Office Depot as the top-rated retail Company for the most innovative users of information technology in the U.S.
  • PC Computing recognizes Office Depot as the online retailing leader and ranks the Company first on its Business E-shopping list for office supplies
  • The “5% Back to Schools” Program is initiated
  • The National Vendor Diversity Program is launched
  • DIV2000.com, a leading internet business portal, names Office Depot as one of the top 50 US corporations dedicated to serving woman and minority-owned businesses
  • Annual sales reach $11.6 billion
  • There are 888 stores in North America and 48,000 employees
1999
  • Office Depot sales exceed $10 billion, the first in office supply history to reach this milestone
  • The Company launches the first international website in March
  • The Business Services Group Sales surpasses $3 billion
  • Domestic internet sales reach close to $350 million
  • Office Depot is included in the S&P 500 listing in June
  • Internet Retailer - Office Depot is ranked in the “Top 25 of the Web” list
  • Fortune Magazine - Office Depot is named as one of the “10 Companies that Get It”
  • PC Computing ranks Office Depot 10th in “Best 100, Top 10 Business to Business Companies”
  • Entrepreneur Magazine - Office Depot is named in the “100 Top Web Sites for Entrepreneurs”
  • CIO Magazine - Office Depot is named in the “Web Business 50/50” list
  • Annual sales reach $10.3 billion
  • There are 825 stores in North America and 48,000 employees
1998
  • Office Depot merges with Viking Office Products, the leading direct marketer of office products in Europe and Australia
  • The Company’s International Division operates under both the Office Depot and Viking brand names. By the end of the year, the Company owns and operates 15 stores in France and has 72 Office Depot locations in Colombia, Hungary, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Poland, and Thailand through joint venture or international licensing agreements
  • Under the Viking Office Products brand, the Company has direct mail and delivery operations in Australia, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom
  • There are over $1 billion in international sales
  • There are over 100 new store openings in North America, the highest in the Company’s history
  • North American Retail stores sales exceed $5 billion
  • The public website officedepot.com is launched in January.
  • Office Depot’s public website receives several prestigious Internet awards in its first year including: CIO Web Business 50/50, the Retail Network Innovation and Biz Rate Buyers Best Gold Awards
  • E-commerce sales total $66.5 million
  • Annual sales reach nearly $9 billion
  • There are 702 stores in North America and 44,000 employees
1997
  • Office Depot remains the largest supplier of office products in the world
  • The Company continues international expansion by opening 21 new locations
  • The year ends with 45 international locations in 8 countries, excluding the United States and Canada
  • The first public website is designed to offer customers the convenience of the “point and click” for all of their office supplies needs
  • Dilbert is introduced as the new print and broadcasting icon to be used in the Company’s newspaper ads and inserts, catalogs, direct mail pieces, television commercials and online website
  • Annual sales reach $6.7 billion
  • There are 602 stores in North America and 35,000 employees
1996
  • Office Depot celebrates its 10th Anniversary
  • The Company announces plans to open the first Office Depot stores in Japan under a joint venture agreement
  • Office Depot pioneers its first B2B e-commerce site
  • Annual sales reach $6 billion
  • There are 570 stores in North America and 31,000 employees
1995
  • Office Depot is the leader in the office products industry
  • The 500th store opens in North America
  • Stores open in Mexico and Poland
  • The Company continues international expansion by signing joint venture agreement to open stores in France and sign international licensing agreement to open store in Thailand
  • Office Depot’s Business Services Division is established
  • The Company sponsors the 1st Office Depot Father & Son Challenge, a nationally televised golf tournament. Office Depot also officially sponsors the U.S. Volleyball Team
  • Arnold Palmer is introduced as the Company’s spokesperson
  • Regional Vendor Diversity Initiative is introduced
  • Annual sales reach $5.3 billion
  • There are 501 stores in North America and 30,000 employees
1994
  • Office Depot acquires six additional contract stationers in North America
  • International expansion beyond North America commences by opening licensed Office Depot stores in Israel and Colombia
  • Office Depot announces retail joint venture agreement in Mexico and licensing agreement in Poland
  • Sports and event marketing programs are launched around the country
  • The Company raises more than $1 million for Junior Achievement, the Leukemia Society of America and the March of Dimes
  • Annual sales reach $4.3 billion
  • There are 420 stores in North America and 26,000 employees
1993
  • Office Depot enters the contract stationer business via the acquisition of two leading contract stationers: Wilson Stationery & Printing Company and Eastman Office Products Corporation
  • The Miami Herald names Office Depot the “Company of the Year” in April
  • The Corporate Social Responsibility Program is adopted
  • The Office Depot Foundation is established to assist employees and members of the community at large in times of extreme hardship
  • Annual sales reach $2.6 billion
  • There are 351 stores in North America and 20,000 employees
1992
  • Office Depot expands operations in North America by acquiring The Great Canadian Office Supplies Warehouse Chain
  • The Company is the industry leader in total sales, number of stores and net earnings
  • Annual sales reach $1.7 billion
  • There are 284 stores in North America and 11,000 employees
1991
  • Office Depot completes its merger with Office Club, Inc. in April
  • Office Depot is the largest office products retailer in North America
  • Office Depot is listed on the NYSE under the symbol “ODP”
  • Annual sales reach $1.3 billion
  • There are 228 stores in 29 states and 9,000 employees
1990
  • The merger with Office Club, Inc. is signed on December 20, 1990
  • Office Depot’s private label credit card is introduced
  • The 100th store opens in September
  • Personal computers and peripherals are added to the merchandise assortment
  • An extensive line of recycled paper products is introduced, initiating the Company’s environmental focus
  • The first delivery center opens
  • Annual sales reach $626 million
  • There are 122 stores in 19 states and 5,600 employees as of February 28, 1990
1989
  • Office Depot is the nation’s largest office supply warehouse chain
  • Annual sales of $315 million
  • There are 67 stores in 12 states and 3,500 employees
1988
  • Office Depot is listed on the NASDAQ under the symbol “ODEP” after completing the initial public offering of common stock on June 1, 1988
  • The Company adopts the Employee Stock Option Plan
  • Annual sales reach $132 million
  • There are 26 stores in seven states and 1,600 employees
1987
  • David I. Fuente is appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
  • Annual sales reach $34 million
  • There are 10 stores in Florida and Georgia and 800 employees
1986
  • Office Depot, Inc. is founded in Florida by Pat Sher, Jack Kopkin and Stephen Dougherty
  • The first store opens in Fort Lauderdale, FL in October
  • Annual sales reach $2 million
  • There are three stores in Florida