Office Depot Named One of the Top Organizations for Multicultural Business Opportunities

BOCA RATON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Office Depot, Inc. (NYSE: ODP), a leading global provider of office supplies and services, today announced that is has been recognized by DiversityBusiness.com, the nation's leading multicultural business-to-business website, as one of the “Top 50 Organizations for Multicultural Business Opportunities” for 13 successive years. Office Depot was ranked 5^th on the list.

“Top 50 Organizations for Multicultural Business Opportunities”

The annual list, dubbed the Div50, recognizes companies for the volume, consistency, and quality of business opportunities granted to women- and minority-owned companies. The Div50 has become a highly valued metric of corporate excellence in the diversity space, as well as a guide for women and minority consumers.

“We are proud to be named one of the top organizations for multicultural business opportunities for the 13^th consecutive year,” said Steve Calkins, Senior Vice President of Business Solutions Division for Office Depot. “Office Depot is committed to supporting women and minorities, and our ranking on the BusinessDiversity.com Div50 list further exemplifies this.”

Office Depot's comprehensive Supply Chain Diversity program gives Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs) ample opportunities to grow and prosper. The Company actively seeks out promising HUBs that are certified minority-, women-, disabled-, and veteran-owned to ensure equal opportunity in the supplier selection process. Office Depot also produces an annual HUB catalog that features an assortment of more than 1,600 items from select HUB suppliers.

In addition, the Company has affiliations with national organizations such as the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the Small Business Administration (SBA), and other organizations that share Office Depot’s goal of making a positive impact on economic development through supplier diversity.

For more information on Office Depot’s diversity initiatives, please visit www.officedepot.com/diversity.

About Office Depot

Office Depot provides office supplies and services through 1,675 worldwide retail stores, a dedicated sales force, top-rated catalogs, and global e-commerce operations. Office Depot has annual sales of approximately $11.5 billion, employs about 39,000 associates, and serves customers in 60 countries around the world.

Office Depot’s common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ODP. Additional press information can be found at: http://mediarelations.officedepot.com and http://socialpress.officedepot.com/.