Office Depot, Inc. Recognized as One of the Top 50 Organizations for Multicultural Business Opportunities

Office Depot, Inc. (NYSE: ODP), a leading global provider of office products, services, and solutions formed by the merger of Office Depot and OfficeMax, today announced that it has been named one of the “Top 50 Organizations for Multicultural Business Opportunities” by DiversityBusiness.com, the nation's leading multicultural business-to-business website. Office Depot was ranked 7th on the list, and was honored for differentiating itself in the market place in a time when more companies are recognizing the importance of diversity.

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 recognized measure of corporate excellence in the diversity space.

“We’re proud to be named to the Div50 list for the 14th consecutive year,” said Linda Boykin, vice president of merchandising for Office Depot, Inc. “Our supply chain diversity program was created to give historically underutilized businesses (HUBs) additional opportunities to grow and prosper. It’s rewarding to see that our efforts have benefitted so many diverse business owners while also providing strategic solutions for our customers who seek products and services sourced from diverse suppliers.”

Making HUB products readily available and top of mind for business customers is a core focus of Office Depot’s supply chain diversity strategy. The company actively seeks out promising HUBs that are certified minority-, women-, disabled-, LGBT-, 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 nearly 1,800 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, Inc.

Formed by the merger of Office Depot and OfficeMax, Office Depot, Inc. is a leading global provider of products, services, and solutions for every workplace – whether your workplace is an office, home, school, or car.

Office Depot, Inc. is a resource and a catalyst to help customers work better. We are a single source for everything customers need to be more productive, including the latest technology, core office supplies, print and document services, business services, facilities products, furniture, and school essentials.

The company has combined pro forma annual sales of approximately $17 billion, employs more than 60,000 associates, and serves consumers and businesses in 58 countries with more than 2,000 retail stores, award-winning e-commerce sites and a dedicated business-to-business sales organization – all delivered through a global network of wholly owned operations, joint ventures, franchisees, licensees and alliance partners. The company’s portfolio of leading brands includes Office Depot, OfficeMax, OfficeMax Grand & Toy, Viking, Ativa, TUL, Foray, and DiVOGA.

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

Additional information about the recently completed merger of Office Depot and OfficeMax can be found at http://officedepotmaxmerger.com.