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ISSUE NO.337 JULY/AUGUST 2025

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BIG INTERVIEW

Jan Van Belleghem, Interaction

July/August 2025

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THE ORIGINAL SINCE 1917 explore the NEW bankersbox.com

CONTENTS 18 Big Interview Jan Van Belleghem charts the last 25 years of Interaction’s journey 26 Focus ACCO Brands’ recent leadership restructuring announcement explained 28 Category Update With workplaces in flux, the furniture sector is responding with innovative solutions 32 Interview MillerKnoll’s Andi Owen champions company culture and sets new leadership standards 36 Advertorial Fellowes Brands spotlights Bankers Box

Big Interview: Interaction personified

For 25 years, Jan Van Belleghem has been the face of Interaction, an alliance of European business supplies operators. Having started as a collaboration of wholesalers to negotiate better purchasing terms, the group has considerably broadened its scope over time.

At its core is the Q-Connect brand, arguably the largest private label range in Europe, certainly in terms of its distribution capabilities. The group’s nine members currently operate across 22 countries. With many different languages, product needs and market nuances, coordinating this network is a complex task, but one that Van Belleghem manages expertly.

CASE STUDY: MAKING THE CASE FOR JAN/SAN

40 Opinion Addressing changing hygiene expectations in office environments 42 Case Study Three US dealers describe their jan/san success stories 46 Review: Amazon Business Exchange ABX 2025 promotes responsible purchasing 48 Review: Future of Work Lyreco’s first-ever Future of Work event predicts exciting times ahead 50 Review: OPI Global Forum AI, workplace trends and the acute need for diversification under the microscope in Chicago

REGULARS 5 Comment 6 News 16 Green Thinking News 52 5 minutes with...

Kristy Howe 54 Final Word Mike Tucker

July/August 2025

We hired our first janitorial specialist in 2015 and currently have 15 janitorial specialists and 23 office products reps capable of selling jan/san. OP and jan/ san call for different sales skills. You need technical knowledge about the make-up of chemicals and what works on what surfaces.

Chemicals can be dangerous if you don’t supply customers with the necessary information about the product or the right PPE. As such, reps need to be educated and have ongoing training – the responsibility of selling jan/san is at a whole different level than other products.

38 How To... ... sell green jan/san and become a differentiator

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COMMENT The OPI team EDITORIAL

Editor Heike Dieckmann +44 1462 422 143 heike.dieckmann@opi.net News Editor Andy Braithwaite +33 4 32 62 71 07 andy.braithwaite@opi.net Assistant Editor Kate Davies kate.davies@opi.net Workplace360 Editor Michelle Sturman michelle.sturman@workplace360.co.uk

SALES & MARKETING Chief Commercial Officer Jade Wilson +44 7369 232590 jade.wilson@opi.net Head of Media Sales Chris Turness +44 7872 684746 chris.turness@opi.net Commercial Development Manager Chris Armstrong chris.armstrong@opi.net Digital Marketing Manager Aurora Enghis aurora.enghis@opi.net

EVENTS Events Manager Lisa Haywood events@opi.net

PRODUCTION & FINANCE Head of Creative Joel Mitchell joel.mitchell@opi.net Designer James Upright james.upright@opi.net Finance & Operations Kelly Hilleard kelly.hilleard@opi.net

PUBLISHERS CEO Steve Hilleard +44 7799 891000 steve.hilleard@opi.net Director Janet Bell +44 7771 658130 janet.bell@opi.net

he need for operators in our industry to diversify has become non-negotiable. Arguably, furniture has sat under the broad ‘office products’ umbrella for many years for most resellers. With the ongoing evolution of workplace settings, including a growing focus on health and well-being, the opportunities in this sub-segment have increased exponentially, as two features in this issue of OPI illustrate (pages 28-34).

Another adjacent category that’s been around for years is jan/san, though it’s often the low-hanging fruit dealers have picked – tissue, toilet paper and the like. The potential here is vast, however, as our case studies illustrate (page 42). The more advanced you become in this segment, says Eakes Office Solutions’ Timur Aydinli, the better you can stand up to the competition – online and otherwise.

The future of work isn’t something we inherit; it’s something we need to build

The ever-growing importance of sustainability offers up further options. It also adds responsibility. Knowledge is key for anything beyond commodity items, but training is readily available, judging by industry peers OPI spoke to. Learn from the experts – that’s the message from the likes of Steve Ashkin (page 38), Jenny Turner (page 40) and Mike Tucker (page 54).

Listening to experts has definitely been a theme for the OPI team over the past few weeks, as a broad range of industry events have taken us to Chicago, Brussels and London, for instance. Chicago, indeed, was the location once again for our very own Global Forum (page 50), while Brussels hosted Lyreco’s inaugural Future of Work event (page 48) and London provided the backdrop for the Amazon Business Exchange conference (page 46).

Entirely different in target audience, style and remit, all these events had one thing in common: they looked towards the future and how businesses need to prepare themselves to better cater to changing – more discerning even – customer expectations and demands.

The topic of AI, predictably, and what it can and cannot do, was omnipresent and I have no doubt will remain a staple going forward. However, I liked this comment I heard in Brussels: “The future of work isn’t something we inherit; it’s something we need to build.ˮ In other words, we're in charge of our own destiny – I believe that in HEIKE DIECKMANN, EDITOR itself is cause for celebration.

The carrier sheet is printed on Satimat Silk paper, which is produced on pulpmanufactured wood obtained from recognised responsible forests and at an FSC® certified mill. It is polywrapped in recyclable plastic that will biodegrade within six months.

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No part of this magazine may be reproduced, copied, stored in an electronic retrieval system or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with provision of the copyright designs and patents act of 1988. Stringent efforts have been made by Office Products International to ensure accuracy. However, due principally to the fact that data cannot always be verified, it is possible that some errors or omissions may occur. Office Products International cannot accept responsibility for such errors or omissions. Office Products International accepts no responsibility for comments made by contributing authors or interviewees that may offend.

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Executive Assistant Debbie Garrand +44 20 3290 1511 debbie.garrand@opi.net

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For better or worse: we’re in charge

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NEWS

TOPS acquires Smead There was big news from the North American office products sector in June when TOPS announced the acquisition of well-known manufacturer Smead.

Smead was founded by salesman Charles Smead in 1906, but was acquired by PA Hoffman – one of its original employees – in 1916. It then remained in the hands of the Hoffman/Avent family, run by iconic

leaders such as Ebba Hoffman, Sharon Hoffman Avent and, currently, Casey Avent.

Now, the business has been purchased by TOPS, another force in the US stationery and office products sector, which can trace its roots back to 1870. Today, the company is owned by private equity firm Atlas Holdings and operates a manufacturing and distribution

platform that includes facilities in the US, Canada and Mexico.

“This strategic acquisition strengthens TOPS’ position as a North American leader in office products and expands Smead’s platform with access to TOPS’ broad distribution network and North American operating footprint,” a press release announcing the transaction stated.

“Smead fits perfectly into the TOPS family of brands,” said TOPS CEO Matt Roberts. “We’re honoured to be entrusted to carry on the Smead legacy of quality and innovation that has defined the brand for over a century.”

Avent called the deal a “new chapter for Smead” that would “enhance its leadership position in the market.” He said: “Joining TOPS is the next step in a line of strategic decisions we’ve made to do what’s best for the Smead business.”

At the time of going to press, TOPS had not responded to OPI’s follow-up questions about the acquisition.

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Amazon Business launches in Australia

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In mid-June, almost eight years after its country entry, Amazon confirmed the launch of its B2B arm, Amazon Business, in Australia.

While catering to firms of all sizes – from sole traders to large private and public sector organisations – the initial focus seemed to be with SMBs ahead of the end of the financial year in Australia on 30 June.

Research conducted by YouGov and commissioned by Amazon Australia highlighted that the cost of doing business has risen for 92% of Australian SMBs over the past three years. According to the study, spiralling operating costs are the biggest concern for 79% of SMBs, with the price of goods and products (62%) being the main driver of increases across their business. 83% of respondents said they have had to pass the pressure of rising costs onto their customers.

“The arrival of Amazon Business comes at a pivotal time for SMBs, with most businesses stocking up on

supplies as the end of the financial year approaches,” the reseller said in a press release. “Amazon Business provides a wide selection for Australian businesses – across office products, electronics, furniture and more, all at great prices and underpinned by Amazon’s convenient delivery options.”

Amazon Business Australia Country Manager Lena Zak said 78% of SMBs have had to implement some form of cost-cutting measures over the past three years. “As operating costs keep rising, Amazon Business can help take some of that pressure off by offering meaningful savings on everyday goods and supplies,” she stated.

Speaking to Yahoo Finance, Zak also pointed to Amazon Business’s breadth of assortment beyond office products. “Business customers are often shopping for office supplies and we absolutely have those, but they can [also] be ‘tradies’ looking for tools or boots,” she said. “They can be something like a daycare looking

for stationery, printers and printer cartridges, but additionally coffee pods and cleaning products as well as nappies, formula and toys.”

Australia represents Amazon Business’s eleventh market since it first launched in the US in 2015.

The OPI Top 100 reseller recently confirmed it now serves eight million customers worldwide (see more on this in our ABX 2025 review, page 46).

With its eye on the SMB segment, Amazon Business will no doubt add further pressure to the local dealer community and established players such as Officeworks. It will be interesting to see whether the two main dealer groups – Office Choice and Office National – finally decide they are stronger as a single entity.

Storage isn’t just about organisation—it’s about creating an environment that inspires.

Colour-Inspiring Workspaces Organise with Purpose, Elevate with Colour

NEWS

Green light for UK dealer group merger The shareholders of Integra Business Solutions and Office Friendly have officially approved the combination of the two groups.

The official transfer will take place at the beginning of July, at which point the BLOC Group will be formed.

Integra CEO Aidan McDonough will take on the role of Chairman, with his counterpart at Office Friendly, Jeanette Caswell, named as Managing Director.

“It’s a pleasure to be able to confirm the coming together of Integra and Office Friendly and the beginning of a new exciting chapter as the BLOC Group,” said McDonough. “This is a bold step forward in creating a stronger, more agile organisation

that’s better positioned to serve our members and key partners in an evolving marketplace.”

Caswell added: “The creation of BLOC represents a new era for the dealer community. Through greater economies of scale and our combined expertise and resources, we look forward to unlocking new potential for growth, collaboration and long-term success. We’re incredibly excited for what lies ahead and want to take this opportunity to thank our members and partners for their continued support.”

The integration process is already in motion, it was confirmed, with both organisations “working towards a smooth transition”. No specifics

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Business as usual, says CEP

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France-based vendor CEP has said the group’s move into administration is not impacting its Office Solutions division. Development Director Pierre-Yves Gaude confirmed to OPI that CEP has been in administration since mid-January. The situation was brought about by difficulties at the group’s cosmetics and agriculture business units, while Office Solutions had been trading at approximately a break-even level.

In France, companies in administration have an ‘observation period’ which enables them to take remedial measures under creditor protection. Gaude said around 30 staff have either been laid off or taken voluntary redundancy, although only one customer-facing employee from Office Solutions has left.

By the end of the year, it is expected CEP will employ around 100 people.

Other actions have included raising prices in the cosmetics segment to make up for inflationary impacts that had not been passed onto customers, selling an 80% stake in the agriculture unit, and the divestment of a company-owned facility for “several million euros”. Gaude pointed to a “significant improvement” in the group’s financial stability as a result of these developments.

The observation period has been extended until at least the end of the year. This, added Gaude, demonstrated the administrator’s confidence in CEP’s turnaround strategy. He also thanked the company’s customers for their ongoing commitment to the business.

have been revealed yet, but a further statement will be made once the transaction has been completed.

Vectair buys hygiene firm Global B2B facility care products provider Vectair has announced a strategic acquisition in the away-from-home odour control segment. The US firm has bought Big D Industries, a manufacturer of odour control products catering to commercial markets. Big D has distribution in all 50 US states as well as Canada, South America, Australia and the Pacific Rim. Memphis, Tennessee-based Vectair sells its products in more than 90 countries via a network of B2B distributors and service companies.

It’s EMEA headquarters are located in the UK town of Basingstoke.

Since the last issue of OPI was published, there have been no fewer than four leadership developments at companies in the OPI Top 100 global reseller list. Starting in the US, Jason Horst has taken over as President of wholesaler S.P. Richards (SPR). Previously CCO, Horst succeeded Andrew Wallach, who returned full-time to his CEO duties at SPR’s parent company Central National Gottesman.

In the Netherlands, Quantore’s members approved the nomination of Jan van de Wouw to succeed Arnold Theuws, effective 1 July. The 58-year-old is an experienced retail and distribution executive. From 2016-2024, he was CEO of United Holding, the parent company behind soft-franchise formats Electro World and Dé Witgoed Specialist. Before that, he held executive positions at D-rt Group, Polare and Sport 2000, among others.

Theuws – who has spent the past 23 years at Quantore, 17 as Managing Director – will continue in a part-time advisory capacity before retiring in July 2026.

There have been two announcements in the Australasia region. In New Zealand, The Warehouse Group (TWG) has confirmed CFO Mark Stirton will move up to the top job, starting on 1 August. Stirton joined TWG in April 2024, shortly before the departure of former CEO Nick Grayston.

He is credited with playing a “fundamental role” in assisting interim CEO John Journee in implementing a raft of changes to improve the group’s performance. To ensure a smooth handover, Journee will continue in his role as Interim Group CEO and Executive Director until 1 August. He will then return to the board as a non-Executive Director.

Meanwhile, Sarah Hunter has announced she is stepping down as Managing Director of leading Australian business products retailer Officeworks to “take on a new challenge”. She has been in charge of the reseller for the past six years, having previously joined its parent group, Wesfarmers, in 2010.

Hunter led the company through COVID and has been overseeing a strategy involving the development of an omnichannel model, an expanding B2B presence and a greater range of services. During her tenure, the business achieved revenue growth of 8% a year.

Her departure is planned for August, with another experienced Wesfarmers retail exec – Kmart and Target CEO John Gualtieri – named as her successor. Gualtieri joined Kmart in 2008 and became CEO almost four years ago. He is credited with leading a transformation at the retailer, which has been seeing mid-single-digit growth in recent quarters.

NEWS

Top 100 management changes Jason Horst

L-R: Arnold Theuws and Jan van de Wouw

Mark Stirton John Gualtieri

UK acquisition for Avery

July/August 2025

Avery has acquired Humphreys Holdings, a privately-owned designer and manufacturer of custom lanyards, name badges and ID cards. The CCL Industries subsidiary is paying around £3 million ($4 million) for the UK-based company which achieved revenue of approximately £2.2 million in 2024 at an estimated adjusted EBITDA margin of 25%.

Humphreys was established in 2001 by technical printing solutions salesman Malcolm Humphreys who saw an opportunity to develop visitor management systems. Since then, the firm has expanded to become a one-stop shop for all visitor management needs. It produces all items in house and carries the Made In Britain accreditation mark. One of its main units is We Print Lanyards, which was created in 2012.

“This acquisition continues to build on Avery’s rapidly growing portfolio of access control, badging and credentials technologies products and brands [which are] focused on the retail, hospitality, live events and conferencing markets,” said CCL CEO Geoff Martin.

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NEWS

ON THE MOVE Guernsey returns to Guernsey Savannah Guernsey, daughter of industry legend Dave Guernsey, has rejoined the family-owned dealership. Having spent six years at the company as Marketing Director, Guernsey left in 2019 to join EY-Parthenon.

Now she has returned to the business as Chief Revenue Officer. She succeeds company veteran Gordon Thrall, who retired at the end of June.

Suhit joins ADVEO French business products operator ADVEO has appointed well-known industry exec Franck Suhit (pictured) to a key strategy and marketing role (Directeur de l’Offre in French).

Suhit – who previously worked for Lyreco and Alkor – has teamed up with his former Lyreco boss Hervé Milcent, who was named CEO of the private equity-owned group earlier this year.

New MD at Lyreco Germany Rainer Mackowiak (pictured) has been in charge of Lyreco Germany since 1 May. He was named as the permanent successor to Frank Exslager, who left the company in November 2024.

The new Managing Director joined Lyreco from industrial materials supplier Spandex, where he was most recently General Manager of its business in Germany. He also held management roles at Mactac Europe and 3M.

Antalis signs viscom deal

Antalis has signed a binding agreement to buy France-based Club Groupe, along with its subsidiaries Digital Printing France and Technical Digital Printing.

The deal – subject to customary closing conditions – is part of Antalis’ strategy to consolidate its position in the European visual communications market and follows its recent acquisition of Poitoo Adhésifs. It will strengthen Antalis’ presence in the French large-format digital printing segment.

Club Groupe specialises in the distribution of machines and consumables for large-format digital printing. The group employs around 30 people and recorded sales of approximately €14 million ($15 million) in 2024.

EDmarket CEO to retire Jim McGarry, CEO of US education industry trade association EDmarket for the past 14 years, will retire from the organisation in November. Prior to joining EDmarket, McGarry’s roles included COO at the Independent Office Products and Furniture Dealers Association.

BIC names Bich successor BIC has turned to Dutch national Rob Versloot (pictured) to succeed outgoing CEO Gonzalve Bich. Versloot will assume the role on 15 September following a three-month transition period.

The 58-year-old has spent much of his career in the food industry. After working for Nutricia and Danone, he joined Swiss group Hero in 2008 and was promoted to CEO four years later.

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New CEO starts at Essity Long-serving Essity executive Ulrika Kolsrud succeeded Magnus Groth as CEO on 1 June. She has spent her entire career at Essity/SCA after graduating with a degree in chemical engineering in 1995.

Kolsrud previously led the vendor’s Health & Medical business unit and has been part of the executive management team since 2015.

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B2B appointment at Newell Newell Brands has given Michael McDermott leadership of the vendor’s enterprisewide B2B operations. His goal will be to drive expansion into key sectors such healthcare, hospitality and government. At the same time, he will continue to lead the Commercial and Home Fragrance units as co-CEO of the supplier’s Home & Commercial segment.

Lexmark sale on track On 20 June, Ninestar’s shareholders overwhelmingly approved the company’s divestment of Lexmark to US-based OEM Xerox. At an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) held in Zhuhai, shareholders approved a series of resolutions related to the transaction. The main motion passed with 99.8% of votes cast in favour of these.

The EGM came shortly after the European Commission had given its green light to the deal, meaning the last significant condition remaining is the approval of the Chinese securities exchange, which is expected to be a formality.

HAN in administration

Well-known German office products manufacturer HAN has been placed into a local form of administration.

The desk accessories vendor entered preliminary insolvency proceedings on 12 May, with Mike Westkamp, an insolvency practitioner, appointed as the provisional administrator. He has spoken of ensuring the viability of the company and preserving the jobs of its existing workforce of around 70.

Family-owned HAN was founded in 1957 by Hans-Benno Niehaus; since 1990, it has been run by his son, Ralf.

It specialises in the manufacture of office supplies, including filing systems, wastepaper baskets, drawer inserts and card index boxes.

New name for UPM’s Raflatac division UPM Raflatac has been rebranded to better reflect its wider product scope.

From 12 June, the business became officially known as UPM Adhesive Materials. The new name will also apply to UPM’s financial reporting segments from the Q2 2025 report onwards. The Raflatac name will remain as a global product brand within its wider label materials offering.

UPM said the move reflects the division’s strategy to expand its offering beyond label materials into areas such as graphics solutions and speciality tapes. The business has grown significantly in the graphics segment in recent years, helped by acquisitions such as AMC, Grafityp and Metamark.

Herma makes UK appointment Herma UK has appointed Emmanuel Odofin (pictured) as the new Managing Director of its Self-Adhesive Materials division. He succeeded Paul Eggbeer, who retired on 1 June after many years leading the business.

Odofin previously served as Managing Director of the UK subsidiary of global supplier MCC Label.

NEWS

ON THE MOVE

Prima promotes Rowles Software provider Prima has named Oliver Rowles (pictured) as Sales Director UK & Ireland. He stepped into the position after impressing as Customer Services Director for four years.

Rowles is being supported by Global Sales Director Tim Capper, who will continue to mentor him in his transition into sales while focusing his own efforts on driving Prima’s growth in the US. New CEO at Schwan-Stabilo Schwan-Stabilo has named experienced luxury retail executive Michele Molon (pictured) as its new Group CEO. Molon will start on 1 October, succeeding company veteran Sebastian Schwanhäußer, who moved into the role of Chairman of the Advisory Board on 1 July. During the interim period, CFO Anke Buttler will oversee operations.

ESG recruits CCO Consulting firm Execution Specialists Group (ESG) has expanded its team with the appointment of Ed Carr as CCO. He has more than 30 years of experience in B2B distribution and sales.

Carr has held senior roles at companies such as Corporate Express, School Specialty, Reinhart Foodservice, Nicholas and Company, and Packsize.

Senior sales hire at edding Edding International has appointed Julia Schröder as Commercial Managing Director, effective 1 July 2025.

In this newly created role, Schröder will lead the transformation of edding’s marketing and sales strategy, aligning it with the company’s ‘profit-for’ approach to ensure sustainable growth and profitability.

Schröder brings with her over 20 years of experience from skincare giant Beiersdorf, where she held a number of sales and marketing positions. Most recently, she served as Managing Director of the Pharmacy unit for Germany and Switzerland.

July/August 2025

Highlands announces promotions Sales and marketing agency Highlands has promoted two team members to new roles. Maggie Burghardt (pictured top) has been appointed Design Director, having previously served as Art Director and Senior Designer since joining the company in 2018.

Meanwhile, Meghan O’Gara has been named Senior Marketing Director. With the business for the past five years, she is charged with guiding strategic marketing initiatives across content, campaigns and communications.

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NEWS

Big shifts at KCP Kimberly-Clark and Brazilian papermaker Suzano have signed a $1.7 billion joint venture agreement that has major consequences for the Kimberly-Clark Professional (KCP) business outside of North America.

Under the terms of the agreement, Suzano will acquire a 51% stake in Kimberly-Clark’s International Family Care and Professional (IFP) division – excluding Mexico and South Korea – and establish a new company.

The IFP assets involved generated approximately $3.3 billion in sales in 2024 (about a quarter of this from KCP), comprising: 33% EMEA, 21% UK, 19% Latin America, 16% Asia and 11% ANZ. Employing around 9,000 people, the JV encompasses sales in more

than 70 countries and 22 production facilities. IFP’s 40+ regional brands will be owned by the new entity and its five global brands – Scott, Kleenex, Viva, WypAll and Kimberly-Clark Professional – will be licensed by Kimberly-Clark under a long-term agreement. Suzano will appoint the CEO and CFO as well as nominate three of the five board members.

It will pay just over $1.7 billion for its 51% stake, with options in place to purchase Kimberly-Clark’s 49% ownership interest over time.

The transaction is still subject to customary consultation requirements and regulatory approvals, and is not expected to close until mid-2026.

Kimberly-Clark said its rationale for the transaction was to focus on the

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Bureau Vallée sees ship-from-store success

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French office and school supplies retailer Bureau Vallée has highlighted the ongoing success of its five-year partnership with local crowdshipping delivery platform Shopopop. The collaboration, launched in 2019, forms part of Bureau Vallée’s wider omnichannel strategy and was established to address a number of logistics challenges, including high delivery costs, inconsistent service quality and limited flexibility with traditional carriers.

Shopopop’s model enables same-day delivery by local individuals and has helped stores reduce packaging waste, cut costs and save time during busy periods. The service operates on a pay-per-distance model (as opposed to by package weight) and integrates with Bureau Vallée’s systems to ensure efficient fulfilment from each retail location.

Since the rollout began, more than 88,000 deliveries have been completed via the Shopopop platform, with 98.4% arriving on the same day. The average delivery distance is just over 9 km (5.5 miles), and around two-thirds of orders are fulfilled within two hours.

Customer satisfaction has remained high, Bureau Vallée noted, with a reported rating of 4.84 out of 5. The average order value is €142 ($164) and the company says the model has led to time savings of up to an hour per day per store during peak periods.

The service is now firmly embedded across the Bureau Vallée network, with local teams highlighting the benefit of working with known and trusted ‘co-shippers’ for short-range deliveries.

higher growth and margin segments of North America and personal care.

It’s a strategy Bloomberg pointed out last September when it first reported the vendor was looking to offload its international tissue business.

In what appears to be more of a consumer tissue play for Suzano, it will be interesting to see what the Brazilian firm’s approach is in the B2B hygiene channel, especially as Kimberly-Clark will retain ownership of the main professional brands.

Aussie dealer group changes trading name

There has been a development in the Australian business products channel with dealer group Office Brands changing its trading name to Office National. All its dealers are now either fully branded Office National or affiliate members using ‘part of the Office National group’ in their branding.

While the legal entity remains Office Brands Limited, the support office will also trade as Office National, with URLs and email domains switching over, CEO Adam Joy told OPI. In a 2023 interview with OPI (see Big Interview, OPI April/May 2023, page 18), Joy spoke about a move to a single brand – although at the time it appeared this would not be Office National. However, as he explained: “Our research on our brand and what it meant to our customer base, combined with brand recall for Office National, was the deciding factor in continuing to invest in Office National.”

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NEWS

IN BRIEF

AI is only as effective as the workforce that uses it [...] Solutions will fall short if employees aren’t convinced of their value Yohan Lobo, Senior Industry Solutions Manager, M-Files

182% Amount Amazon’s CO 2 emissions jumped be tween 2020 and 2023 due to AI-focused data centres

YPO and NSPCC team up again YPO has renewed its partnership with the NSPCC. The collaboration, which has raised over £114,000 ($154,000) so far, will run for another three years. Through the joint logo of ‘Creating Safer Childhoods’ on its vans, YPO will continue to spread the NSPCC’s message and deliver school supplies directly to children.

ACCO reveals new logo ACCO Brands has unveiled its new logo, saying it reflects the company’s rich, multinational heritage, with the new red square creating a mark that stands for quality.

Staples brings back Easy button Staples has relaunched its ‘That was easy’ slogan and Easy button. The reseller ditched the iconic tagline in 2014, replacing it first with ‘Make more happen’ and then ‘It’s pro time’.

2,500

UK firms certified as B Corps, employing over 125,600 staff

91%

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Employees that would return to the office if it better met their needs

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PICTURE OF THE MONTH

Sharpie teams up with country music star Newell’s Sharpie brand was the official autograph pen at the 2025 American Music Awards. The manufacturer partnered with Megan Moroney, who was nominated in two country music categories.

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GREEN THINKING

Lyreco eyes second-hand furniture potential Lyreco France is expanding its second-hand furniture offering as it looks to establish a stronger foothold in the circular workplace economy.

The reseller has added more refurbished items to its range, including desks, chairs, cabinets and reception seating. Products are sourced from office moves or trial schemes and are sold via its e-commerce platform with next-day delivery throughout France.

According to industry body L’Ameublement Français, reconditioned items accounted for just 1.4% of the French professional furniture market in 2023, a figure which is forecast to rise to 2.5% in 2025.

Lyreco aims to bring consistency to what it describes as a fragmented market, with a target for second-hand items to represent up to 15% of its furniture sales by 2035. The programme gained momentum last year

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Carbon inset registry launched for e-waste

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Bloom ESG and Dynamic Lifecycle Innovations have announced the launch of a carbon inset registry built specifically for the e-waste and IT asset disposition (ITAD) sector.

The registry aims to provide a transparent, verifiable system to track and issue carbon insets – emissions reductions generated within value chains through verified circular activity. To mark the launch, Bloom ESG has issued the first 300,000 verified inset certificates to Dynamic Lifecycle Innovations, making the latter the first electronics life cycle management company to receive, own and trade carbon insets tied to its circular operations.

Previously, circular economy operators in the e-waste sector have been excluded from mainstream carbon finance opportunities. The new registry makes it possible to generate and monetise verified insets for activities such as device reuse, life cycle extension and material recovery.

through Lyreco’s partnership with the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. A selection of branded used furniture from the Games was made available at discounts of up to 60%. Around 40% of the stock has now been sold, with categories such as chairs seeing the highest demand.

Lyreco is leveraging its integrated logistics network to make second-hand options as accessible as new ones.

Products are subject to quality checks and include after-sales support. “Our customers expect up to 50% off high-end items but also demand rigorous sourcing and reliability,” said Sébastien Melot, Furniture Project Manager at Lyreco France.

The initiative is part of a broader strategy by Lyreco to support more sustainable procurement practices, which include end-of-life collection and clearance services.

“By working together, we’ve built the infrastructure to finally reward climate-positive activity that happens within the value chain with rigour, transparency and real market value,” said Sebastian Foot, founding partner of Bloom ESG. The registry is now open to other ITADs, electronics refurbishers and circular operators. A trading interface is also available, with early access for up to five launch partners until the end of 2025.

Sustainable foodservice products supplier Emerald Ecovations has expanded its composting capabilities and joined forces with the New York Racing Association (NYRA) to promote environmental responsibility.

Emerald is now the authorised US partner for Octoen’s advanced composting systems.

The technology helps businesses turn food waste and compostable disposables into fertiliser within 12-24 hours, addressing landfill challenges. From June 2025, businesses can integrate these systems into their operations.

“This platform now offers our clients, their waste management partners and sustainability professionals the most advanced solution to closing the loop and advancing their ESG Scope 3 goals,” said CEO Ralph Bianculli Sr. NYRA, meanwhile, has named Emerald as its preferred sustainable products provider in a new multiyear agreement. The company will supply plant-based, tree-free foodservice and facility products at Saratoga Race Course, with branding across the property during events, including the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival and the Saratoga summer meet.

Officeworks grows reuse scheme Officeworks has expanded its ‘Bring it Back’ programme to include the repurposing of usable school stationery, helping reduce waste and provide supplies to disadvantaged students across Australia.

Customers can drop off pre-loved but still usable items such as pens, unused notebooks and other stationery at any Officeworks store via designated collection chutes. Items are then sorted, cleaned and repackaged into school booklists through new partnerships with social enterprises Stationery Aid, Give Write and Green Collect.

The expansion follows successful trials in Queensland and Western Australia. In Queensland, Stationery Aid collected enough supplies to support 253 disadvantaged students. Give Write’s Western Australia pilot created over 2,300 stationery packs – valued at A$102,000 ($66,000) – which reached over 4,300 students.

The programme now includes Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and New South Wales through a collaboration with circular economy specialist Green Collect. While the focus remains on reuse and repurpose, items that cannot be salvaged are recycled in line with circular economy principles.

The initiative is part of Officeworks’ broader People + Planet Positive strategy, which aims to repair, repurpose and recycle 17,000 tonnes of unwanted products by the end of 2025.

GREEN THINKING NEWS

Emerald advances green initiatives

SBTi launches pilot for updated standard

July/August 2025

The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has launched a pilot to test its revised Corporate Net-Zero Standard V2.

The venture is open to businesses of all sizes and sectors worldwide and will run in two phases.

Phase one, from 16 June to 15 August, involves a survey to gather initial insights. In phase two, selected companies

will trial elements of the near-final draft using their own data to test feasibility and refine the methodology.

To date, over 1,850 companies have used SBTi’s original Net-Zero Standard, published in 2021. The updated version aims to accelerate decarbonisation efforts from 2026 and improve its applicability across a broader range of industries and geographies.

“Companies participating will be an invaluable resource, providing us with diverse evidence and thereby ensuring the final draft Standard is practical for businesses and ignites impactful corporate climate action,” said SBTi Chief Technical Officer Alberto Carrillo Pineda.

Details and guidance on how to get involved can be found on the SBTi website – sciencebasedtargets.org

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BIG INTERVIEW

Interaction

PERSONIFIED With sheer determination, a lot of hard work and a bit of good luck, Interaction has become a staple component of the European business supplies space – with a private label brand

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or the past 25 years, Jan Van Belleghem has been the face of Interaction, an alliance of European business supplies operators. Having started as a collaboration of wholesalers to negotiate better purchasing terms, the group has since broadened its scope in line with overall market developments.

At the core of Interaction is the Q-Connect brand, arguably the largest private label range in Europe, certainly in terms of its distribution capabilities across multiple markets.

‘Herding cats’ is an expression often used to describe independent dealers in the context of their various buying groups; it’s apt here too. Interaction may only have nine members, but operating across 22 countries – many with different languages, product needs and market nuances – makes coordination a complex task.

However, calm and collected Van Belleghem has been steering the ship with consistency and enthusiasm, continually refining and advancing Q-Connect and growing the brand’s reach and impact. Celebrating his 25th anniversary in July 2025, he talked to OPI’s Heike Dieckmann about how it all started, evolved and what more can be done.

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OPI: Jan, I know you’re Belgian, you’re mad about cycling and you’re the man behind Interaction. How did the latter came to be?

Jan Van Belleghem: I initially studied law and then completed an additional year in maritime sciences. The latter basically covered the legal, economic and technical aspects of international transport – crucial knowledge considering 80% of global trade happens over water.

My first job was a brief stint in cargo insurance, followed by four years in a trading company that specialised in industrial milk products – essentially large bags of milk powder sourced from Europe and exported globally. I worked mainly with China, which gave me some valuable insight into Chinese business culture. It was a great learning curve.

The products were high value, but margins were slim – rarely more than 2%. It forced us to know every cost in the structure, from port handling fees to transport logistics. Any miscalculation could wipe out our profit or, worse, result in a loss.

OPI: So you decided to move into office products where margins are a bit healthier.

JVB: Sort of. I knew I didn’t want to stay in the dairy space forever, so I responded to an advert in the newspaper which led me to Michel Timmermans from Interaction’s member in Belgium – Timmermans.

He handled the recruitment and after a rigorous vetting process, I met Alan Hickman – the alliance’s Chairman at the time – at Brussels airport for a final conversation. I started on 1 July 2000.

BIG INTERVIEW Jan Van Belleghem

Interaction’s remit has always been to support its members [...] and create value

OPI: Were price parity and volume advantages the core aims?

JVB: Interaction’s remit has always been to support its members – not to generate profit, but to cover costs and create value.

When Aabye approached retirement, Michel

July/August 2025

OPI: The organisation had already been around for a while then, though, hadn’t it?

JVB: Yes, it started in 1997 and became a legal entity in 1998. It all began when Michel Andvord from Andvord in Norway met Harry Lammers, head of Dutch wholesaler Lammers, at an industry event organised by the now defunct European Stationery and Office Products Trade Association.

They came up with the idea of creating a network for wholesalers that looked predominantly at pricing. Others soon joined the conversation: the Timmermans brothers in Belgium (who, in 1997, bought Lammers); Hickman, then of Kingfield Heath; and Anton Stahrlinger from PBS Holding, with its various entities at the time.

The first few meetings resulted in the realisation that there was solid potential here to do more and to do it in a professional way.

Everybody contributed financially and they brought in Gunnar Aabye as the first Director.

Aabye – based in Denmark – had previously headed up a Nordic alliance called Scanfour which collapsed after Lyreco and Corporate Express acquired two of its members. One was Tybring-Gjedde, you may remember.

One of the remaining ones was Andvord – already on board – and Wulff in Finland, which also joined Interaction. A limited company was set up. It was based in Luxembourg, chosen purely for its neutrality – rather than tax reasons. It was a time when there were still a fair few trust issues and geographic neutrality was important. The perhaps typical choice of Switzerland wasn’t an option, as Swiss-based Waser had also joined as a founding member.

Comercial del Sur from Spain and Greece’s Plaisio joined a bit later. They are not founding members, but are also shareholders.

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Jan Van Belleghem BIG INTERVIEW Timmermans, as I said, was tasked with finding a successor – preferably someone who was local, as the collaboration with Denmark hadn’t always gone smoothly. To start with, I had an office in the Timmermans building, was paid

by Interaction via his business and reported to Hickman. Straightforward, right?

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OPI: (laughs) Nothing about the early days was straightforward, is my recollection…

JVB: You could say that. One of the first major milestones came when Spicers in the UK acquired Timmermans in 2005 to solidify its presence in continental Europe.

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OPI: Spicers being the main rival of what had by then become Vasanta (from Kingfield Heath). And, of course, it brought 5 Star with it, clashing with Q-Connect.

JVB: Exactly. I vividly remember the board meeting: Michel Timmermans stood up and announced that he and his brother had just signed a deal with Spicers. Vasanta’s Richard Martin went very pale, flailed his arms and said: “Hold on – we need to pause this meeting right now. I need to make some urgent calls.”

The Timmermans brothers handled the situation admirably. Everyone knew they had

been planning their exit. Anton Stahrlinger had also shown interest but couldn’t match Spicers’ offer. When the deal was done, Timmermans’ shares in Interaction were returned and all legal ties were severed.

It left me and the assistant I had by then in complete limbo – we no longer had an employer in Belgium. So I became self-employed and started my own company: VABELCO – VAn BELleghem COmpany. My assistant joined my payroll and now I employ two people. We all work exclusively for Interaction.

OPI: Tell me about Q-Connect’s ‘journey’.

JVB: The first few years were full of enthusiasm but also a bit amateurish. Q-Connect’s packaging design was done by the Kingfield Heath catalogue team, for instance.

The turning point came when George Gerardos of Plaisio questioned our future viability and challenged us to become more professional. This led to a full rebrand and repositioning. We moved from a basic private label to what I would call a ‘house brand’.

For the first decade, the British component of Interaction had been the dominant force – more than half of all Q-Connect revenue came from Vasanta.

OPI: What is the timeline here?

JVB: Our professionalisation began around 2008. At the time, we had approximately 1,500 products. We stopped outsourcing the packaging design and brought in two team members. It made us so much faster and more efficient. Today, we create artwork at a speed few can match.

Another milestone was geographical expansion. We started with six founding members. Two left because they were acquired – Timmermans and Andvord/ Tybring-Gjedde – but we had become well known and generated new interest. To accommodate growth, we created a second membership tier: associate members.

We still have six shareholders – evo Group, Waser, PBS Holding, Wulff Group, Comercial del Sur and Plaisio. Associate members pay an annual fee and don’t have board seats, but they have equal access to Q-Connect and our vendor agreements.

OPI: Several core members themselves have expanded significantly, of course – PBS Holding and Comercial, most notably.

Who are your associate members now?

JVB: We currently have three. The most straightforward one is Daarbak Redoffice in Denmark. It replaced a former member which was also bought by Corporate Express.

The first few years were full of enthusiasm but also a bit amateurish

OPI: I see a conflict coming…

JVB: Spot on. They said: “Jan, you need to stop negotiations with Bruneau because we’ve just acquired RP Diffusion.”

We came up with a compromise. Bruneau can use our sourcing, pricing and products but under its own private label – not Q-Connect.

Our system even syncs Bruneau’s prices with ours automatically and I do all the negotiations.

It’s worked out well; everyone seems happy.

OPI: What is Interaction’s footprint today?

JVB: We’re in 22 countries. Through members such as PBS Holding and Comercial, as you’ve just said yourself, we cover multiple markets.

Our international Q-Connect range comprises around 3,000 SKUs, centrally developed by my team. These are cross-border products which are available to all members.

In addition, they can create their own local assortment – products specific to countries or bulky items such as tissue or toilet paper.

Some ranges are extremely localised in terms of customer preferences – lever arch files, ring binders and envelopes are good examples.

There are strict brand guidelines for local products, but members have some freedom in design execution. Large groups like evo and Comercial have their own studios while we typically help the smaller operators.

We’re close to 5,000 SKUs now for the entire range. Total revenues for Q-Connect are €170 million ($194 million).

July/August 2025

Then there’s Maske in Norway, now part of OptiGroup. Maske is a contract stationer that only deals in tenders and it needed a strong private label. We already had coverage in Sweden and Norway through Wulff, but Maske represented an excellent opportunity for Q-Connect and its customer footprint was different, so the organisation now has full access to the Q-Connect assortment.

Our final associate member is Bruneau.

We previously had another long-standing associate member in France called RP (Rouge Papier) Diffusion. But this wholesaler was back then completely overshadowed by the likes

of ADVEO, Spicers France, Majuscule, etc.

But RP also had a network of approximately 300 Rouge Papier independent retailers. As regards Q-Connect, these outlets had this fantastic turnover in ballpoint pens, but not a lot else. And the company as a whole wasn’t doing well – it was just a matter of time.

The day after RP Diffusion filed for bankruptcy, I received a call from Bruneau – Eric Boudet, to be precise, who used to be the Purchasing Director of RP for a couple of years until he quit to join Bruneau. He knew about Interaction, what we did, the benefits, etc. He was very interested in replacing Bruneau as RP Diffusion’s Interaction member in France.

By this time, I have to add, we had already changed the core objective of Interaction somewhat. It was still one member per country and it absolutely had to be the right partner, but not necessarily a wholesaler. Anything was possible – direct sales, retail chain, online operator. As long as the company had a good footprint in its specific channel(s), it was fine.

Anyway, negotiations with Bruneau started, went well and then I got another call – from our friends at Comercial del Sur.

BIG INTERVIEW Jan Van Belleghem

But quality expectations in the UK and on the continent weren’t always aligned. As continental European members grew, so did the need for better product quality as well as presentation. It spurred our evolution into a brand which could sit confidently alongside big names on retail shelves.

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Jan Van Belleghem BIG INTERVIEW

OPI: Managing 3,000 international products, presumably in several languages, sounds like an admin nightmare…

JVB: It’s definitely a challenge. My team oversees all packaging and content. We’re very tech-based and manage a comprehensive product and image database, providing all the commercial content for each item.

We do everything in 18 languages. This is fine if a product is as big as a shredder to display information but gets trickier with smaller items. But it’s what suppliers of Q-Connect products have to do to be able to sell them to every single Interaction member.

Regulatory compliance is getting harder too, especially with new EU safety rules.

For chemical products, there is a whole variety of mandatory information; doing this multilingually is difficult. To manage the manifold obstacles, we have to be creative. We use harmonica labels and QR codes that link to information online where possible.

Recycling icons are another issue. One country, one symbol is easy. When you’re selling to many markets with the same packaging, it becomes a pictogram headache, however. I hope the European Commission ultimately harmonises recycling guidelines.

OPI: Where do you mostly source from?

JVB: Roughly 60% of our sourcing is from Asia – primarily China, with some from South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Indonesia. The other 40% is from Europe and North Africa. Most of our paper-based products and all viscom items come from European suppliers.

It’s always a balancing act. We look at where the savings are in terms of sourcing direct versus through a distributor.

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OPI: How much do you source from A-brand manufacturers for Q-Connect?

JVB: Quite a bit. One of our vendors, unit-wise, sells more Q-Connect than its own core offering.

When we enter negotiations, we’re upfront: while vendors may want to push their brand, they must treat Q-Connect as if it were their own.

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OPI: How much actually are you a buying group that supports the vendor community with their A brands? In other words, how much is Interaction just about Q-Connect?

JVB: Q-Connect is central to everything we do.

If a potential new member isn’t interested in it, the conversation is over.

That said, we do support A brands. We have a vendor programme and currently have 11 key vendors – companies such as Avery, BIC, Fellowes Brands and COLOP – and several other preferred partnerships.

OPI: Do you think manufacturers would agree that they are a priority – of sorts?

JVB: I believe so. It is important to note that the vast majority of our members’ sales are still with A brands. These agreements give our key vendors better visibility and positioning versus the competition.

We work with vendors that respect Interaction and our role in the supply chain.

Our members want to sell both Q-Connect and A brands. It’s the typical good, better, best conversation. This is why our relationship with many vendors is very good – their A brand is the ‘best’ option. Q-Connect would be ‘better’.

If a potential new member isn’t interested in [Q-Connect], the conversation is over

Members also need a price point product.

Just as an example, PBS Polska has developed for the whole PBS group a brand called Office Products. It positions itself under Q-Connect and is what you might call an entry-level product – decent and does the job, but a highlighter would, say, have less ink in it and not last as long. It’s the ‘good’, Q-Connect is ‘better’ and the A brand is ‘best’.

OPI: How has the Q-Connect range evolved?

JVB: Hugely. We always look for products with international appeal and specifications, meaning that some categories, like jan/san, are too complex or bulky to manage centrally. But they are important to our members, so are often done locally under the Q-Connect umbrella.

Where we shine is in technology and business machines. I don’t think any private label brand has a wider shredder range.

Digital memory and energy storage are strong too. We’ve even launched USB-C connected rechargeable batteries, an innovation where we’ve beaten the A brands.

Ergonomics is another big area: monitor risers, arms, footrests, ergonomic mice, etc.

We’re also starting to do more in medical supplies, inspired by our members in the Nordics, which sell substantial volumes to elderly care homes and hospitals. Disposable nitrile and vinyl gloves, surgical gowns – we have some great sourcing opportunities here.

Furniture, like jan/san, is more local. This is because what sells in Denmark looks very different from what sells in the UK or Spain, in both design and quality. As such, members handle those items directly.

OPI: As regards volume and distribution, you said that years ago evo generated about

I also don’t believe there’s been a huge amount of investment in 5 Star in recent years – contrary to Q-Connect. Quality-wise, it’s at best on a par with us and caters predominantly to a UK audience. That being said, there’s no doubt it’s a well-known brand in the country.

OPI: Is PBS the second-biggest contributor?

JVB: Yes, followed by Comercial. In terms of total volume and value, it’s evo, PBS and Comercial. But if you measure Q-Connect penetration on a per capita basis, the picture looks quite different. Switzerland, Austria and Greece are top – Waser, PBS Austria and Plaisio are incredibly strong in their respective markets with Q-Connect.

OPI: But you don’t foresee a Richard Martin reaction from your members?

JVB: No, I don’t. Timmermans was only about 10% of Q-Connect sales years back when it left. If 25 years ago evo had said it was out, we would have had a problem. Today, evo needs Q-Connect and we need evo.

Duplicating Q-Connect with 5 Star would take a huge investment. Evo lists 1,200 of our SKUs – all managed by my team. It just places the orders and we do the rest: product data, price negotiation based on group volumes, packaging design, international marketing campaigns and compliance. There’s a steady stream of new products being onboarded too.

Sure, evo may capture business with 5 Star, but it won’t materially hurt Q-Connect.

OPI: Let’s talk about evo and 5 Star. Andrew Gale has made it clear he wants to grow 5 Star – buying the brand from OT Group wasn’t just a defensive move to take it off the market and let it fall into the ‘wrong hands’.

JVB: (laughs) Like Exertis? I don’t think anything certain about what the final strategy is for 5 Star. Evo already manages a number of house brands across several categories.

Q-Connect is by far the biggest, however.

BIG INTERVIEW Jan Van Belleghem

half of all Q-Connect sales. How is that shaping up today?

JVB: Evo is still dominant, at around 38% of sales, but there’s strong growth elsewhere. PBS Holding, with its many subsidiaries, is really pushing Q-Connect and has huge potential.

OPI: Back in 2022, you launched your first Ecological and Social Responsibility

July/August 2025 23

Jan Van Belleghem BIG INTERVIEW

Charter and, in product terms, Q-Conscious is gaining traction. Did this sustainability focus coincide with some of your members picking up increasingly large customers with the inheritance of Staples’ businesses around Europe? And a growing ‘green’ agenda among those accounts?

JVB: It definitely accelerated what was already happening. We had been trialling more sustainable options – including moving away from PVC to less harmful plastic in packaging – but demand skyrocketed when the big contracts came in, especially in the Nordics.

When we discussed the topic at a board meeting, I received enough support from members to explore the options. Typically, if there was no increase in cost, I was given carte blanche to explore alternatives. There was more kickback when this wasn’t the case.

That said, now we’re now pretty much on the same page – it’s non-negotiable and during 2028, 80% of all Q-Connect international assortment sales should fall under the Q-Conscious umbrella. We currently have 1,200 sustainability-assessed products.

OPI: Before we wrap up: how do you manage such a diverse group of members?

JVB: With great diplomacy and flexibility.

Our members vary hugely in size. My job

is to ensure pricing remains fair and equal regardless of volume. The likes of evo can buy a full container at the best price. Smaller members might only need a quarter. They pay the same unit price, with different handling fees.

I negotiate and then manage suppliers, product info, compliance, packaging and marketing – everything. Members only need to integrate the SKUs into their systems and place orders. Any issues? They call me.

OPI: Are you impacted by all the tariff talks?

JVB: Not really. We trade between Asia and Europe and the EU’s tariffs haven’t changed.

It was interesting at the recent Canton Fair in April and May in that Chinese suppliers were heavily promoting their Vietnamese and Malaysian factories. Two years ago, it was all about SEDEX and BSCI certifications. This time, they had big placards on their booth, stating that ‘we have a factory in Vietnam’. Also, very few Americans attended apparently.

OPI: Finally, you’ve been doing this for 25 years. What’s next?

JVB: There’s still much to do. Interaction is lucky to have stable and financially strong members.

With the exception of Timmermans and Andvord in the early days, our members have grown by acquiring – instead of being acquired.

As for me, I’m enjoying the journey and don’t think too much about what I want to do in the future. There are several categories that we could explore a lot more. PPE and medical supplies, for instance, or warehouse products.

I would also like to achieve the same market share in Germany, France and Italy as we have in the UK – these are three big European nations where there is still huge growth potential that remains a little untapped.

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OPI: Is that because of brand perception?

JVB: Definitely in Germany. There is brand consciousness but also a different channel focus. A wholesaler has a tougher time pushing a brand than a direct sales operation. Very different from, say, Spain where Comercial is a dominant wholesale player with Q-Connect.

It’s tough competing with long-standing industry players such as Hamelin, Exacompta, BIC and Leitz in France and Germany – they are national treasures in their markets with incredibly loyal customer bases. But there’s plenty of room for growth in these countries too.

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OPI: No plans to hang up your Interaction boots and go cycling around the world?

JVB: Well, whenever I’m not wearing my Q-Connect hat, I don my cycling helmet. But for now, I’m happy doing both.

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FOCUS

Passing the BATON ACCO Brands recently announced changes as part of a planned leadership transition, the company exclusively tells OPI’s Andy Braithwaite

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lobal business products vendor ACCO Brands published a regulatory filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on 10 June.

The document’s introductory section revealed ACCO’s board of directors had approved a management proposal to restructure the company’s executive leadership team and eliminate the roles of EVP, President Americas and EVP, President International. These posts are held by Pat Buchenroth and Cezary Monko, respectively.

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NEW LEADERSHIP The result of this decision – related to an ongoing restructuring and cost-savings programme, it was noted – was the resignation of both execs: Buchenroth on 1 July 2025 and Monko effective 31 December 2025 (although Monko will remain on ‘gardening leave’ for a further 12 months in line with the terms of his contract).

While ACCO will continue to report the Americas as a single segment, the regional leadership has been split in two.

Jed Peters has been named SVP & President, North America, leading the vendor’s

commercial businesses in the US and Canada.

He has been with ACCO since 1998 and was most recently General Manager, US School & Office Products and PowerA. Meanwhile, Rubens Passos will assume the role of SVP, leading ACCO’s units in Brazil, Mexico and Chile as well as export markets in Latin America. Passos joined ACCO in 2012 as part of the Mead Consumer and Office Products acquisition and most recently served as SVP Latin America and interim General Manager for ACCO in Canada.

[The appointments] were not a knee-jerk reaction to current market conditions At the International division, AJ Spijkervet has been appointed SVP and President, effective 1 January 2026. He will be responsible for all commercial activities in EMEA, Australia, New Zealand and Asia, and the export markets in the Middle East and Africa. Spijkervet joined the vendor in 2016 as part of the Esselte acquisition and is currently VP for Central Europe.

PLANNED TRANSITIONS With the wording of the SEC filing and its accompanying press release bound by certain reporting rules, ACCO contacted OPI to provide more context and details. In particular, it emphasised that the developments were planned transitions “important for continuity

All three appointees have a solid background in sales; their promotions are part of [the] strategy to put leaders closer to customers

AJ Spijkervet

COMMERCIAL FOCUS The commercial nature of these new roles is noteworthy. It is no coincidence that all three appointees have a solid background in sales; their promotions are part of ACCO’s strategy to put leaders closer to customers. OPI understands other operational aspects – such as supply chain and IT – will be handled by local and group teams, enabling the new leaders to concentrate on commercial growth.

Jed Peters

GREEN SHOOTS On a more positive note, gaming should receive a boost following the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 at the start of June, and ACCO is achieving organic growth by expanding PowerA outside of its North American heartland.

Other strategies for boosting revenues include expanding the line of ergonomic products which was launched last year under the Esselte brand. Mostly available in Europe, the company is currently evaluating additional countries and channels for these items.

In spite of these green shoots, they are not yet moving the needle. Around 80% of total sales are derived from the Business Essentials and Learning & Creative product groups, with many of these categories facing secular declines.

With its capital allocation strategy prioritising debt reduction – in the near term, at least – ACCO has ruled out making further acquisitions this year. As such, any improvements to the top line will have to be organic, so the new management team will have to double down on product, channel and service innovation.

July/August 2025

Rubens Passos

Along with Monko, another well-known leader within the International segment – Nigel Gunn, SVP of Sales for EMEA – will be leaving the business at the end of this year. Once again a joint decision, this development has been in the pipeline for over a year.

Between them, Buchenroth, Monko and Gunn have more than 100 years of experience with ACCO. The vendor, on this note, highlighted the calibre of the three new leaders coming in – all of them internal appointments.

“AJ is an excellent and seasoned leader who has worked closely with Cezary and Nigel for most of his career and is well prepared for this additional leadership responsibility,” ACCO said, adding: “Jed has over 25 years of experience with increasing responsibilities in finance, product development, marketing, sales and general management. His leadership is exceptional and his laser focus on commercial excellence makes him a perfect successor in these dynamic times.”

It continued: “Meanwhile, Rubens will focus his efforts exclusively on driving growth and profit expansion in Brazil, Mexico, Chile and the export markets in Latin America. He has 40 years of experience […] and a deep knowledge of the Latin America office and school products industry.”

This will be crucial. Even ACCO has admitted that this is a “challenging time in our industry” and its year-on-year revenue in the first quarter of 2025 declined by 8% on a constant-currency basis. This was despite back-to-school (BTS) orders – normally seen in Q2 – being brought forward due to tariffand supply chain-related uncertainties.

Short term, top-line trends are not expected to improve materially. ACCO’s prediction for the quarter ended 30 June 2025 was for a reported drop of between 8-12% – look out for the results on opi.net when they are published at the end of July.

Prior to the recent issues with tariffs, ACCO was forecasting its North American BTS season to be down in the low single digits. That outlook is now doubtful as retailers become more cautious with their inventories.

In May, CEO Tom Tedford said sales of office products “remained sluggish […] across most markets”, while the overall gaming accessories category – where ACCO has its PowerA brand – was down almost 20% at the start of the year due to ageing consoles and low consumer spending.

FOCUS ACCO Brands Restructuring

within leadership and as the company modernises our approach to an evolving marketplace”. In other words, they were not a knee-jerk reaction to current market conditions.

Indeed, the departure of Monko – based on a mutual agreement – has been in the works for the past 18 months in order to ensure a smooth transition to Spijkervet’s leadership.

In the Americas unit, the departure of Buchenroth is another planned decision that will see the long-serving executive take retirement in August.

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CATEGORY UPDATE

FURNITURE

Opportunities

AHEAD

Artverum glass whiteboard from Sigel

As work transcends fixed spaces, vendors are reinventing office layouts and furniture for a mobile, mindful and modular era – by Kate Davies

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orkplaces globally are in flux, driven by evolving work patterns, employee expectations and environmental priorities. As a result, calls for furniture which supports flexibility, well-being, technology and sustainability continue to grow. In response, leading manufacturers are developing solutions to help resellers navigate each of these demands.

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WHAT’S TRENDING? Workplace furniture is being reshaped by the need for versatility. As Shawn Green, VP of Product, Marketing and Innovation at Safco, puts it: “Products that offer a high degree of user control and can be repositioned and adjusted are in great demand.” He highlights counterbalance task seating, nesting tables and modular, non-handed solutions as standout options.

KiSP Software Solutions is seeing increased attention on furniture that improves engagement, such as pieces which support movement, collaboration and comfort.

General Manager Larry Leete explains there’s a trend towards connectivity zones in North America and Europe which feel more like welcoming hospitality settings. In Asia-Pacific, meanwhile, compact, multi-use furnishings that promote wellness and productivity in small areas are popular. Across all regions, Leete adds: “The focus is shifting from static function to dynamic user experience.”

These changing preferences are pushing resellers to rethink how they curate and sell. “Dealers should lean into experiential planning,” Leete notes. “Blending private, collaborative and social zones and showcasing solutions that elevate day-to-day engagement are essential.”

Customisation is another priority. “Every workspace has unique needs,” says Arnau Verdaguer, Rocada’s Export Sales Area Manager. “It’s important to offer modular solutions and collaborate closely with manufacturers.” For Rocada, this has helped deliver tailored options that meet, and even exceed, customer expectations.

The focus is shifting from static function to dynamic user experience

One area showing notably strong global progression is acoustic solutions, according to Verdaguer. Acoustic booths and standalone panels, for instance, are highly sought after as a result of open office layouts.

THE NEW FACE OF ERGONOMICS While ergonomics has long been a priority, pressures are mounting. “Buyers are more focused than ever on personalising workspaces to support ergonomic health as staff return to the office,” says KiSP’s Marketing Director Christine Bellefontaine.

HYBRID COLLABORATION Office equipment is increasingly incorporating technology to support digital communication.

At Rocada, for example, interactive monitors combine whiteboard functionality with a 4K touchscreen, file access and web browsing.

They are designed for 24/7 use and paired with PET-based acoustic panels.

Sigel, meanwhile, has developed Artverum whiteboards, featuring a matte surface that reduces reflections to ensure notes can be easily seen by all participants, either in-person or remotely. “Artverum glass whiteboards

serve as central hubs for collaboration. The physical presence and interaction around a whiteboard are irreplaceable, fostering teamwork and creativity,” notes Senior Key Account Manager Liudmila Miscevic.

Green emphasises adaptability over integration. Safco’s approach is to design furniture which accommodates evolving tech set-ups rather than trying to embed specific devices, offering long-term resilience to fast-changing digital trends.

CONSCIOUS DESIGN Sustainability underpins everything from procurement decisions to brand positioning. For instance, Rocada applies circularity into its design philosophy – using recyclable materials, reducing waste and ensuring products are durable and easy to disassemble. “For eco-conscious resellers and clients, this adds ethical and marketing value as demand for green solutions rises,” says Verdaguer.

CATEGORY UPDATE Furniture

Meeting a variety of needs can mean choosing from multiple product lines, which is where solutions such as KiSP’s KITS Collaborator are essential. With access to over 90 manufacturer catalogues, this mobile sales platform allows reps to present tailored layouts from several brands.

Small additions can make a big difference too. Floortex Marketing Manager John Barker highlights chair mats as an overlooked yet effective ergonomic upgrade. “Chair movement on carpets can cause strain,” he explains. “A mat provides an easy-glide surface to reduce lower body stress and protect floors.” It’s an especially relevant solution in home offices, where workers are more conscious of wear and tear.

The growing emphasis on ergonomic health is reinforced by a generational shift towards holistic well-being. According to the Leitz whitepaper, The New World of Work, millennials and Gen Z are investing heavily in wellness, prioritising physical and mental health. The research reveals 60% of workers report musculoskeletal issues every year.

While tools like sit-stand desks support workplace health, Leitz adds they work best with prompts and broader efforts to encourage more varied movement.

In education, there’s a clear focus on reconfigurable layouts that support active learning

Rocada’s interactive monitor system

Leete highlights how sustainability is also about communication, not just compliance. As a software provider, KiSP works with customers to make sustainable product features more visible and relatable. The goal, he explains, is to “turn sustainability from a buzzword into a tangible part of the experience”.

Social well-being is gaining traction too, particularly in supporting hybrid workers, adds Leete: “Furniture can foster belonging.

Inclusive lounge zones and inviting layouts can be a social catalyst, drawing people in and easing the sense of isolation faced by today’s remote workers.”

This aligns with Gallup’s 2024 State of the Global Workplace report, which found 25% of remote workers experience loneliness, compared with 16% of those in the office.

July/August 2025

SECTOR-SPECIFIC DEMANDS While flexibility, ergonomics and sustainability are universal drivers in the furniture sector, how these needs manifest themselves varies across industry verticals.

In education, there’s a clear focus on reconfigurable layouts that support active learning, according to Bellefontaine. Schools and universities increasingly seek modular furniture which can be rearranged for various tasks. Budget constraints and regulatory standards further play a role in purchasing

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Furniture CATEGORY UPDATE decisions, leading some institutions to favour durability and multipurpose design features.

Sigel’s Miscevic concurs: “Furniture is now selected not only for aesthetics, but also for its ability to support collaborative learning.”

SMEs, on the other hand, prefer modular and scalable solutions that offer long-term flexibility and a fast return on investment.

In the corporate world, the emphasis changes again, explains Bellefontaine. Bigger organisations are investing in hybrid-ready environments that are capable of catering to different workstyles.

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INNOVATIONS ADD VALUE Across the board, manufacturers are doubling down on innovation that responds to user needs and creates upsell opportunities.

Rocada’s acoustic booths are a prime example. They are customisable in colour and layout, allowing resellers to offer tailored, premium solutions which stand out in a competitive market.

Similarly, Sigel has expanded its portfolio with the Desk-Sharing Bag Bicolor, an evolution of its Desk-Sharing Bag. The updated version retains all the practical features of the original but introduces colour combinations to reflect the latest trends.

Meabwhile, Floortex is innovating in the chair mat category. Its new Cleartex Trylok range features a patent-pending, multidirectional cleat system for better grip and stability on carpets. “This improved range offers a perfect chance for dealers to target office and hybrid workers with deals or simply to promote the latest in chair mat design and performance,” Barker explains.

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THE WAY FORWARD For manufacturers and dealers alike, the furniture space presents promise. According to Green, current interest is centred on casegoods, movable walls and personal

Cleartex Trylok range from Floortex

storage. That said, the sector is not without its challenges. He also cautions that competition from online platforms like Amazon remains a persistent pressure point for resellers.

Supply chain instability is another concern, as Verdaguer points out: “Rising raw material and logistics costs are squeezing margins.

Resellers need to diversify their sourcing strategies and plan ahead.”

Looking to the future, success will come to dealers that think strategically. “Focus on high-quality, sustainable materials and durable products. Customers are drawn to items that reflect their functional needs and align with their values,” advises Miscevic.

Green echoes this sentiment, encouraging resellers to become thought leaders and assist in defining the future of workplaces.

“Don’t just sell products; help your clients imagine what’s possible.”

NEOCON 2025 TRENDS & HIGHLIGHTS At this year’s NeoCon, held from 9-11 June at The Mart in Chicago, the commercial interiors world converged around a new theme: Design Ahead. With four macro trends – sensory-rich design, modular flexibility, material innovation and resilience – NeoCon positioned workplace furniture as a force for well-being.

Emotional intelligence and inclusivity were front and centre of the event, with designers embracing neuroaesthetics to create spaces that reduce stress and support diverse cognitive needs.

Sustainability and smart materials were also generating headlines. A standout innovation was Hyphyn – the first biodegradable performance vinyl. Developed by Nassimi and launched after six years of R&D, Hyphyn biodegrades over 90% within two years under landfill conditions without releasing PFAS, microplastics or toxins. This material breakthrough reflected the broader NeoCon push towards circularity and ecological accountability, with materials such as Polygood, Econyl and recycled leathers also taking centre stage.

A broad variety of furniture solutions at NeoCon responded to hybrid and hospitality-driven needs. Modular collections such as Watson Furniture’s Allé and KFI Studios’ Conversa highlighted seamless transitions between solo work, collaboration and relaxation.

INTERVIEW

FURNITURE

Where people THRIVE Andi Owen is shaping MillerKnoll’s global vision – driving innovation, championing culture and setting new leadership standards

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ollowing the 2021 merger of design giants Herman Miller and Knoll, these companies have created a powerhouse, combining the legacies of two well-established businesses under one umbrella to meet modern workplace needs.

At the helm is Andi Owen, who has served as CEO for seven years – three at Herman Miller and four at MillerKnoll. Her vision has guided the business through macroeconomic challenges and evolving workplace trends.

Under her leadership, MillerKnoll has prioritised sustainable development and a company culture where everyone belongs.

In an interview with OPI’s Kate Davies, Owen discusses uniting Herman Miller and Knoll, reflects on breaking barriers as an Influential Woman (see Special Feature, OPI March 2025, page 28) and much more.

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OPI: Let’s start with the merger which crafted MillerKnoll. What motivated that move?

Andi Owen: We had anticipated industry consolidation and took the opportunity to bring together two iconic brands which shared a vision for and a commitment to design.

Merging Herman Miller and Knoll expanded our capabilities and positioned us to better serve a broad customer base.

Our unique strength lies not just in our offerings, but in how we go to market. With diversified retail and contract channels, worldwide operations and a collective of 15 brands, we have unmatched reach, agility and resilience, especially in dynamic markets.

What I’m most proud of is how we’ve combined two storied names with rich legacies

and built something new without losing what makes each one special. It didn’t happen overnight. It took patience, a lot of listening and a deep respect for what both Herman Miller and Knoll stood for.

OPI: What would you describe as the biggest lessons from the merger?

AO: Successful integration isn’t just about systems or structure – it’s about people. We’ve worked hard to bring our teams and product lines together in ways that support real-world needs. I’m inspired when I see teams across brands working together to tackle global issues and push for a renewable future.

Successful integration isn’t just about systems or structure – it’s about people

OPI: How do you maintain a clear vision across your entire portfolio?

AO: We combine global scale with entrepreneurial spirit. From reimagining the work pod experience with the Herman Miller Bay Work Pod to launching bio-based and recycled material revolutions across our collective, we’re not just keeping pace with change – we’re leading it.

Take NaughtOne’s Pippin chair, for example.

Designed with circularity at its core, Pippin came to market in 2023 when demand for sustainable, flexible seating was rising. Its timely launch shows how our entities predict emerging needs and respond with agility.

OPI: Your new flagship locations in London and New York reflect a bold market presence. What do these spaces say about MillerKnoll and expansion plans?

OPI: Talking about the furniture sector as a whole, what are the biggest opportunities and challenges?

AO: Today’s customers demand offices that are flexible, durable and eco-conscious, and we see this as a chance to grow. We’re investing in research, product innovation and responsible materials to deliver results which are not only beautiful but built to last.

With the strength of our collective, we can support these creative requirements across verticals such as workplace, healthcare, higher Andi Owen

education, hospitality and residential. Like many other industries, we’re also experiencing challenging macroeconomic conditions, changes in sustainability legislation and volatile tariff requirements.

Having manufacturing sites in key regions helps us moderate supply chain issues and respond more efficiently to local customer needs in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia.

INTERVIEW Andi Owen

AO: For us, showrooms aren’t just places to display collections; they’re where we demonstrate the power of our brands and test our research.

These environments reveal how high-performance design delivers real-world, human-centred solutions. Many of our showrooms are actually headquarters where associates work in diverse settings for focus, collaboration and social connection.

Last autumn, we introduced the two locations you’ve just mentioned. MillerKnoll London, in Clerkenwell, was our first physical destination outside of the US. We also opened a new NaughtOne showroom around the corner, making it convenient for clients, designers, dealers and members of the architecture and design community to experience our collections. Since opening in September 2024, we’ve welcomed over 4,000 visitors.

Most recently – in June – we opened the doors to our newest location in Chicago’s Fulton Market district. Spanning eight floors and nearly 70,000 sq ft, it features contract showrooms, retail stores and a dedicated healthcare solutions area.

One standout feature is the MillerKnoll Courtyard. This was designed by Michael van Valkenburgh Associates, known for projects such as Brooklyn Bridge and the Obama Presidential Center landscape.

OPI: How is MillerKnoll designing environments that go beyond aesthetics to support the needs of a wellness-focused and inclusive workforce?

AO: We see design as a tool for empowering people and organisations, not just creating beautiful areas. In today’s world, where work can happen anywhere, quality interactions with team members and managers are a major draw for returning to offices.

Offices need to be reimagined to encourage more meaningful interactions

Our Design with Impact platform underpins this approach. It’s a strategic framework that focuses on spaces which work well for people while keeping sustainability and performance in mind. It means designing settings that promote well-being, foster a sense of community and inclusion, and benefit productivity – all while embedding practices such as circular design and material transparency.

Offices need to be reimagined to encourage more meaningful interactions, whether through layouts promoting connection or furniture which supports comfort and engagement. Our goal is to create environments that adapt to people, not the other way round.

July/August 2025

OPI: On the topic of sustainability, can you share any details about your latest environmental initiatives?

AO: In 1953, Herman Miller founder DJ De Pree said: “We will be a good corporate neighbour by being a good steward of the environment.” This principle has guided us ever since. Over the decades, we’ve aimed to reduce our environmental impact and now we’re applying the same principles across new materials and processes.

Recent sustainability initiatives include bamboo-based upholstery, a lower impact Mirra 2 chair, eelgrass acoustic panels by Spinneybeck and NaughtOne’s bio-based foam pouffe, Truffle.

We always engineer with circularity in mind, creating timeless, durable goods that can be reused, recycled or repurposed.

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Andi Owen INTERVIEW NaughtOne’s Pippin chair

We’re phasing out per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances from all North American products by the end of this fiscal year and globally by May 2027, transitioning to 100% renewable electricity by fiscal year 2026 and working to eliminate plastic packaging from our manufacturing sites by 2030.

Our latest sustainability strategy focuses on carbon, materials and circularity, with a commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Curiosity is a pretty good compass. If something grabs your attention, follow it

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OPI: How do you collaborate with dealer and distribution partners to meet shifting customer expectations around circularity, design and service?

AO: We work closely with our partners to anticipate and respond to customer needs.

This collaborative approach allows us to share market insights and equip them with agile product platforms and digital resources that enable faster, more customised solutions.

As the environment becomes a priority for our dealers, we provide transparency around materials, carbon impact and circularity. Added to this, we offer training which helps them tell their sustainability story with confidence.

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OPI: What’s next for MillerKnoll – in 2025 and beyond?

AO: Expansion. We’re growing our footprint worldwide, opening new locations, optimising retail activities and enlarging our assortment for resilient sectors such as healthcare.

We’re also introducing greener solutions across our entire portfolio of companies.

At the same time, we’re entering emerging spaces including gaming and esports, where ergonomics and performance design can make a measurable difference.

Technology will continue to improve how we scale operations and serve our customers – from power distribution advances which enhance energy efficiency to smarter solutions that streamline engagement.

OPI: Before we wrap up, you were recently named again as one of OPI’s Influential Women. What is your leadership style and what keeps you motivated?

AO: At MillerKnoll, women make up 60% of our leadership team and nearly half of our board.

These ratios have grown in the past few years thanks to intentional talent development.

What drives me is an appreciation for design and its ability to create environments that bring people together. I see it as a means of solving problems and challenging convention. I lead with curiosity and believe the best managers are those asking questions.

OPI: Has hybrid working helped level the playing field for women, in your opinion?

AO: While hybrid and remote work have brought greater flexibility, both have also generated challenges for women early in their careers because they miss out on valuable mentoring and networking opportunities that happen in shared spaces.

I encourage managers to find ways to bring teams together to foster connections and support the coaching which is needed to help more women reach senior roles.

OPI: Any other advice for women at the beginning of their careers in this industry?

AO: You don’t need a detailed plan to begin.

Start where you are, keep asking questions and stay open and flexible to where the answers lead you.

Curiosity is a pretty good compass. If something grabs your attention, follow it – there’s usually more that’s worth exploring.

When you bring genuine interest and energy to your work, it shows, and it often leads to unexpected opportunities.

EUROPEAN Forum 2025

6-8 OCTOBER | THE CUMBERLAND HOTEL, LONDON

An exclusive conference for senior executives from the European business supplies industry and its related sectors WHY SHOULD I ATTEND? • NETWORK AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL — Connect with a carefully curated group of senior leaders from Europe’s top resellers, manufacturers, wholesalers and tech providers.

• STAY AHEAD OF THE CURVE — Gain insights into the latest trends, threats and opportunities shaping the business supplies industry across Europe.

• EXPLORE WHAT’S NEXT — Understand how new working habits, AI and changing customer expectations are reshaping the landscape.

• THINK BIGGER, ACT SMARTER — Participate in candid, Chatham House rule discussions and solution-focused roundtables to tackle your most pressing challenges.

• INVEST IN YOURSELF AND YOUR BUSINESS — Take time away from day-to-day demands to reflect, learn and return with new perspectives and strategies.

• ENJOY A UNIQUELY SENIOR SETTING — This isn’t a trade show.

It’s an exclusive, efficient, high-impact forum built specifically for C-level leaders.

• ENGAGE WITH EXPERT SPEAKERS — Hear from a mix of industry insiders and outside thought leaders for a balanced, thought-provoking agenda.

• RISK-FREE REGISTRATION — If you don’t feel you gained value from the event, we’ll refund your fee. No questions asked.

BOOKING & MORE INFORMATION AT: OPI.NET/EF2025 Places at the European Forum are strictly limited to maintain a senior, exclusive and interactive experience, so we encourage you to book as soon as possible.

If you want to find out more please visit opi.net/ef2025 or don’t hesitate to contact Jade Wilson directly at jade.wilson@opi.net.

We are confident you will find the event a really valuable experience and an excellent use of your time.

OPI BB Advertorial FINAL with Bleed and Corner.pdf

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HOW TO...

JAN / SAN JAN / SAN Special Issue

Selling green CLEANING

BREAKROOM

SPECIAL

Special Issue

BREAKROOM Jan/san has become core to many resellers’ product portfolios. Now the ante SPECIAL is being upped in terms of the category’s green credentials, says Steve Ashkin

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cross Europe, environmental regulations and customer expectations are transforming how businesses manage their supply chains. New rules such as the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the UK’s Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) are pushing companies to assess and disclose their climate impacts – not just from their own operations, but also from those of their suppliers.

For business supplies operators, particularly ones also distributing janitorial, hygiene and facility-related products, this shift is more than regulatory – it’s commercial. Buyers are under growing pressure to select vendors that help them meet climate goals, reduce emissions and provide transparent sustainability data.

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PROS AND CONS This presents both a challenge and an opportunity, especially when it comes to growing your sales of ‘green’ jan/san products. These are items that reduce health and environmental impacts compared to conventional alternatives used for the same purpose. They are often made using less toxic or non-hazardous ingredients and may contain recycled or renewable materials.

Some are designed to use less water or energy during application.

Many are certified through recognised third-party initiatives such as the EU Ecolabel, Nordic Swan, Blue Angel or FSC, and feature reduced or recyclable packaging. Increasingly, large customers – particularly in government, healthcare and commercial real estate – require these products in tenders and contracts.

REGULATORY AND MARKET DRIVERS The EU’s CSRD and UK policies such as SECR and Procurement Policy Note 06/21 are expanding the breadth of what companies must disclose. Scope 3 emissions, which include upstream supplier emissions, are a primary focus.

Companies must also assess environmental risks tied to the products and packaging they source. With these frameworks now driving public and private sector reporting, suppliers are being asked to contribute sustainability data to help clients meet their obligations.

Buyers are under growing pressure to select vendors that help them meet climate goals

Office products resellers that stock sustainable jan/san products – and can support those offerings with credible environmental claims – are increasingly viewed as preferred suppliers. They help reduce risk for their clients, enable better reporting and demonstrate alignment with stakeholder expectations.

Selling these items successfully starts with preparing your sales team. Many reps are confident selling paper or toner cartridges but may be unsure how to present disinfectants with low volatile organic compounds or paper towels made from recycled fibre.

A well-designed training programme can bridge that gap. Resellers should understand what product labels mean, how they align with client goals and how to communicate the benefits of switching to greener alternatives.

IN-HOUSE EXPERTS Beyond training, having an internal sustainability champion can boost company-wide awareness and effectiveness.

These individuals should stay informed about product certifications, regulatory changes and customer expectations. They serve as a resource for the sales team, assist with bids and ensure green product data is properly highlighted in catalogues or customer portals.

They can also respond to technical enquiries about chemical ingredients, packaging materials or environmental impact.

Marketing and product teams play a vital role in supporting sustainable jan/san sales – they make environmentally preferred products easy to find and understand. Labelling items clearly on websites and client-facing materials helps both customers and internal staff to identify them. This might include call-outs such as ‘EU Ecolabel Certified’, ‘Plastic-Free Packaging’ or ‘FSC Certified’. Providing downloadable specification sheets or links to third-party certifications further improves buyer confidence and enhances transparency.

Sales incentives are just as critical as visibility. If your compensation structure rewards only the lowest-cost sales or volume-based discounts, reps may be reluctant to promote green alternatives that sometimes carry a higher unit price.

Consider introducing bonuses or rewards for every sustainable jan/san item sold or for converting entire client accounts to environmentally sound product bundles.

These rewards reinforce a company’s commitment to sustainability and align seller behaviour with business strategy. Recognising top performers in internal meetings or newsletters also builds momentum.

LONG-TERM BUSINESS BENEFITS Selling green jan/san isn’t just a way to stay compliant – it’s a smart business strategy.

Public sector buyers, educational institutions and healthcare systems increasingly award points based on environmental performance.

The ability to demonstrate sustainability credentials may determine whether a supplier makes the shortlist. Strong performance in this area can unlock new accounts, strengthen relationships and justify higher margins.

Operators that lead on sustainability often find it easier to retain people, particularly younger staff who value environmental responsibility. Also, efforts to reduce waste, improve fuel efficiency and stock safer products can lower operational costs over time, helping both the bottom line and the brand.

Perhaps most importantly, investing in sustainability today future-proofs your business against regulatory change. While the CSRD and SECR are already influencing procurement, the EU is considering new supply chain laws which could mandate climate risk assessments and emissions disclosures from all vendors in certain sectors.

Companies that already have systems in place will be at a major advantage.

Selling green jan/san isn’t just a way to stay compliant – it’s a smart business strategy

INDUSTRY STANDARD Green jan/san is no longer a niche category; it’s rapidly becoming the industry standard.

Buyers across Europe certainly are actively seeking suppliers which can help them reduce their environmental impact, meet reporting requirements and align with sustainability goals.

Resellers embracing this shift – by training their teams, updating their product mix and rewarding sustainable product sales – stand to grow market share, increase profitability and earn long-term client loyalty. On the other hand, those that delay may find themselves excluded from tenders, dropped from preferred supplier lists or simply unable to meet rising expectations.

This is a pivotal moment for our sector. Now is the time to invest in the tools, training and incentives which support sustainable jan/ san sales. By doing so, a company won’t just comply with evolving rules – it will be a leader.

July/August 2025

TRACKING AND TRANSPARENCY As your offering grows, so does the need for supporting data. Many clients will want to know what portion of their spend qualifies as sustainable, what emissions are tied to production or delivery and whether your firm can support their Scope 3 disclosures.

Resellers don’t need to build custom tools to meet these needs as third-party platforms exist to streamline reporting. EcoVadis, for example, provides supplier sustainability ratings across Europe. ISSA’s Sustainability Reporting Platform, meanwhile, originally built for the cleaning sector, now offers OP suppliers a way to track energy use, fleet fuel, water, waste and product emissions in an organised way.

Steve Ashkin is a pioneer in promoting healthier cleaning products and practices.

Recognised as the ‘father of green cleaning’, he also champions broader sustainability efforts across firms. Ashkin co-chairs ISSA’s Sustainability Committee and contributes to the LEED and WELL rating systems, authoring their cleaning requirements

HOW TO... Green Jan/San

Additional support is available through initiatives such as GS1 and national ecolabel registries, which provide standardised data for product attributes. These frameworks are gaining traction as companies seek ways to streamline their reporting obligations across multiple vendors and product categories.

Short internal briefings or recorded modules covering basic environmental terminology and product claims can significantly improve confidence. Manufacturers should – and typically do – help with this too.

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OPINION

JAN / SAN JAN / SAN

Centre STAGE

Special Issue

BREAKROOM

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SPECIAL

xpectations around hygiene in office Special Issue environments have fundamentally

environments that are not only clean, but also welcoming, equitable and supportive of everyone’s well-being.

On the implementation side, we are working closely with facility managers and cleaning teams to ensure solutions are practical, scalable and easy to integrate into existing workflows.

shifted. According to our research, BREAKROOM

80% of employees believe hygiene SPECIAL is more important now than before the

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pandemic and 60% expect their employer to provide a clean and safe environment.

Cleanliness is no longer just about appearance – it’s about health, safety and staff confidence.

This shift is driving demand for smarter, more visible and more sustainable hygiene solutions. Our customers are asking for data-driven tools that help them clean more efficiently, reduce waste and ensure that hygiene standards are consistently met. This is particularly important given the pressure the commercial cleaning sector is under as a result of labour shortages and rising costs.

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GREEN CLEAN In addition, we are seeing a strong push for sustainable hygiene practices, such as reducing single-use plastics and improving recycling. Our efforts are directly aligned with these demands, helping our partners meet both operational and environmental goals. We are rethinking the lifecycle of hygiene products to tackle one of the biggest challenges in the industry: waste.

To address this, we have developed Tork PaperCircle, a recycling service for paper hand towels which helps businesses reduce waste by up to 20% and save on average 1.7 tons of waste per site compared to standard waste handling.

Another key area of focus is inclusivity in washrooms. Hygiene should be accessible to everyone and our aim is to eliminate visible and invisible barriers in workplace washrooms, be they physical or cognitive challenges.

Through our inclusive hygiene framework, we endeavour to help businesses create

PLUGGING KNOWLEDGE GAPS One of the biggest challenges is ensuring consistent product knowledge and training across a diverse and often fragmented distribution network. With so many stakeholders involved – from distributors and resellers to facility managers and cleaning staff – gaps can easily arise in understanding how to implement hygiene solutions effectively.

Commercial cleaning is no longer a background function

Jenny Turner, Corporate Communications Director, Essity Professional Hygiene

We have developed a range of practical tools and resources to support our partners and end users. For example, our office cleaning checklist helps teams ensure they are covering all critical hygiene touchpoints, while our cleaning quiz is a quick and engaging way to assess current practices and identify areas which need to be improved.

We also offer free training modules to help firms reduce their environmental footprint and empower cleaning teams to take meaningful action – from reducing waste, as mentioned before, to making smarter product choices.

Ultimately, commercial cleaning is no longer a background function – it’s a strategic enabler of employee confidence, health and productivity. Businesses that recognise and invest in this are better positioned to attract talent, retain staff and thrive in the evolving workplace landscape.

T H E N AT I O N A L BUSINESS PRODUCTS INDUSTRY PRESENTS

SEPTEMBER 25, 2025

NAVY PIER, CHICAGO, IL HONORING

JOHN FELLOWES FOR ALL TOUCHED

BY CANCER

President and CEO, Fellowes Brands

City of Hope® and the National Business Products Industry Group are proud to honor John Fellowes with the 2025 Spirit of Life® Award for his dedication to expanding access to breakthrough research, compassionate care and innovative treatments for cancer patients and their families.

Join City of Hope in honoring John Fellowes. Together, we will advance lifesaving cancer research, treatment and care.

To learn more and register, visit cityofhope.org/nbpi.

For questions, contact NBPIevents@coh.org.

JAN CASE/ SAN STUDY JAN / SAN

Making the case for…

JAN/SAN

Special Issue

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SPECIAL

Special Issue

BREAKROOM

SPECIAL

OPI talked to three US dealers that have taken the jan/san plunge and made a resounding success of the category – from entry level to full-blown expert

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GETTING STARTED

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Justin Carpenter, President, Stationers Essentially, it’s the COVID-19 pandemic that got us into jan/san, so it’s a fairly new segment for us. We’re now doing about $1 million in it – a fraction of our overall revenues; hence why I believe there’s huge potential still to grow.

We started with basics such as paper towels and toilet paper, using our existing wholesalers – S.P. Richards (SPR) mostly – that had experienced people to help us along the way. It soon became clear there was more opportunity: shampoo, conditioner, dilution systems, pads for floor buffers, detergent, etc.

As such, in 2023, we expanded the category, buying direct from manufacturers through Independent Suppliers Group (ISG) and distributors including RJ Schinner for better pricing. Stationers is a Pinnacle dealer and ISG’s Frank Hoard is a great resource who helped us go after larger medical facilities, selling things such as dilution systems and industrial supplies.

Our biggest jan/san customers are in healthcare and banking. We already sell them OP and furniture, so we are emphasising the convenience of having one order and one invoice – delivered daily for three categories.

Healthy margins in this segment have certainly helped our team become more comfortable selling jan/san. They mean our reps are excited about selling these items and making more money. It also allows us to be a one-stop shop. Reps can walk in and say: “We do it all.” And it’s not just pricing – they can articulate the overall cost and time savings of having one supplier with one customer service person, rep and invoice. It helps us and it helps the customer.

We have reached a point where we need to bring in a specialist to work full time on opportunities

Justin Carpenter

The biggest challenge we face is education because there’s definitely a knowledge gap.

We can’t expect our sales and customer service teams to be immediate experts – we sell too many products for that and our tenured sales reps have been selling the same categories for a long time.

The second obstacle is making them confident enough to introduce jan/san to accounts that are already doing well and not to be afraid something could go wrong and sour a good relationship.

We have reached a point where we need to bring in a specialist to work full time on opportunities with our sales force. Long-term, we would also be interested in acquiring a jan/ san house which would give us further insight and access to this category.

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CASE STUDY Jan/San Opportunities

Jarrod Anderson

The aim now is to achieve a ‘good/better/best’ model and our current efforts and how our sales teams work align with this strategy.

We hired a Director of Sales – Supplies last November who has great knowledge of the cleaning industry. I don’t actually think you necessarily require a specialist, as there’s so much help available from suppliers. But you do need a category champion who engages with the sales team.

In terms of purchasing, we use SPR, RJ Schinner and Essendant – in that order. All of these are good wholesalers for us. We also approach vendors through ISG – the group is doing a really good job onboarding new partners in this category. Being based in Rocklin, California, we have several regional manufacturers we source from which allows us to order smaller quantities at a low price point.

If I had to give fellow dealers some advice in terms of approaching this category, I would say: make a list of top SKUs (no more than 100), negotiate a great price, get them in stock – even if you source them from a wholesaler – and put a flyer in your reps’ hands. Measure sales activity/results and repeat. But don’t overthink it: keep it simple and get out there with your story. Good things will happen.

Timur Aydinli

are sources we leverage in the redistribution space, although neither delivers next day.

In terms of SPR and Essendant, we partnered with them much more heavily earlier in our jan/san endeavours. They both do a good job in the commodity space with skincare products, towels/tissues and so on, but as we got bigger, we realised that they just don’t have the depth and breadth of products necessary.

There is also an element of expertise we gain from direct relationships which is important to our sales efforts.

Take laundry, for example. SPR and Essendant do not provide the products – think 15-gallon and 55-gallon drums of detergent, bleach and softener – and do not have the knowledge which is required to succeed in this space. The same goes for other sub-segments such as kitchenware wash, chemical dilution systems and all manner of facility equipment.

Additionally, because we stock so heavily, we control our own service levels and fill rates.

Customer service is immensely important to us.

Direct, close dealings with manufacturers also get us better pricing – another tick for a good customer relationship.

Building this division took resources and focus. Strategic acquisitions helped us in a number of ways too: market share,

MAKING PROGRESS Jarrod Anderson, President, Walker’s Office Supplies Jan/san is a leading category for us and makes up about 50% of our annual revenues, so that’s about $8-$9 million out of total sales of approximately $17 million. Toilet and tissue paper and bin liners account for around 80% of our sales volumes.

I fell in love with this category as it was an easy transition: it lives somewhere between project furniture and office products and has become a perfect fit for us. It’s a segment where we can sell fewer SKUs but at higher prices per SKU; at the same time, we are able to add value to customers through product knowledge and special programmes.

For the first 10-15 years of our jan/san ‘journey’, much of our growth came from low-hanging fruit. But that had pretty much run its course, so at the end of last year we decided to retool our offering and approach a little. It meant we went out searching for the best partners and adding some new ones.

We started private labelling our liners with one new relationship and did the same for cleaning chemicals with another company.

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BECOMING EXPERTS

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Timur Aydinli, Janitorial Division Manager, Eakes Office Solutions We started selling the category about a decade ago because some of our existing customers were looking for jan/san items. Now, Eakes Office Solutions is a full-solution jan/san supplier, offering everything from paper and chemicals to sweepers, vacuum cleaners and other equipment.

We hired our first janitorial specialist in 2015 and currently have 15 janitorial specialists and 23 office products reps capable of selling jan/san. OP and jan/san call for different sales skills. You need technical knowledge about the make-up of chemicals and what works on what surfaces. Chemicals can be dangerous if you don’t supply customers with the necessary information about the product or the right PPE. As such, reps need to be educated and have ongoing training – the responsibility of selling jan/san is at a whole different level than other products.

We buy from operators like RJ Schinner and R3 Redistribution as well as SPR and Essendant. But 80-90% of our jan/san comes direct from manufacturers such as Spartan Chemical, Inteplast/Pitt Plastics, Tennant, Kutol and Fresh Products. Schinner and R3

CASE STUDY Jan/San Opportunities

elimination of competitive threats, knowledge, experienced staff, sourcing, industry relationships and buying power. We made several over the years, the most notable being Janitor Depot in 2017, Schwarz Paper Company in 2021 and, most recently, My Central Supply in April of this year.

Jan/san, at a high level, is not a particularly good category for online-only sellers, so there’s less pressure from the likes of Amazon – this player doesn’t provide any support or education. Broadly speaking, few people will go online and outfit a whole facility with dispensers, ware wash, drain maintenance or laundry supplies.

We have some unique advantages over traditional jan/san distributors too, including next-day delivery, a robust e-commerce system – uncommon for smaller jan/san operators – and a large sales force and

Eakes Office Solutions’ Grand Island, Nebraska, distribution centre

customer base, allowing us to leverage existing relationships to penetrate accounts more deeply. Finally, we compete favourably with huge competitors such as HD Pro, Staples, BradyPLUS and Imperial Dade because of our local relationships, community involvement and high service levels.

The beauty of jan/san is that it’s a necessity, a staple. Every customer needs the products

Selling this category made perfect sense for Eakes because it fits well into our business model. We had the technology and next-day delivery, so it was a seamless transition with instant benefits. And the beauty of jan/san is that it’s a necessity, a staple. Every customer needs the products.

JAN/SAN DOS AND DON’TS Having accumulated many years of experience in the jan/san space, Frank Hoard, Director of the Facility Supply Channel at ISG, offers some sage advice to dealers interested in getting fully immersed in this category: DON’T: • Bid to become successful – the chances of gaining business are tiny • Provide pricing without engaging the customer • Try to sell every brand • Purchase jan/san items with OP techniques • Think you need a specialist • Believe success comes from selling jan/san on a website • Rely solely on the wholesale or stockless model • Cherry-pick suppliers

July/August 2025

DO: • Educate your sales force in the jan/san field • Engage with contacts outside of the OP channel • Conduct site surveys and/or clean audits • Engage with ISSA • Inventory leading items for better cost of goods • Look at data • Engage and build relationships with a select set of suppliers – buying groups are a great way to shortcut the process

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EVENT

A sense of

RESPONSIBILITY

AMAZON BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2025 REVIEW

Amazon Business pushed home its ‘responsible purchasing’ message at this year’s conference in the UK capital

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he Amazon Business Exchange (ABX) event in London on 5 June coincided with the tenth anniversary of the e-tailer’s B2B arm. To mark the occasion, the reseller updated one of its official numbers, saying it now serves more than eight million customers globally – including 96 of the Fortune 100, 66 of the FTSE 100, 38 of the DAX 40 and 36 of the CAC 40.

One figure which remained unchanged was the annualised sales revenue of “roughly $35 billion”. OPI understands this amount – which is now more than two years old – is an extremely conservative one, even taking into consideration the post-COVID dip experienced by the reseller as buying patterns reset following the pandemic.

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WORK IN PROGRESS While the growth of Amazon Business over the past decade has been nothing short of staggering, it appears it still has work to do on building its reputation within buying circles.

One UK-based procurement manager OPI spoke to at ABX said her team had concerns about Amazon’s sustainability credentials, viewing its marketplace as a Temu-like model flooded with cheap imports from China.

It is no coincidence, therefore, that a key theme at ABX 2025 was ‘responsible procurement’. This included repeated messaging about Amazon’s environmental initiatives, its support for local businesses and its status as a responsible employer.

These topics were developed in some detail by Amazon UK Country Manager John

Boumphrey (pictured top). “Big is not good until big does good,” he said, pointing to projects with charities such as The Multibank and Amazon’s position as the UK’s largest private sector employer of people with learning disabilities and autism.

On the environmental front, Boumphrey highlighted – among other things – the UK’s largest-ever order of electric trucks made earlier this year and the growing use of e-cargo bikes in city centres as part of the company’s goal to reach net zero carbon emissions across its operations by 2040.

EVOLVING CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS A valuable component of ABX events is the presence on stage of Amazon Business customers. These typically include procurement executives from large and medium-sized organisations representing both the public and private sectors, all at various stages on their Amazon Business journey.

Some organisations are switching their entire spend to Amazon Business

The starting point tends to be a desire to control rogue or ad hoc spend made on personal credit cards and then expensed; it is somewhat surprising this practice still seems to be fairly widespread, with one speaker referring to a “procurement Wild West” at a company he joined just a few months ago.

Other relationships have evolved from ‘low-value, high-volume’ transactions into something more sophisticated. One manager from an international healthcare and agriculture giant described how, by using

Examples such as this underline the need for ‘traditional’ resellers to specialise and build an offer around services, such as desktop delivery, installation or closed-loop solutions. As one ABX attendee told OPI: “Box movers will never beat Amazon.”

EVENT Amazon Business Exchange

Amazon’s spend monitoring technology, individual spend thresholds running into the tens of thousands of euros had been enabled.

“We believe in procurement by insight, not by oversight,” he stated.

Arguably, the key takeaway for OPI readers will be the news that some organisations are switching their entire spend to Amazon Business – starting with office products, which tend to be a non-mission-critical choice for procurement departments.

ABX attendees heard from the UK subsidiary of a multinational insurance company that recently switched off its previous office supplies contract. About 80 staff with purchasing authority for 8,000 employees now source all the company’s needs from Amazon Business.

It was a decision made partly due to dissatisfaction with the incumbent contract stationer. “Chasing data was nigh-on impossible and always last minute,” said the procurement manager. “Amazon offered a solution and now all our office supplies spend goes through it.”

USING AI TO TRANSFORM CUSTOMER SERVICE OPI had the opportunity to speak with some senior members of Amazon’s 2,500-strong global customer service team at ABX 2025 and find out how the reseller is harnessing the power of AI and data science to improve the B2B customer experience.

One major strategy the company is working on is how to move from a reactive support model to one that anticipates and resolves issues before they arise.

“Customer service has traditionally been about helping when something goes wrong,” said one executive. “Now we’re asking: how can we proactively add value throughout the customer journey?”

ANALYSING PATTERNS At the heart of this shift is the use of generative AI and predictive models. By analysing patterns in support queries across different customer profiles – such as education or government – Amazon Business can discover insights and

Amazon customer service team at ABX

provide targeted recommendations.

This could include suggesting the activation of features such as shared address for users in specific settings, which would help them streamline deliveries to secure or centralised locations.

These AI-driven recommendations are designed not only to resolve potential pain points, but also to unlock opportunities. “We’re not just solving problems; we’re guiding

July/August 2025

We’re guiding customers towards better outcomes they might not have considered

customers towards better outcomes they might not have considered,” added the exec.

The team emphasised this isn’t about offering technology for its own sake. Rather, the focus is on relevance, trust and user experience. It means recommendations must be both appropriate and timely – tailored to a customer’s stage in the procurement cycle and the complexity of its operations.

Importantly, Amazon is taking a measured approach to deployment.

Internal models are already in advanced stages of development, with pilot testing underway.

Feedback from customers – gathered during events and through direct engagement – is playing a central role in shaping how and where these tools will be introduced.

“We could have launched something last year,” OPI was told. “However, we’re choosing to go slower to ensure we’re delivering meaningful, user-friendly experiences which genuinely support our customers’ needs.

“Ultimately, it’s about using AI to provide smarter, simpler and more personalised support – that’s the future of customer service.”

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EVENT

FUTURE OF WORK 2025 REVIEW

Pioneering the FUTURE

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arly in June, Lyreco hosted its first-ever Future of Work conference in Brussels, Belgium. The event brought together over 350 industry leaders, experts and innovators as well as Lyreco employees from across Europe.

The premise was to tackle the big topics that will shape the workplace going forward, including culture, technology, sustainability and employee well-being. All of this it most certainly did. Following opening remarks from Lyreco Group CEO Gregory Liénard, who emphasised the importance of collaboration in order to drive meaningful change, author and entrepreneur Peter Hinssen took to the stage.

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SETTING THE SCENE Speaking to a packed room in what was a standout keynote, Hinssen captivatingly challenged attendees to accept the new normal: “We are going to see more disruption.

The waves are going to get bigger. The question is: how are you going to keep up?”

Smart technology is arguably a partial answer to that question. Indeed, AI as a key enabler was core to many presentations – think edge computing and its tangible benefits, as highlighted by HP Benelux’s Rajendra Sitompoel, or the impact of AI on the workplace, explained by Microsoft France’s Jean-Christophe Dupuy.

Throughout the day, attendees also engaged with a series of interactive innovation zones and took part in workshops and roundtables.

About 25 exhibitors – both established Lyreco partners and emerging start-ups – showcased advancements in hybrid office design, workplace safety and employee wellness.

REWARDING INNOVATION One of the highlights of the afternoon was a session dominated by Lyreco Pioneers, an initiative which spotlights bold new solutions from the company’s internal talent pool. Four ‘intrapreneur’ teams and individuals pitched their projects to an audience – and jury – of senior leaders, customers and experts.

The only differentiation we will have going forward is our [work] culture

Cyrielle Lombaert

After an intense jury debate, Cyrielle Lombaert from Lyreco France was declared the winner. She had presented her idea of Lyreco ServiceLink, a digital marketplace that connects the reseller’s customers with a curated network of service providers.

Workplace culture expert Bruce Daisley concluded the day’s proceedings with a thought-provoking talk about exactly that – workplace culture. He said: “Culture is the behaviour that happens in organisations whether encouraged, rewarded or tolerated.”

Perhaps the most important word in this statement, he elaborated, is ‘tolerated’, as a company’s culture is often shaped by the worst behaviour a business is willing to tolerate. Anyone seeking to nurture a positive ethos would do well to bear this in mind, Daisley added, as “the only differentiation we will have going forward is our [work] culture”.

As this inaugural Lyreco conference came to a close, one presenter’s comment rang very true: the future of work isn’t something we inherit; it’s something we need to build.

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OPI GLOBAL FORUM 2025 REVIEW

Finding the RIGHT BALANCE The Global Forum 2025 tackled topical themes such as AI and workplace trends, reports OPI’s Andy Braithwaite

R

www.opi.net

eturning to Chicago once more, the 2025 OPI Global Forum welcomed approximately 90 senior executives from the international business products sector, including delegates from across Europe, Canada and Australia, as well as a large contingent from the US. The tried-and-tested formula included keynote presentations, interviews, roundtables and – of course – ample time for networking and forging relationships. It was not lost on attendees that, against a backdrop of tariff and macroeconomic uncertainties, the rise of AI and evolving customer purchasing preferences, human interaction and face-to-face contact remain vital.

In keeping with the past few editions of the Global Forum, the sessions kicked off with a series of quick-fire ‘state of the industry’ interviews with business leaders conducted

by OPI CEO and event host Steve Hilleard.

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POINTS OF VIEW Chatham House rules prevent us from directly quoting interviewees or attributing comments to them in this review, but there were several recurring points of view expressed which will be of particular interest to those in the independent dealer channel. These included: • Focus on having a healthy and sustainable business and be ruthless about taking costs out, if necessary.

• Potential acquisitions are not happening because the selling party does not have viable assets.

• The winners are those that are: eliminating complexities; creating new lines of business; developing an omnichannel model; successfully combining field and inside sales; and investing in robust systems and process. They are not lifestyle businesses.

Acquisitions are not happening because the selling party does not have viable assets • Growth is not in the traditional OP space, but adjacencies cannot just be dabbled in.

• Dealers need to ask themselves whether they are effectively competing in areas such as jan/san. One strategy is to specialise in a high service-level segment as opposed to chasing transactional sales.

DOUBLING DOWN ON AI The fast-moving world of AI is a topic most business leaders are grappling with. The first morning of the Forum featured what Hilleard called – in the nicest possible way – an “AI onslaught”, with no fewer than three high-quality presentations.

Keynote Mark Newhall – founder of consulting firm Execution Specialists Group – is working on complex projects for clients on a daily basis. He called 2025 a “pivotal year”, pointing to the huge number of start-ups now producing AI agents. He also referred to a recently published Global AI Confessions

It’s about using AI to solve problems and giving you the opportunity to redeploy people

The next Global Forum will take place from 17-19 May 2026 at the same venue – the Sofitel Chicago Magnificent Mile.

July/August 2025

Jason Heredia, VP of Design and Client Engagement at HNI Workplace Furnishings, presented practical AI applications and walked attendees through common use cases.

He quoted from a McKinsey study that suggests AI can unlock a staggering $1.2 trillion in value from sales and marketing alone. He also referred to an experiment P&G performed in conjunction with Harvard Business School, which demonstrated teams collaborating using generative AI were 12% faster than those that didn’t use the technology.

“At the end of the day, it’s about using AI to solve problems and giving you the opportunity to redeploy people,” he stated.

Last but not least on the AI front was Andy Crestodina, co-founder of digital marketing agency Orbit Media. He provided some practical examples of how AI can be harnessed to improve e-commerce performance. Tips included how to optimise paid search, create more SEO-friendly product descriptions and conduct competitor analyses.

EVENT Global Forum

Report: CEO Edition in which almost 75% of CEOs admitted they are at risk of losing their job within two years if they fail to deliver measurable AI-driven business gains.

Newhall gave delegates sound advice, suggesting they adopt a “sniper shot” versus “shotgun blast” approach to AI, focusing on the biggest opportunities it presents. He also recommended not having an AI roadmap per se, but looking at how technologies fit into existing business strategies.

WORK TRENDS Hybrid working, return-to-office (RTO) rates and how workplaces are designed are all areas which impact the business products industry. These were covered in abundance at the Global Forum.

Delegates heard from Chicago-based architect David Dewane, whose thought-provoking presentation highlighted the functional versus performative aspects of buildings. He gave the example of an investment bank which views its premises as a portfolio of 147 different human experiences that must be catered to.

Rounding off the event was Jeremy Myerson, Chairman of UK-based organisation WORKTECH Academy. The previous day, he had already hosted two well-attended roundtables on what RTO means for the business products industry.

During these sessions, Myerson brought up the challenges organisations face when operating remote or hybrid working models.

These comprised company culture, mental health issues, career advancement and how to measure performance.

He argued that staff need a reason to go back to the office and could be encouraged to do so by employers providing amenities such as high-quality breakrooms and ergonomic solutions. Both of these, of course, are huge product opportunities in our sector.

In his presentation, Myerson gave an update on research WORKTECH Academy had first carried out during the COVID pandemic. This had identified six different archetypes, ranging from Resolute Returners (those who demanded an immediate return to full-time office work) to Choice Champions (who embraced hybrid or remote working).

Myerson and his team revisited these profiles to see how they have fared in a post-pandemic working environment. The answer? Some have shifted, others have not.

Interestingly, Resolute Returners “have not budged an inch”, but this is creating potential as they focus on improving the workplace experience in order to not lose talent. Studies have shown the number one employee gripe is poor acoustics and corporations with deep pockets are pouring billions into refurbishment projects.

In summary, another well-attended and well-run OPI Global Forum that once again provided the right balance of education, debate and networking.

51

5 MINUTES WITH...

CAREER Q&A Describe your current job.

I am SVP and General Manager at Safco Products.

Kristy Howe

What is the best career decision you have ever made?

Saying “Yes, and…” to embrace opportunities and build on them.

If you could have the answer to any question, what would it be?

What exactly is dark energy and dark matter all about?

What’s your life philosophy?

We only have so many minutes – make them count.

If you could remove one month from the year, which one would you choose?

February. It’s tremendously cold in Minnesota and, despite being short, somehow still feels too long.

Kristy Howe, Safco Products

Best compliment you have received?

“Your mom is a queen.”

Greatest invention ever?

Language and the ability to preserve our stories and pass down knowledge through writing.

What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do?

Staying married for almost 20 years. It takes work and it’s absolutely worth it.

What song always puts you in a good mood?

Anything by Hall & Oates.

Guilty pleasure?

Monster energy drinks. It’s a bad habit but I love them.

One skill you want to master?

Meditation.

What’s on your bucket list?

I’d like to learn more about astrophysics.

What would you sing at karaoke night?

Everything. Once I have the mic, good luck getting it back.

A weird food combination that you love?

Cottage cheese and potato chips.

What irrational fear do you have?

Loose teeth. Having them, seeing them – no, thank you.

Your worst job?

Writing Java code in an IT manufacturing department. I wasn’t particularly good at it but I learned a lot about problem solving and building resilience.

How do you deal with challenges?

I ask for help from my friends.

Favourite ‘office product’?

My dual monitor arm stand has been a game-changer for both my productivity and posture. It reduces neck and eye strain, making my days more efficient.

Any advice for someone who has just joined the industry?

Make an effort to build your network.

This is a small, tight-knit industry filled with smart, generous and supportive people. Relationships matter and can open doors throughout your career.

If you weren’t doing your present job, what would you like to do?

I’d love to run a day camp for miniature dachshunds.

www.opi.net

If time travel was an option, where would you like to go?

The future – to see all the incredible things my kids’ kids’ kids will accomplish.

52

If you could change one thing about the business supplies sector, what would it be?

Simplify across the board. We often overcomplicate processes, making it harder for our customers and ourselves.

YOU ARE INVITED TO ENTER THE

EUROPEAN OFFICE PRODUCTS AWARDS 2026 Now in their 25th year, the European Office Products Awards continue to recognise the most exceptional products, companies and people in the business and workplace supplies industry.

ow Entries n in French accepted an – visit and Germ i.net/ www.op 26 EOPA20 s for detail

26

CALL FOR ENTRIES

ENTRIES ARE NOW BEING ACCEPTED IN THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES: l Business Product of the Year

l Reseller of the Year

l Sustainability Excellence – Vendor and Reseller

l Wholesaler of the Year

l Marketing Campaign of the Year

l Young Executive of the Year

l Best Workplace

l Executive of the Year

l Online Reseller of the Year

l Business Leader of the Year

l Vendor of the Year

l Industry Achievement FOR THE FULL CRITERIA, PLEASE VISIT WWW.OPI.NET/EOPA2026

HOW TO ENTER Winning an award can make a real difference to your business, so be sure to get involved.

Simply complete an entry form online at www.opi.net/EOPA2026 or email your nominations to awards@opi.net. The closing date for entries is Friday 14 November 2025

AWARDS PRESENTATION – MARK YOUR DIARY! WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED AT THE ANNUAL EOPA DINNER TUESDAY 10 MARCH 2026, HOTEL OKURA, AMSTERDAM

ORGANISED BY

FINAL WORD

A clean OPPORTUNITY

O

www.opi.net

ffice products dealers have been increasing their efforts to grow jan/san sales for many years. While OP sales have been declining, the cleaning industry has been undergoing a significant transformation, in the process creating unique potential for office and furniture dealers to increase their value proposition.

Looking clean and smelling good are no longer the benchmarks for the sector.

Cleaning is now recognised as an essential component of workplace wellness, sustainability and operational efficiency.

Dealers that understand emerging trends in proper disinfection protocols, indoor air quality (IAQ) and sustainability reporting can drive new revenue opportunities by using a consultative approach to engage with customers.

54

CLEANING HABITS AND TRENDS Heightened awareness of IAQ is a major trend reshaping the industry. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns over airborne pathogens, allergens, volatile organic compounds and mould have increased significantly. Facilities are seeking solutions such as portable air purifiers, smart air monitoring and highefficiency particulate air filtration.

Dealers bundling these solutions with workplace planning become essential partners in healthier office design. Offering products such as acoustic panels and modular furniture that promote airflow and reduce dust accumulation, for instance, will help them stand out from the competition.

Another issue is surface hygiene.

This is frequently overlooked and the compatibility of disinfectants with various surfaces misunderstood. Using untested or inappropriate products can cause damage.

Manufacturers typically provide care and maintenance guidelines, including details on which disinfectants are safe to use.

Proper cleaning techniques combined with the appropriate products often remove pathogens effectively.

But employees require training on the use and effective application of products, including low-residue, EPA-registered disinfectants, microfibre systems that reduce chemical consumption and colour-

coded tools with the aim of minimising cross-contamination.

ISSA offers a variety of courses and certifications.

These programmes teach best practices in infection control and health-based cleaning – all critical for facilities teams.

Dealers investing in training can better support their clients through assessments, product recommendations and even staff onboarding assistance. Importantly too, they position themselves as trusted advisers, not just suppliers.

ADDING ‘GREEN’ VALUE Sustainability reporting on cleaning practices is also gaining significant traction in many states and municipalities in the US. It’s another jan/san trend that provides the potential for dealers to add value.

Green cleaning products with third-party certifications, such as EPA Safer Choice, Green Seal or ECOLOGO, can help facilities JANenvironmental / SAN teams meet their targets, especially when used in conjunction with initiatives that reduce waste, conserve water and save energy.

Mike Tucker, Executive Director, Workplace Solutions Association (WSA)

JAN / SAN JAN / SAN

Special Issue Dealers investing in training BREAKROOM can better support their clients SPECIAL through assessments Special Issue The ability to build compliant and cost-

effective sustainability programmes can Special Issue be a real differentiator, especially when it BREAKROOM comes to competitive bids and public-sector SPECIAL requests for proposals.

BREAKROOM

SPECIAL

CONVERGENCE CONVENIENCE The convergence of health, hygiene and sustainability in facility operations is not a threat – it’s a clear opportunity. By investing in knowledge, certifications and a consultative sales approach, dealers can offer integrated solutions that span broad and far-reaching workplace strategies.

WSA, part of ISSA, serves manufacturers, wholesalers, dealers, service providers and manufacturer representatives across the business supplies industry. Visit https://wsa.issa.com

Simple.

Sustainable.

V- A I R F L O W 30-day aircare solution harnessing the best of active and passive systems 100% post-consumer recycled plastic dispenser Refills are more than 50% plant-based

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the business products world

OPI

STAY ACTIVE WHILE SITTING

Leitz Ergo Active Stool with Wheels

ISSUE NO.337 JULY/AUGUST 2025

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Introducing the Leitz Ergo Active Sitting Stool with Wheels and Wobble Comfort Seat – designed to keep you comfortable and energized while working.

With our unique DDF Dual Density Foam Seat and 360° DSM Dynamic Spine Motion technology, this stool moves with you — promoting better posture and active sitting. Feel Good at work and beyond.

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Connecting the

business products world

BIG INTERVIEW

Jan Van Belleghem, Interaction

July/August 2025