Oct. 26, 2009 (Business Wire) -- Office Depot (NYSE: ODP), a leading global provider of office products and services, today announced the release of the Company’s first Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUB) catalog, which highlights the Company’s current HUB suppliers and an assortment of more than 1,400 items ranging from Hess white board cleaning products and Smead file folders to Neutral Posture desk chairs and Lepages packaging tape. Office Depot is the first Company to create such a catalog, which features its complete diversity product offering and is available to national corporations and accounts.

HUBs are enterprises that have not historically had equal opportunities. Examples include certified minority, women, disabled, veteran and small businesses. By purchasing from Office Depot’s HUB catalog, customers are able to fulfill their second tier HUB sending requirements. Additionally, Office Depot hopes to inspire future HUB suppliers to participate in the Company’s sourcing opportunity process so that they can be identified and their products can be included in future catalogs.

“Office Depot has a commitment to the economic development of the communities in which we work and live,” said Steve Schmidt, President of Office Depot’s Business Solutions Division. “This commitment is evident in our multi-dimensional approach to small business development and our Supply Chain Diversity Program, which assists HUBs in building community, business, and customer relationships that inspire organizational growth and empowerment within every aspect of our business.”

The Office Depot HUB catalog, which will be officially released at the National Minority Supplier Diversity Council (NMSDC) Annual Conference Trade Show in New Orleans today, will also be available online at www.officedepot.com/diversity for customer orders in early November.

Office Depot will release the HUB catalog at the NMSDC Conference to help celebrate the Company’s tenth year of exhibiting at the event. Additionally, Office Depot will host a dinner at the Conference for leading supplier diversity professionals from across the country. Office Depot’s Director of Supplier Diversity, Robert McCormes-Ballou, serves on the NMSDC Executive Committee.

About the National Minority Supplier Diversity Council

The National Minority Supplier Diversity Council (NMSDC) provides a direct link between corporate America and minority-owned businesses. NMSDC is one of the country’s leading business membership organizations. It was chartered in 1972 to provide increased procurement and business opportunities for minority businesses of all sizes.