Episodes
Friday Nov 26, 2021
AF International’s green story
Friday Nov 26, 2021
Friday Nov 26, 2021
Desktop and surfaces cleaning specialist AF International believes that its longstanding commitment to the environment is its ‘best-kept secret’.
In this episode of OPI Talk, Andy Braithwaite speaks to the manufacturer’s Paul Hardy to find out more. Paul also looks at some key trends in the cleaning market and the opportunities in the category for resellers.
Episode produced by Andy Braithwaite
Music by:
Extreme Energy by MusicToday80: https://soundcloud.com/musictoday80/r...
Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Music provided by Free Vibes: https://goo.gl/NkGhTg
Monday Nov 22, 2021
From the show floor at Industry Week (part 3)
Monday Nov 22, 2021
Monday Nov 22, 2021
The third and final podcast from the recent Industry Week ’21 in Orlando focuses on two key figures from the event’s organiser, Independent Suppliers Group.
Chairman Jordan Kudler and CEO Mike Gentile give their reaction to the first-ever Industry Week and discuss some of the key issues in the independent dealer channel with OPI CEO Steve Hilleard.
Episode produced by Andy Braithwaite
Music by:
Extreme Energy by MusicToday80: https://soundcloud.com/musictoday80/r...
Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Music provided by Free Vibes: https://goo.gl/NkGhTg
Friday Nov 19, 2021
From the show floor at Industry Week (part 2)
Friday Nov 19, 2021
Friday Nov 19, 2021
There were several awards presentations at Industry Week '21 in Orlando. In addition to the North American Office Products Awards (NAOPA), Independent Suppliers Group (ISG) recognised its top suppliers, while the Business Solutions Association (BSA) held its annual awards.
OPI CEO Steve Hilleard spoke to several of the awards winners: Christoph Skopek from COLOP, Yancey Jones Sr and Hunter Jordan, all of whom took home NAOPA trophies; Avery was named ISG Supplier of the Year; while S.P. Richards (SPR) CEO Mike Maggio was presented with the BSA Leadership Award.
They give their views on Industry Week and also some of the key issues in the independent dealer channel.
We also hear from SPR’s Nick Lomax on some of the latest trends and opportunities in the jan/san category.
Episode produced by Andy Braithwaite
Music by:
Extreme Energy by MusicToday80: https://soundcloud.com/musictoday80/r...
Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Music provided by Free Vibes: https://goo.gl/NkGhTg
Thursday Nov 18, 2021
From the show floor at Industry Week (part 1)
Thursday Nov 18, 2021
Thursday Nov 18, 2021
Welcome to the first of three episodes of OPI Talk featuring interviews conducted by OPI CEO Steve Hilleard at Industry Week ’21, powered by ISG.
Steve managed to get on the first flight from London to Orlando following the easing of travel restrictions into the US on 8 November, meaning he was able to attend this highly anticipated event.
During the vendor expo, he worked the show floor and recorded interviews with a wide range of attendees.
In this episode, you’ll hear from ECI’s Brian Bowerfind, Clem Restaino from Zebra Pen, Rosemary Czopek of California dealer Gorilla Stationers, industry veteran Paul Ventimiglia and the City of Hope’s Matt Dodd.
Steve asked them for their takeaways from Industry Week and then discussed a number of key topics, such as e-commerce, sustainability, attracting young talent and the City of Hope.
Episode produced by Andy Braithwaite
Music by:
Extreme Energy by MusicToday80: https://soundcloud.com/musictoday80/r...
Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Music provided by Free Vibes: https://goo.gl/NkGhTg
Monday Nov 15, 2021
Getting to know Sylvamo
Monday Nov 15, 2021
Monday Nov 15, 2021
Effective 1 October 2021, the Printing Papers division of International Paper became a standalone publicly traded company called Sylvamo. With a manufacturing presence on three continents, Sylvamo’s annual sales are more than $3 billion.
OPI Talk spoke to Gerald Demets (Sales and Marketing Director) and Wim Dootselaere (Head of Marketing, Product Management and Development) from Sylvamo’s European operations. As well as introducing Sylvamo, they provided insight into some of the key trends and opportunities in the office paper market.
Episode produced by Andy Braithwaite
Music by:
Extreme Energy by MusicToday80: https://soundcloud.com/musictoday80/r...
Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Music provided by Free Vibes: https://goo.gl/NkGhTg
Friday Nov 05, 2021
OPI Talk’s 50th episode with Robert Baldrey
Friday Nov 05, 2021
Friday Nov 05, 2021
Robert Baldrey featured in the pilot episode of OPI Talk that was recorded in July 2020. Now, 16 months later, he’s back for what is the 50th episode having recently completed his stint at Office Depot Europe following the sale of its remaining assets to RAJA – a deal that officially closed on 1 November.
In this episode, Robert talks about the impact that Staples and Office Depot have had on the European business products channel, changes brought about by COVID, and the rise of Amazon. He also looks ahead to the OPI European Forum Online on 1-2 December, at which he will be moderating a panel on dealing with the current inflationary pressures.
Episode produced by Andy Braithwaite
Music by:
Extreme Energy by MusicToday80: https://soundcloud.com/musictoday80/r...
Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Music provided by Free Vibes: https://goo.gl/NkGhTg