OPI TALK

Update from RAJA Office

OPI Talk speaks with Alain Josse, Managing Director of RAJA Office.

On 19 May 2022, European packaging, industrial equipment and business products reseller RAJA held a press conference in the French capital, Paris.

After the conference, OPI News Editor Andy Braithwaite caught up with Alain Josse, recently named as Managing Director of the RAJA Office Division, which largely consists of former assets of Staples Solutions and Office Depot Europe.

Alain provides details of the new executive board setup at RAJA, the 2021 performance of RAJA Office, the strategy for Viking – acquired in the final quarter of 2021 – and how RAJA plans to grow in the contract space.

 

Episode recorded and edited 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

OPI’s increasing coverage of sustainability and CSR

OPI Deputy Editor Michelle Sturman reveals more about OPI’s CSR mission and why this is a crucial topic for the business products industry.

The environment has been an important part of OPI’s editorial coverage for many years. Now, as OPI Deputy Editor Michelle Sturman explains, it is something that will be featured in even more depth in the future in line with our new CSR mission statement.

Discussing remanufacturing on Global Reman Day

OPI Talk speaks with Tricia Judge, a leading authority on remanufacturing in the imaging supplies industry.

14 April 2022 is Global Reman Day, a worldwide initiative to promote and raise awareness of the remanufacturing industry across many sectors – including imaging equipment and consumables.

To mark this occasion, the guest on this episode of OPI Talk is Tricia Judge, Executive Director of the International Imaging Technology Council. Tricia is a globally recognised authority in the imaging supplies channel and a strong advocate of remanufacturing.

Topics covered include the state of the remanufacturing industry, pressures from OEMs and newbuild cartridge producers, and environmental issues.

 

Episode recorded and edited 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

The importance of keeping it local

Alan Calder, Marketing Manager at Nemo Office Club, talks about his group’s Keep It Local campaign.

The COVID-19 pandemic put a renewed focus on buying from local businesses and supporting local communities. Even before that, UK dealer group Nemo Office Club had been fighting the buy local corner. Now, it has taken things further by establishing a longer-term campaign called Keep It Local and will shortly be running the very first Keep It Local week.

OPI’s Andy Braithwaite caught up with Nemo Office Club Market Manager Alan Calder to find out more about the campaign and look at some of the issues impacting the buy local movement.

 

Episode recorded and edited 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

EOPA 2022 Industry Achievement winner Geoff Betts

Stewart Superior Managing Director Geoff Betts was recognised for his outstanding contribution to the European business products sector at the recent 2022 European Office Products Awards in Amsterdam.

In this episode of OPI Talk, Betts reflects on some of the secrets of his success and gives his views on the current state of the industry – including some potentially controversial comments on procurement. He also reveals some exciting news about how Stewart Superior is helping its customers overcome supply chain challenges.

 

Episode recorded and edited 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

 

NPD – behind the office supplies numbers

Earlier this month, POS data and market intelligence firm The NPD Group released some eye-catching numbers for the US office supplies industry in 2021. Revenue increased by 11% versus 2020 to $14.5 billion, a figure that was also 12% higher than pre-pandemic 2019.

In this episode of OPI Talk, Andy Braithwaite speaks to NPD Industry Analyst Leen Nsouli about those 2021 results.

What were the drivers behind the double-digit growth two years in a row? What were some of the key category highlights? Was there any share shift between online and bricks-and-mortar? What can we expect in 2022?

Listen to the interview to discover the answers to these questions, and more!

 

Episode recorded and edited 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

“The challenges seemed to be every day”

OPI Talk’s Andy Braithwaite spoke to Acme United CEO Walter Johnsen on 2 March, shortly after the company’s latest earnings release that showed another record year for the supplier.

Walter talks about the challenges of doing business – both this year and last year – provides some colour on Acme’s 2021 results, gives his views on what the invasion of Ukraine might mean, and looks ahead to what might be in store for 2022.

 

Episode recorded and edited 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

The workplace of the future with Bisley

Our guest in this episode of OPI Talk is Jeanine Goddard, Creative Director at office furniture manufacturer Bisley. Starting out, in office products terms, with steel waste paper bins, Bisley has been around for a long time and has always been known for high quality and for innovation. 

OPI’s Heike Dieckmann spoke to Goddard for a How to… guide in the March issue of OPI, discussing workplace trends as well as the essentials for employers to get right in a post-COVID office. 

This is an excerpt from the interview. For more in-depth information and to read the full feature in the magazine, make sure you are subscribed to OPI.

FY earnings follow-up with ACCO’s Boris Elisman

2021 was a record year for ACCO as its PowerA acquisition at the end of 2020 drove annual sales over the $2 billion mark for the first time.

But it wasn’t just about PowerA. ACCO posted healthy comparable growth too, with EMEA leading the way, up by 15%, and improvements in the other two reporting regions.

In this episode of OPI Talk, OPI News Editor Andy Braithwaite looks at ACCO’s 2021 results with CEO Boris Elisman. Topics covered include key sales channels, price increases, supply chain issues and ACCO’s M&A plans.

 

Episode recorded and edited 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

 

Talking dealers and technology with ECI

OPI Talk speaks with Ben Jarvis, Product Manager at ECI Software Solutions.

The stakes have never been higher for independent resellers to have robust technology tools for both customer-facing transactions and back-office productivity efficiencies.

With this in mind, this episode of OPI Talk features Ben Jarvis, Product Manager at ECI Software Solutions in the UK. He gives his take on how dealers stack up on the technology front, provides insight into recent category trends, and offers tips on how resellers can make the most of the tools they have at their disposal.

 

Episode recorded and 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