OPI TALK

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Episodes

Hear the latest news, interviews and analysis from the business supplies industry hosted by OPI, the leading media organisation for the international office products sector.

Episodes

Friday Jul 23, 2021

Brexit – six months on

Friday Jul 23, 2021

Stewart Superior Managing Director Geoff Betts shares his experiences of Brexit from a UK supplier’s point of view.

In this episode of OPI Talk, hosted by OPI News Editor Andy Braithwaite, Geoff talks about the preparations the company made for the end of the Brexit transition period on 1 January 2021 and what the situation has been like over the past six months.

He also refers to freight and shipping challenges, inflationary pressures and the changing landscape of the European office products reseller channel.

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 Jul 16, 2021

The importance of technology – and pride – in our industry

Friday Jul 16, 2021

Our guest in this episode of OPI Talk is Simon Drakeford, CEO of the UK’s EO Group. Simon has been at the helm of this multi-faceted but deeply technology-rooted company for about 14 years. Fiercely passionate about the business supplies industry, he also extends that involvement beyond EO Group with his current Chairmanship of UK trade federation BOSS.

OPI’s CEO Steve Hilleard recently caught up with Simon for our Big Interview in the July/August issue of OPI. This is an extract from the interview. For more information on topics such as EO Group’s latest financial results, the continued – and impressive – resilience of the independent dealer channel and ongoing progress at BOSS, make sure you are subscribed to OPI.

Episode produced by Heike Dieckmann
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 Jul 09, 2021

Breakroom category ready to rebound

Friday Jul 09, 2021

The latest office breakroom trends with Office Snax CEO Todd Elmers.

Pre-COVID, breakroom had developed into a key category for many office supplies resellers. The bottom fell out of the market virtually overnight when the pandemic forced most offices to close.

Now, as offices begin to reopen, resellers will be banking on a return to growth of the breakroom category. But will things be the same as before? What new breakroom trends might emerge post-COVID?

In this episode of OPI Talk, Andy Braithwaite catches up with Todd Elmers, CEO of Office Snax, a leading distributor of breakroom products into the office products channel. The company was in the news recently after it acquired the snack and candy business of Advantus, and consolidation is one of the topics that Todd addresses in this podcast.

Friday Jul 02, 2021

Steve Danziger and the return to the office in California

Friday Jul 02, 2021

This episode of OPI Talk takes us to the state of California, where we speak to Steve Danziger, the founder and CEO of AAA Business Supplies and Interiors, one of the US’s most successful business products dealers.

Steve tells us about the impact that COVID-19 has had on his main customer base located in the San Francisco Bay area of California and how AAA had to come up with new solutions to market more effectively to its clients.

Then, as people start to return to the office, likely in some kind of hybrid model, what does this mean for AAA and other resellers in the independent dealer channel? And what are some of the things Steve is looking at in order to stay relevant in this ‘new normal’?

Friday Jun 25, 2021

Planning for a hybrid working environment

Friday Jun 25, 2021

Brother UK Managing Director Phil Jones explains how his organisation has been planning for a return to the office, why it is implementing a hybrid working policy going forward and what this means for the look and feel of the company’s headquarters near Manchester.

He also issues a rallying cry to office products resellers, calling for them to ensure they are supplying the products and services customers want, and that their digital capabilities are able to meet expectations.

Friday Jun 18, 2021

Everything you need to know about the North American Office Products Awards (NAOPA)

Friday Jun 18, 2021

The North American Office Products Awards are back!

After a break in 2020, OPI is delighted to confirm that the 2021 North American Office Products Awards (NAOPA) will take place during Industry Week ’21 being held from 7-12 November in Orlando, Florida.

OPI is now accepting entries and nominations for the nine NAOPA categories.

What are the categories? Who can enter these awards? Why should I even enter? What is the judging process?

OPI Director Janet Bell answers these questions – and many more – in this episode of OPI Talk, hosted by OPI News Editor Andy Braithwaite.

Friday Jun 11, 2021

Data: the currency of the future

Friday Jun 11, 2021

Discussing the importance of data with Lars Faustmann from HP Inc.

In this episode of OPI Talk, OPI CEO Steve Hilleard speaks with Lars Faustmann, Digital Transformation Manager at HP Inc in Europe.

The focus of their conversation is the role of data in driving the customer experience and what this means for HP and its channel partners. Lars also explains the rationale behind HP’s new Amplify partner programme.

Friday Jun 04, 2021

Discussing UK office products wholesaling and the independent reseller channel

Friday Jun 04, 2021

When UK wholesaler Spicers folded last year, it dramatically changed the balance of what had essentially been a duopoly in the market between Spicers and VOW.

One consequence is that it has opened the door for another distributor, Exertis, to play a more prominent role.

In this episode of OPI Talk, OPI News Editor Andy Braithwaite speaks with Exertis Supplies Commercial Director Raj Advani about recent developments at the company and for his thoughts on the UK independent office products channel.

Friday May 28, 2021

Sustaining hope in a challenging year

Friday May 28, 2021

This week’s episode of OPI Talk features two guests: Greg Gibson, VP and General Manager, North American Papers at International Paper, and Matt Dodd, Senior Executive Director of Corporate Philanthropy at City of Hope.

Gibson is this year’s National Business Products Industry’s Spirit of Life Honouree, spearheading the 2021 Sustain Hope campaign. NBPI has been supporting City of Hope for over 40 years, raising more than $220 million during that time.

This fundraising campaign has been like no other, of course, with so many physical events cancelled. One of these is the City of Hope medical research centre campus tour, typically held in February. As Dodd explains, this is being replaced by a Virtual Tour in mid-June, preceded by a final push for the NBPI’s personal giving campaign.

Gibson and Dodd talk to OPI’s Heike Dieckmann about this unique year – the challenges faced, the opportunities embraced and the progress made in terms of moving a step closer to City of Hope’s ultimate mission and focus – to eradicate cancer and diabetes.

Friday May 21, 2021

What’s wrong with the office supplies channel?

Friday May 21, 2021

Acme United had another record quarter at the start of 2021 as its revenue surged by more than 20% year on year.

Yet, despite this, the company’s sales to key office products customer groups – superstores, wholesalers and independent dealers – were each down by more than 20%. Why was that?

In this episode of OPI Talk, OPI News Editor Andy Braithwaite discusses these results with Acme CEO Walter Johnsen. Walter also offers some advice on what these channel players could be doing to improve their customer experience, and looks ahead to better times as more workers return to the office.