October 16, 2009
S.P. Richards Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Genuine Parts Company (GPC:NYSE) and leading wholesale distributor of business and office supplies, announced today...
The launch of the North American Office Products Awards.
S. P. Richards is launching the awards program to further engage vendors at its annual Advantage Business Conference (ABC), encouraging innovation and giving its supplier partners further opportunity to promote their new products effectively. The inaugural North American awards will be presented on June 24 at S.P. Richards’ 2010 ABC in Miami Beach, Florida to its audience of independent office supplies resellers and vendor partners.
The North American Office Products Awards will be organized by leading trade media firm OPI in association with S.P. Richards. OPI has significant experience in the coordination and hosting of industry awards programs in Europe and China, most notably the highly regarded European Office Products Awards which have been presented during the annual Paperworld fair in Frankfurt, Germany since 2001 in front of a large multinational gathering of industry leaders.
Jim O’Brien, S.P. Richards’ Senior Vice President Marketing, said: “The strength of OPI awards programs lies in their impartiality and credibility which is achieved by assembling a broad panel of industry experts to judge and assess companies and products against strict published criteria, ensuring their total independence. That same objective process will be applied to the North American Office Products Awards which, in their first year, will focus on acknowledging product excellence.”
Steve Hilleard, OPI’s publisher and CEO, added: “We’re delighted to be partnering with S.P. Richards to enable appropriate recognition of the creativity and innovation which drives the North American office products sector. Our intention is for these awards to be recognized as the ‘Gold Standard’ within the industry and the natural home for such a prestigious annual event is North America’s largest regular gathering for the business products industry, S.P. Richards’ annual ABC.”
S.P. Richards Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Genuine Parts Company (GPC: NYSE), distributes a wide spectrum of business products to office products resellers throughout the U.S. and Canada. These products include consumable office supplies, office furniture, computer supplies, consumer electronics, cleaning and breakroom supplies from all of the major industry manufacturers. S.P. Richards Company markets several private label lines under the brand names of Lorell, Integra, Sparco, Genuine Joe, Nature Saver, Compucessory, Elite Image and Business Source. The company operates 44 Distribution Centers in the United States and Canada.
Genuine Parts Company is a distributor of automotive replacement parts in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The Company also distributes industrial replacement parts in the U.S. and Canada through its Motion Industries subsidiary. S. P. Richards Company, the Office Products Group, distributes business products nationwide in the U.S. and in Canada. The Electrical/Electronic Group, EIS, Inc., distributes electrical and electronic components throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Genuine Parts Company had 2008 revenues of $11.0 billion.
Office Products International (OPI) is widely recognized as one of the leading media organizations for the business supplies industry, reporting to more than 40,000 readers in 112 countries. OPI provides many products and services including its flagship monthly magazine OPI, a daily news alert service via email, conferences, forums and awards programs in Europe and Asia, and specialist reports and market research studies.
For further information contact:
| Allayne Brackbill Manager, Marketing Services S.P. Richards Company (770) 801-5609 abrackbill@sprich.com | Steve Hilleard Chief Executive Office Products International (OPI) 01144 20 7841 2940 steve.hilleard@opi.net |
