OMX Officemax Incorporated

OfficeMax Ranked in Top Five Nationwide for Supplier Diversity Office Supply Products Retailer Raises its Rank from Ninth to Fourth on 2004 Div50 List ITASCA, Ill., Feb. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- OfficeMax(R) Incorporated (NYSE:OMX), one of the nation's largest distributors of office supplies, was rated fourth nationwide in support of minority and women-owned businesses on the 2004 Div50 list. OfficeMax raised its rank from ninth to fourth overall and remains the only office supply products company in the Div50 top ten for the past two years. It is the fourth year that OfficeMax, formerly recognized by DiversityBusiness as Boise Office Solutions, has been on the America's Top Organizations for Multicultural Business Opportunities list, voted on by more than 350,000 diversity business owners. Voters base their decisions on factors such as volume, consistency and quality of business granted to multicultural companies. "We are honored to be recognized for our ongoing commitment to supplier diversity and business development," said Chris Milliken, OfficeMax president and CEO. "As our company continues to evolve and enjoy new areas of business opportunity, we are optimistic about the roles our diverse suppliers can play." Over the years, OfficeMax has launched numerous programs to help its minority- and women-owned vendors grow and become successful. Initiatives include annual OfficeMax-sponsored scholarships for multicultural suppliers to attend the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, and quarterly Webcasts with OfficeMax managers and business experts to promote best practices in business procedures ranging from bids preparation to legislative issues. OfficeMax also has helped expand sales revenue for its multicultural suppliers by featuring their products in sales catalogs, and has supported the suppliers directly by encouraging its own nationwide operations to purchase their goods and services. DiversityBusiness.com, the nation's leading multicultural business-to- business Internet portal will honor OfficeMax at a special awards ceremony during the 5th Annual Multicultural Business Conference, taking place March 30 - April 1, 2005, at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn. The complete Div50 list can be viewed at http://www.div2000.com/div50 . About OfficeMax(R) Incorporated OfficeMax(R) Incorporated is a leader in both business-to-business office product solutions and retail office products. OfficeMax delivers an unparalleled customer experience -- in service, in product, in time savings, and in value -- through a relentless focus on its customers. The company provides office supplies and paper, print and document services, technology products and solutions, and furniture to large, medium and small businesses and consumers. OfficeMax customers are served by more than 40,000 associates through direct sales, catalogs, Internet and nearly 1,000 superstores. OfficeMax trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol OMX. To find the nearest OfficeMax, call 1-877-OFFICEMAX or more information can be found at http://www.officemax.com/ . OfficeMax Contact Media Contact Bill Bonner Peter Balistrieri, Bader Rutter & Associates 630 438 8584 262 784 7200, ext. 407 DATASOURCE: OfficeMax(R) Incorporated CONTACT: Bill Bonner of OfficeMax, +1-630-438-8584, or Media, Peter Balistrieri of Bader Rutter & Associates +1-262-784-7200, ext. 407 Web site: http://www.officemax.com/ http://www.div2000.com/div50 http://www.diversitybusiness.com/

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