OMX Officemax Incorporated

OfficeMax Signs Agreement With Novation ITASCA, Ill., July 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- OfficeMax(R) (NYSE:OMX), one of the nation's largest office supply distributors, has signed a dual- source agreement with Novation, the supply company of VHA Inc. and the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC). The agreement, which offers savings and next-day delivery to VHA and UHC members, begins August 1, 2005, and runs through July 31, 2008. OfficeMax, which has worked with Novation since 1992, will continue to provide members of VHA and UHC access to its office supplies, furniture and technology products. Members purchase tens of millions of dollars worth of office supplies annually and OfficeMax is a significant supplier through its Novation agreement. Novation awarded the contract through its public competitive bid process and by incorporating input from VHA and UHC members. Through this process, overall member satisfaction, significant product value, ordering incentives and next-day delivery on most orders were key factors in the decision. The new agreement also extends to health care organizations that purchase supplies through HealthCare Purchasing Partners International(TM), a company that markets Novation purchasing agreements to non-members of VHA and UHC. "We are proud to continue providing Novation and members of VHA and UHC with an exceptional level of service," said Mike Rowsey, contract division president, OfficeMax. "The continuation of our relationship is a positive reflection of the track record we've built by supplying quality products, strong customer service, next-day delivery and competitive pricing." "We are committed to finding new ways to bring quality, efficiency and cost-savings to the hospitals we serve," says Barry Campbell, Novation product manager. "We are excited to work with OfficeMax to help achieve these goals." OfficeMax provides members with value-added services including programs to help the health care organizations reduce overall supply costs and improve efficient product selection. In addition, OfficeMax works to train the member organizations on product standardization and cost saving analysis. 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/ . About Novation Based in Irving, Texas, Novation was established in January 1998 through a combination of the supply programs of VHA and UHC, two national health care alliances. Novation serves the purchasing needs of more than 2,500 members and affiliates of VHA and UHC. These organizations used Novation contracts to purchase more than $23 billion in supplies in 2004. OfficeMax Contact Media Contact Bill Bonner Nicole Miller, Bader Rutter & Associates 630 438 8584 262 938 5425 DATASOURCE: OfficeMax CONTACT: Bill Bonner of OfficeMax, +1-630-438-8584, or Nicole Miller of Bader Rutter & Associates, +1-262-938-5425 Web site: http://www.officemax.com/

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