OMX Officemax Incorporated

Boise Retracts Earlier Announcement Regarding Merger Consideration Election Notes Clerical Errors by Transfer Agent, Wells Fargo Shareowner Services BOISE, Idaho, Dec. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Boise Cascade Corporation has announced that due to a clerical error by the exchange agent, Wells Fargo Shareowner Services, its previously issued press release this morning regarding merger consideration elections by OfficeMax, Inc. shareholders was incorrect. A recount of the elections is underway and will be announced as soon as it is complete. In the meantime, the company has asked the New York Stock Exchange to continue the trading halt in Boise Cascade Corporation shares. OfficeMax has made a similar request with respect to its shares. Boise and OfficeMax expect to close their merger transaction on schedule on December 9, 2003. Boise delivers office, building, and paper solutions that help our customers to manage productive offices and construct well-built homes - two of the most important activities in our society. Boise's 24,000 employees help people work more efficiently, build more effectively, and create new ways to meet business challenges. Boise also provides constructive solutions for environmental conservation by managing natural resources for the benefit of future generations. Boise had sales of $7.4 billion in 2002. Visit the Boise website at http://www.bc.com/. Forward-Looking Statements This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include those that refer to our expectations about this transaction, including those statements that refer to the expected benefits of the transaction to our shareholders, the anticipated synergy benefits, and the expected impact of this transaction on our financial results. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those we describe in the forward-looking statements. The risks, uncertainties, and assumptions include the possibility that we will be unable to fully realize the benefits we anticipate from the acquisition; the possibility that we will incur costs or difficulties related to the integration of our businesses greater than we expected; our ability to retain and motivate key employees of both organizations; the difficulty of keeping expense growth and integration costs at modest levels while increasing revenues; the challenges of integration and restructuring associated with the transaction; the challenges of achieving anticipated synergies; and other risks that are described from time to time in our Securities and Exchange Commission reports. Additional Information About This Transaction The registration statement containing the joint proxy statement/prospectus was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on November 5, 2003. Boise and OfficeMax began mailing the definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus and other documents regarding this transaction to their respective security holders on November 7, 2003. These documents contain important information about this transaction, and we urge you to read them carefully. You may obtain copies of all documents filed with the SEC regarding this transaction, free of charge, at the SEC's website (http://www.sec.gov/). You may also obtain documents filed with the SEC by Boise, free of charge, from Boise on the Internet at http://www.bc.com/ under the Investor Relations section, or by contacting Boise's Corporate Communications Department by mail at 1111 West Jefferson Street, P.O. Box 50, Boise, Idaho 83728, by phone at (208) 384-7990, or by e-mail to . Participants in This Transaction Boise and OfficeMax and their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies from security holders in connection with this transaction. Information about the directors and executive officers of Boise and OfficeMax and information about other persons who may be deemed participants in this transaction are included in the joint proxy statement/prospectus. You can find additional information about Boise's executive officers and directors in Boise's proxy statement (DEF14A) filed with the SEC on March 10, 2003. You can find additional information about OfficeMax's officers and directors in OfficeMax's proxy statement (DEF14A) filed with the SEC on May 1, 2003. You can obtain free copies of these documents from the SEC or, with respect to documents filed with the SEC by Boise, from Boise using the contact information above. DATASOURCE: Boise Cascade Corporation CONTACT: Media, Ralph Poore, +1-208-384-7294, or home, +1-208-331-2023, or Investors, Vincent Hannity, +1-208-384-6390, or cell, +1-208-890-6385, both of Boise Cascade Corporation Web site: http://www.bc.com/

Copyright