The National Office Products Alliance (NOPA) is
proud to announce that four independent dealers in North Carolina have been awarded state
government contracts for office supplies worth approximately $14 million annually.  These
awards represent a huge victory for independent dealers, who have won a dual battle against
monopolistic sole-source contracting in their state and also defeated all of the national Big Box
office product companies that competed against them for the contract.
 
The winning bidders - Forms and Supply of Charlotte, MyOfficeProducts of Charlotte, Carolina
Imaging of Greensboro and Piedmont Office Suppliers, Inc. of Greensboro – were announced on
December 18th and validated the NC Department of Purchase & Contract’s renewed commitment
to fairness in the government’s procurement practices.  These independents and several others
around the State worked together for more than three years to level the playing field for small
business so that this breakthrough in recapturing state business could be achieved.
 
News of these awards comes at a critical time, when several states around the country –
including California, Georgia and Texas among others – are questioning the benefits and
discovering the hidden costs of sole contracting, while also rediscovering the economic
multiplier benefits of awarding contracts to much smaller, state-based independent dealers. 
 
During the past year, numerous state and local government audits and media investigations of
sole-source office supplies contracts have identified pricing irregularities and unauthorized
product sales and substitutions associated with sole-source contracts.  NOPA and its members
have been pushing for fair and open competition at the federal, state and local government levels
and encouraging officials to abandon so-called “strategic” sole-source contracting as their
primary purchasing strategy.
 
“This is a great day for independents,” said Mark Leazer, director of sales technology of Forms
and Supply, one of the awarded contractors. “It has taken a lot of effort by several determined
and principled North Carolina dealers, but the abuses and inherent shortcomings associated with
sole-source contracting using large national companies are finally being recognized.”  

 

Joe Garrigan, president of Garrigan’s Office Plus (Springfield, OH) and NOPA’s chairman,
noted that “this award to four respected independent dealers will encourage small dealers around
the country to redouble their efforts to compete for government contracts.  Delivery of consistent
“best value” to customers in government as well as commercial markets depends on the existence
of ongoing competition.  It cannot be achieved through ‘winner-take-all, jump-ball style
competitions that unfairly reward large suppliers and exclude small business.”
 
 
 
About NOPA
The National Office Products Alliance (NOPA) is the trade Association for independent office products
dealers and their trading partners. Founded in 1904, the Association provides government advocacy,
research, information, and networking services to office products dealers. More information on NOPA
resources is available online at www.nopanet.org or by calling (800) 542-6672.