May 4th 2004

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OFFICE DEPOT NAMED ONE OF THE BEST PLACES TO WORK IN EUROPE

Company Made National Lists of Best Workplaces in Five European Countries
 

Delray Beach, Fla., USA, May 4, 2004 – Office Depot, (NYSE: ODP), one of the world’s largest resellers of office products, was recently named one of the Best Workplaces in Europe.  The company also announced that it had been named to national lists of best workplaces in Austria, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

The Best Workplaces in Europe distinction and the lists Office Depot made in Austria, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands are national contests by the Great Place to Work Europe competition.  Inclusion on the lists made Office Depot eligible to be named to the listing of the 100 Best Workplaces in Europe for 2004. 

Office Depot’s distinctions in Great Place to Work Europe competition are as follows:

  • Austria             First place of national top 50 of Best Employers
  • Netherlands             Sixth place of national top 50 of Best Employers
  • Belgium                    Seventh place of national top 50 of Best Employers
  • Germany                   Fourteenth place of national top 50 of Best Employers

The selection for these nominations is mainly employee driven. In evaluating the Best Employers, Great Place to Work Europe’s judges consider data gathered from surveys randomly conducted with employees and the evaluation of a company’s workplace culture. The greatest emphasis is placed on what the employees themselves report on the employee survey. The quality of three interconnected relationships that exist in the workplace are measured:

  • The relationship between employees and management
  • The relationship between employees and their jobs/organization
  • The relationship between employees and other employees

In addition, in the United Kingdom, Office Depot was named to the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work for 2004.

Some remarkable positive responses of the employee surveys in the countries include:

  • “My personal contribution matters here”                         89 – 91%
  • “Joining this company one feels at home rapidly”                        93 – 97%
  • “People are being treated fairly, no matter of age, origin,
    religion, gender, handicap or preferences”                           91 – 97%

 “At Office Depot we strive to make the company a compelling place to work, shop and invest,” said Rolf van Kaldekerken, President of European Operations. “These distinctions are a testament to this effort in Europe - and throughout the world.”
 

About Office Depot

With annual sales of more than $12 billion, no one sells more office supplies to more customers in more countries than Office Depot. Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Delray Beach, FL, the company conducts business in 23 countries and employs nearly 50,000 people worldwide.

Office Depot is a leader in every distribution channel – from retail stores and contract delivery to catalogs and e-commerce. The company is the world’s number two online retailer – generating $2.6B in sales for FY’03.  In North America, Office Depot has 900 retail stores in addition to a national business-to-business delivery network supported by 22 delivery centers, more than 60 local sales offices and 13 regional call centers. 

The company’s common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ODP and is included in the S&P 500 Index. Additional press information can be found at: http://mediarelations.officedepot.com.