NAPERVILLE, Ill., Sept. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- OfficeMax(R) Incorporated , a leader in office products and services, today announced the launch of the company's first design-based private label brand, TUL(TM), with a selection of new premium Modernist Design-inspired pens and dry-erase markers. It is the first time in OfficeMax history that the company has created a line of private label products from the ground up, guiding the process from inception through design and production.
The TUL pen line was created for OfficeMax in partnership with Gravity Tank, the Chicago-based design firm known for its work for Motorola, Unilever and Samsung. "Ninety-eight percent of the public may never own a $30 pen. But through innovative design, TUL will incorporate the feeling of an elite writing instrument in a pen costing less than $3.00," explains managing director Mike Winnick of Gravity Tank. "TUL achieves this magic by offering metal accents, superior inks, brass tips and unique barrel designs that distinguish TUL from the look and feel of any other mass-market pen in America."
Because TUL is available exclusively at OfficeMax stores, the launch is expected to become a strong retail differentiator for OfficeMax. "With TUL, OfficeMax has made the leap from simply creating a private label brand to creating a new proprietary brand that can be extended to a variety of office products," says Ryan Vero, OfficeMax executive vice president and chief merchandising officer. "We are not only the sole distributor of TUL pens and other TUL products, but the designer and developer as well."
The new line of TUL pens and markers that retail from $1.49 for individual pens to $24.99 for multiple packs, include:
-- TUL Dry-Erase Markers,
-- TUL Rollerball Pens
-- TUL Retractable Ballpoint Pens.
-- TUL Stick Ballpoint Pens
-- TUL Gel Pens
For more information on TUL pens, visit the Web site ( http://www.tul.com/ ).
About OfficeMax(R) Incorporated
OfficeMax is a leader in both business-to-business and retail office products distribution. 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 35,000 associates through direct sales, catalogs, Internet and nearly 900 superstores. OfficeMax trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol OMX. More information can be found at http://www.officemax.com/ .
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