BROOMFIELD, CO /diversitybusiness.com/ Corporate Express, Inc., a Buhrmann company, the world's largest business-to-business supplier of office and computer products and services, announced today the launch of toner products as part of its Diversity Product Solutions (DPS) private label program. DPS is Corporate Express' private label brand that makes it easier for companies to achieve diversity purchasing goals with high-volume products. Guy Brown Products, a leading manufacturer of recycled toner cartridges for laser printers and fax machines, is the provider of toner products for the DPS brand. The DPS toner program is being launched nationally this month.

The DPS program is unique in the marketplace because Corporate Express is distributing high-volume products such as paper and now toner under its own private label, supplied directly by minority-owned manufacturers like Guy Brown Products. In the past, office products distributors and wholesalers routinely used minority-owned resellers rather than manufacturers. The DPS toner program is being launched with 14 of the most popular laser cartridges, selected to encompass up to 90% of today's laser cartridge market volume.

"The addition of toner products to the DPS program is a major expansion and a significant differentiator for Corporate Express in our diversity product offering," said Roland Alston, Corporate Express Director of Diversity Programs. "Traditionally, it is difficult for businesses to purchase high-volume diversity products at a cost savings. But that's exactly what we're offering with our new DPS toner program. DPS toner offers our customers an attractive way to purchase highly competitive products manufactured by minority suppliers. That's what makes the DPS product line such a powerful alternative to traditional diversity product programs."

According to The National Minority Supplier Development Council, corporations spent more than $50 billion in 2001, up from approximately $45 billion in 2000, in the procurement of goods and services from minority-owned businesses. With the current economic slowdown, many of these companies are looking for ways to increase their Diversity spend without paying a premium for diversity products. The DPS program was developed in response to this demand.

"Not only does the DPS program provide us a tremendous opportunity as a growing company, it benefits the customers of Corporate Express as well," said Bappa Mukherji, Chief Executive Officer, Guy Brown Products. "The use of remanufactured toner cartridges can yield savings compared with new cartridges. As the supplier of toner for the DPS program, I am pleased that Guy Brown Products has the opportunity to partner with Corporate Express and leverage their national and international distribution network to distribute our products to a broader audience of customers. The DPS program is a great opportunity for both Corporate Express and Guy Brown Products to combine forces to meet a growing customer need."

In addition to the DPS program, Corporate Express also offers a national diversity reseller program through its joint venture with Faison Office Products, a minority-owned firm based in Aurora, Colorado. Corporate Express is also building a network of local resellers, comprised of historically underutilized businesses. The company features 19 minority- and woman-owned suppliers, and 1,100 diversity products, as part of its award-winning product Sourcebook, which is distributed to more than two million users nationwide.

About Corporate Express
Corporate Express, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Buhrmann, NV (AEX: BUHR; NYSE: BUH), an international business services and distribution group. Buhrmann is one of the world's major suppliers of office products, paper and graphic systems for the business market. Corporate Express' product offering includes office and computer supplies, imaging and computer graphics supplies, office furniture, document and print management, desktop software, promotional products, and other similar products. Corporate Express has operations in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. Corporate Express' North American operations have over 300 facilities, including 54 distribution centers, and employs 15,000 people.

About Guy Brown Products
Guy Brown Products, a leading manufacturer of recycled toner cartridges for laser printers and fax machines is headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee with a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Chatsworth, California, that has the capacity to produce over 100,000 cartridges each month. A wholly-owned minority business enterprise, the company is certified as a Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) and is a member of over 35 Regional Supplier Development and Purchasing Councils. Previously, Guy Brown Products was named the 2000 Minority Manufacturer of the Year by the City of Los Angeles. Guy Brown Products has grown revenues to a projected $4.8 million in 2002 from $175,000 in 1999, its first year of operation. The company attributes much of its success to strategic relationships with major office supply distributors and its unwavering commitment to provide excellent customer service.

Source: Corporate Express, Inc.