by Alex Plachta

Hi! I have decided to start a new series of “For Newbies” blogs from the print department here at OEX. Most of these topics have been covered in the past but I thought I would put my own spin on these them as well as covering their real-life implications. I started in the industry only a few years ago so I have some perspective and hopefully explain these topics at a nice basic level. If you have any questions, feel free to email Alex at print@oexusa.com.

by Diana L. Martin

The title says it all…………………………………….today’s question is about:

Movie Trivia

Get those fingers ready to type - this will be a fast one!

Office Express CEO, Anna Sinagra, and President, Jeff Eusebio, reflect on navigating the challenges of 2020 and preparing for 2021 as a small business.

Premier Safety recently relocated their business to Sterling Heights, MI. Interested in working with a premier HON dealer, they contacted us, visited our showroom, and picked out a modern and effective workstation for their office. Our designers worked to create a layout suitable to the space, and the customer absolutely loves the result!

by Kim Schroeder

Designing for senior living has seen a significant change over the years. It is no longer the sterile hospital environment that you may think of when envisioning senior living. Nowadays, senior living facilities more closely resemble hospitality and residential design rather than healthcare design.

Typically, the common spaces have seen more of the shift toward hospitality. Dining halls feel more intimate and personal. Smaller café tables, or banquette seating for a few close friends, rather than a large cafeteria table, are the new trend. These facilities strive to make seniors feel like they are out on a night on the town rather than sitting in a cafeteria.

Slide into some office furniture history with Steve, and learn how our chairs have evolved to custom-fit you!

by Diana L. Martin

With the pandemic still ruling our lives and creating havoc, we’re still cleaning like crazy. Multipurpose cleaners and disinfectants are slowly coming back into stock in retail stores but favorite brands like Lysol and Clorox are, for the most part, still nowhere to be found.

We are inundated with conflicting information - masks work, masks don’t work, cleaning surfaces helps to prevent spread, cleaning surfaces does no good - it seems that every day is different. I tend to err on the side of caution, and keeping things clean just makes sense to me.

Electronics require special care and there are a variety of disinfecting phone cases on the market now to assist with that effort. For 2021, we’ve added two models of UVC disinfecting phone cases to our product lineup. They’re made by OttLite - a well known company in the lighting industry. According to OttLite, there are over 25,000 germs per square inch on a mobile phone and the average person picks up their phone 80 times each day.

Jeff Eusebio, President of OEX, talks about the power of habits, brain juice, winning back a customer from a competitor, and… bourbon?

by Sarah Izzo

In the world of messaging, the design is critical to the delivery and getting the action you want out of the audience, let alone getting their attention—everything starts here. What do you want to achieve and how do you reach the right people? Thankfully, we have an experienced team at OEX that is ready to be part of those first conversations to come up with the best solutions and work with you to create success.

No matter what industry, you need to understand a little bit to be an informed consumer. However, there is a level where it becomes too much for many of us, and you just want someone else to handle it. Let OEX be a member of your team with our experienced designers. If you are undaunted or a designer yourself than press forward for these next two blogs are for you.

What do tennis shoes, styrofoam, and a desk have in common? Steve talks about his experience watching customers order the furniture they think they want from big box stores on the internet.

by Diana L. Martin

How much do you know about the supplies you have in your office? Many times people find uses other than the traditional ones for them. For example, people have made centerpieces and wall decorations out of thumbtacks. Today we’ll explore

Office Products Trivia

by Valerie Glander

While our showroom remains open and we are taking all recommended safety precautions, we realize not everyone is able to visit us in person. Please enjoy a virtual showroom tour of our newest product. (And keep an eye out for the video version, coming soon!) We’ve gotten in some of the latest in Hon product and would love to show it off!

by Diana L. Martin

It’s that time of year again - the dreaded tax season. Let’s be honest - nobody looks forward to tax season. You can, however, make yourself more organized and equipped to handle it by planning ahead and gathering the necessary supplies for the task.

Keep yourself organized throughout the year with filing supplies that enhance productivity - colored file folders, fastener folders, section folders, classification folders, file pockets and expanding files. Having specific folders for specific documents and using checklists provided by your accountant will help keep you organized and ensure that you have all the required documents when it comes time to file.

by Alex Plachta

As with everyone else this year, I have had to wear a lot of face masks. I would imagine most people have a sizable collection of masks at this point with a few favorites. All my favorites are 100% cotton. I find that they are less irritating and more breathable than polyester or the disposable masks. I have also tried all sorts of cotton/polyester blends (50/50, 70/30, etc.) and they are simply not as good as 100% cotton.

by Diana L. Martin

“In West Philadelphia born and raised, on the playground is where I spent most of my days, Chilling out, maxing, relaxing all cool and all shooting some b-ball outside of the school…..”

That is part of the lyrics to the theme song from a 90’s sitcom called the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air that I used to love to watch. In November there was a 30th anniversary reunion show on HBO Max and I would have loved to have seen it, but I don’t have HBO Max and getting it isn’t in the budget, so I’ll just have to enjoy the reruns on the cable channels I have that run it.

But enough of my rambling. Today’s topic is:

TV Trivia

by Diana L. Martin

Did I pique your curiosity with that title?

We love talking to our customers and it’s our mission to give you the best possible experience each and every time you contact us. We get a lot of inquiries from you looking for a particular item and sometimes it can be a bit of a challenge to find that certain thingamajig. It can be even trickier though when the item we’re looking for doesn’t really exist.

The holidays are over and now it’s time to put our collective noses back to the grindstone and I thought we could use a little help (and a little humor along the way) so I’ve put together a short list of the top 5 requested items that don’t really exist.

by Alex Plachta

Excuse the pun! Let’s talk about kitting, which is traditionally combining multiple related SKU’s into one new SKU. Large warehouses will do this to help organize related items, save space, help reduce shipping costs and take advantage of bulk manufacturing savings. Kitting does not have to be that rigid though; think of a gift basket, a goodie bag or welcome package.

by Diana L. Martin

HO! HO! HO! Merry Christmas! It’s finally here! Christmas is in just a few days, my son is home on break from college and all is right with the world. We may not be able to be with our extended families this year, but I will enjoy spending time with my own family nonetheless.

Today’s topic is (of course):

Christmas Trivia

by Valerie Glander

Working with an office design team to plan changes in your office space can be a critical component to a successful project. Experienced Office Designers can help you avoid common pitfalls in office planning and offer solutions to meet the unique needs of your team. The process often begins with a walk-through of the space and an initial meeting about the project, where our most critical task is listening to you, our client. We’ll come prepared to discuss your ideas and identify the vision and scope of the project. By thinking through some of these questions in advance, we can make the most out of our time in that critical first meeting.

by Diana L. Martin

Do you find yourself dragging through the days lately? Would you like a little pick me up? A little fun in your day? If so, then I have a suggestion for you.

Disclaimer: this isn’t for everyone. Women will appreciate it but it’s really not a guy thing.

Still reading? OK ladies, I know you like a little color and personality in your desks and supplies. Most purchasing managers will only approve the basic styles on internal supplies because they’re all about the bottom line and white legal pads cost less than pastel colored ones, but you may be able to sneak this product past them.