Burnsville’s Innovative Office Solutions, the Fastest Growing Independent Office
Supply Dealer in the Country, Acquires S&T Office Products, Inc.
Minneapolis, MN (February, 2015) - Innovative Office Solutions has acquired S&T Office Products, Inc.,
making the combined organization the largest independent office productivity supplier in the Upper
Midwest and one of the largest in the country. The company will operate under the Innovative Office
Solutions brand.
Jennifer Smith, the CEO and founder of Innovative Office Solutions, started her office supply company in
2001, and has watched it grow five times larger since 2008 by investing in staff, technology and new
business categories at a time when most companies were downsizing due to the recession.
S&T Office Products was established in 1971 by Frank Tschida. The company has a long history of growth
during challenging economic times, and has focused on office supplies and contract furniture as its
foundation.
The addition of S&T Office Products to the Innovative brand brings with it the S&T Office Interiors
Group, adding a highly respected contract furniture service with known expertise in the Twin Cities
architecture and design communities.
The move bolsters the Innovative Office Solutions brand tremendously and is another huge step forward
for one of Minnesota’s most dynamic and progressive companies. Innovative Office Solutions strives to
be a single source, solution-based supplier with an emphasis on workplace productivity. S&T brings an
additional wealth of creative experience resulting in a more robust menu of service offerings.
A Winning Culture
Throughout its growth, Innovative Office Solutions has made it a priority to maintain the culture that
made it successful in the first place.
“When we started Innovative, it was to fill a gap in the market where service was suffering in the
industry. We brought service back through our Relationships Matter belief system, and combined that
with the technology and partnerships necessary to compete in the marketplace,” Smith said. “We’ve
created a growth culture, but kept it a fun and rewarding place to work and that attitude has resonated
with our customers.”
Innovative Office Solutions has landed on the MN Business 100 Best Places to Work list for three
consecutive years by offering a health friendly workplace with initiatives such as sit-stand desks, daily
workouts and health-based incentives.
That winning culture has given Innovative a unique spot in the marketplace as a business that deftly
combines their large-scale technology and supplier partnerships with the touch and feel of a small
company.
Simply put, Innovative Office Solutions provides the customized solutions and services you expect from
smaller local organizations with all the capabilities, resources, products, services and technology a larger
company offers. This model has proven to be successful as businesses flock to the personalized service
offered by Innovative.
Moving Forward
“This acquisition will combine the two strongest independent providers in the marketplace and will
enable us to provide even more services and solutions to our customers, and new opportunities for our
employees and supplier partners,” said Smith.
Frank Tschida, the President and CEO of S&T Office Products, weighed in, “As I planned my retirement, I
only considered selling to a market leader that would keep a focus on being a local provider to our
customers and providing growth opportunities to our employees. Innovative Office Solutions was the
logical choice. We were incredibly aware of the company’s growth history and visionary leadership with
Jennifer Smith, I was certain that Innovative would maintain the high level of service our customers
expect.”
This is a collaborative acquisition that will bring both companies together under a single brand.
Innovative Office Solutions will inherit the people and services of S&T Office Products, thus allowing
customers to maintain continuity with their existing relationships, while adding expanded capabilities to
the customers of both organizations.
The combined talents, technology and expertise of the two companies will bring more options to clients
of both organizations and continue to deliver flexible solutions to their clients through a model of
personalized local support.
“It’s exciting to offer potential and existing customers the ability to work with a progressive, womanowned, local business with an amazing reputation. I couldn’t be happier than to work for this
tremendous group,” said Debbie Lazcano-Stai, a Business Development Manager at S&T Office Products.
“We have long appreciated the quality, value and expertise both Innovative Office Solutions and S&T
Office Products have independently brought to us at Summit Orthopedics. This move offers us, as well
as the community, a comprehensive solution for our furniture, office and break room supply needs,”
said Amy Zuber of Summit Orthopedics.
In Tune with Today’s Ever-Evolving Workplace
Trends like digitization, mobility and millennials entering the workforce have all had a huge impact on
how businesses operate and the types of solutions they need. This acquisition allows Innovative Office
Solutions to take advantage of the strengths and experience of both organizations to deliver forwardlooking, up-to-date solutions that align with customer needs.
With a foundation of experience, combined with fresh ideas, more flexibility and technology, the
organization is set up better than ever to serve the needs of today’s workplace.
About Innovative Office Solutions
Founded in 2001 by CEO Jennifer Smith, Innovative Office Solutions is a progressive, independent
provider of office productivity solutions with a vision towards making the workplace more productive.
The products & services offered by Innovative include office supplies, furniture & design, cleaning
supplies, breakroom products, promotional products, technology solutions, print & graphic design. This
full portfolio is delivered in a personalized, relationship focused, approach designed to deliver the right
solution to meet the unique needs of any organization.
Clients include the Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Wild, Minnesota Timberwolves,
Minnesota Lynx, St. Paul Saints, Minnesota Swarm and Minnesota United FC. Innovative partners with
each of these professional sports teams to give back to the community through a variety of sportsthemed initiatives.
* 2014 Women’s Presidents’ Organization, 50 Fastest Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies for the
fourth consecutive year.
* Minnesota Businesses 100 Best Places to Work Award for three straight years.
* Ranked in the Inc. 5000 fastest-growing privately held companies in the United States for seven years.
* CEO Smith has been featured in Forbes magazine and was the cover story for Upsize Magazine in
January, 2010.
* CEO Smith was a finalist for the 2014 EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award for the Midwest.
* In 2010 Smith was recognized as WBE of the Year, presented by Women’s Business Development
Center of Minnesota.
About S&T Office Products
A fixture in the Twin Cities, St. Cloud and Minnesota business communities since 1971, S&T Office
Products offers office supplies, contract furniture through the S+T Office Interiors Group, and a
reputation of being the premier supplier to the local legal community. S&T has 110 employees in three
locations.
Contacts:
For more information please contact Bill Hubbell or Noel Roos at Diedrich RPM at 952-446-6847.