The University of Akron, as a member of the Ohio Inter-University Council Purchasing Group (IUCPG),
has bid and awarded a “premier” office supply agreement to Guy Brown Express, an Ohio Minority
Business Enterprise company, and its wholesale partner OfficeMax. This agreement complements
directives by the governor’s office as well as the Board of Regents to reduce redundant costs at the
universities and colleges throughout the state of Ohio. The goal of this agreement is to leverage the office
supply expenditures for all the Ohio schools so that we can receive the best program available.
Furthermore, by consolidating and tracking information moving forward we will be able to gather the
appropriate data necessary to continuously receive the best programs possible.
The University of Akron and GBEX LLC, along with its wholesale distributor Office Depot Max, has
developed a personalized office supply program for online office supply ordering. Below are some other
benefits you can expect:
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Convenient and customized online ordering experience
Free next-day delivery
No minimum orders
Proactive order notifications via e-mail acknowledgments
Discounts up to 70 percent off of manufacturer’s list price
Discounts at Office Depot Max retail stores using retail connect card
Excellent customer service – 98% done in one call center
Support a relationship with a state-certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and Encouraging
Diversity and Equity Growth (EDGE) partner
All orders entered by 4 pm will be delivered next day to Central Stores and delivered by University
personnel the same day to the departments. The campus has the option to browse the Office Depot Max
Catalog online to view contract pricing and item availability. Items cannot be ordered from this site this is
used to browse the catalog. Click here to access and view the catalog and use the following login
information to access the catalog:
user name uoabrowser
password uoabrowse1
Each campus user’s online ordering profile is tailored to meet their specific needs:
 the orders can be routed to an approver prior to submitting the order
 multiple delivery addresses can be added to the profile
 Departmental P-cards are required to order office supplies on the ESM easyPurchase website.
The ESM easyPurchase program is a spend management suite to automate our “procure-to-pay” process.
The University expects to see cost savings through online ordering from contracted supplier catalogs, as
well as overall process improvements by using this application. The ESM easyPurchase program works
best with Firefox, IE 9 &10 and Chrome. If you experience difficulty accessing the ESM easyPurchase
website, please make sure your pop-up blocker is turned off. If you continue to experience difficulty
please contact Nick McGoldrick at nmcgoldrick@esmsolutions.com or 215-444-9300 ext. 139.
Office Depot Max has provided The University of Akron with a Retail Connect Card. The Retail Connect
Card is tax exempt and provides access to the University's contract pricing. If an item is needed for the
office asap and cannot wait for next day delivery, you may print the card and use it in conjunction with the
University Credit Card at many OfficeMax retail locations. This card maybe printed and laminated free of
cost at any OfficeMax location, you may access the card here.
If you need assistance with ordering office supplies please call the Department of Purchasing, at ext 7340.