For 50 Years, “Actions Have Spoken Louder Than Words” at Great River Office Products

“Customers buy from you because of who you are and what you represent.” Founder, Bill Harris

“We believe it takes people to understand what your office needs.” Owner, Sandy Schmidt

“Actions speak louder than words.” Owner, Sandy Schmidt

2012 marks Great River Office Products 50^th year in business.  We’d like to take a few moments and tell you a bit more about our company and the values upon which it is built.  

From the quotes at the beginning of this article, you’ve probably gathered we are a people company just as much as we are an office supply company.

Originally called Mercury Office Products, Great River was founded in 1962 by Bill Harris.  Harris was a man a great integrity.  A real people person who ran his business based on his word and a handshake.  Like so many companies from that era, trust and doing the right thing for people dictated the culture at Mercury Office Supply.  

In 2012, that culture of doing the right thing for people by real people lives on.

What does this mean for you and your business?  It means when you call us your questions are answered by a real person on the other end of the line.  Her name is Dayna.  Her 15+ years of experience in the office supply world will guide you to whatever you’re looking for.

It also means we have a staff of sales people who visit your office and will help you find solutions to your office supply, office furniture and office break room needs.  Having real boots on the ground helps us know your business so we can find the best quality and most affordable products for you; not just something you find on the shelf in a big box store.

This also means Great River Office Products is dedicated to finding the best value products available.  That’s why we’ve created our CoreValue product list.  This list is comprised of the essential office products you need at incredible prices.  A quick look at the list includes things like copy paper, pens, staplers, ink cartridges, cleaning supplies and KCups.  The list is a huge variety of products and they are all at exceptional prices.  

Most importantly we believe in giving our customer value above and beyond the big box stores.  We want you to find excellent pricing, quality products, and exceptional customer service with us every day.  

If you’ve never tried Great River Office Products, you should.  Compare our prices and then try our service.  Take a trip back to 1962 when you could count on people.  Try Great River Office Products.

Contact us today at 651-293-1135, or toll free at 877-793-1135. www.greatriverofficeproducts.com.

We All Get by With a Little Help from Our Friends -Yep, The Beatles had it right!

Picture this, it’s a hot, hot and I mean blistering hot summer day in downtown St. Paul where the buildings loom above you and trap the heat intensifying the discomfort.  What are you doing?  Well, you’re not sitting in your air conditioned office enjoying the view of the river.  Nope.  You are digging through boxes and boxes of your recent office supplies shipment that the delivery dude just dropped on the sidewalk in front of your building. Why didn’t he bring it to your office you ask, as the sweat pours down your forehead?  Because, there was too much stuff and it was easier to drop off all three pallets of stuff on the sidewalk in front of your office building.  Doesn’t he know your office is on the 5^th floor?  Hey, at least he let you know it was down there so no one took your supplies.  But still, here you are sorting and digging and sweating in your business clothes.  Maybe that meeting at 2pm meeting will need to be cancelled due to excessive sweating and crabbiness on your part.

This really was the screen one of our sales reps came across last month while he was calling on clients in downtown St. Paul.  Had this poor guy just ordered from Great River Office Products the entire frustrating event could have been avoided.

Our delivery drivers bring your supplies to your office and they assist you in every way they can before they leave.  You’ll never have a drop and ditch episode with Great River Office Products.

Case in point, our receptionist received a call from one of our ongoing clients just last week to say thank you for the help our delivery person gave.  She had ordered a new chair mat for her desk.  When our driver showed up to drop it off, she had asked if he would please help her take it out of the box because they are big and awkward to deal with.  Not only did he help her take it from the box, he helped her lay it out to uncurl and then rolled up the old matt and took it, and the box from the new one, with him so she didn’t have any clean up.  Nice!

Way to go drivers!  You are perfect examples of how Great River Office Products provides personal service where others don’t.

Great River Office Products is a locally owned, independent office supply company located in St. Paul, MN.  We personally serve the office supply needs of companies throughout the Twin Cities metro areas of St. Paul and Minneapolis.  Visit our website at www.greatriverofficeproducts.com, or call us locally at 651-293-1135, toll free at 877-793-1135.

What Does Value Really Mean

Merriam Webster defines value as the following:  a) the amount of money that something is worth; the price or cost of something b) something that can be bought for a low or fair price c) usefulness or importance.

The bottom line is people assign value to something based on how it makes them feel?  Are they satisfied?  Did the value in the product make them happy?  Do they feel let down by the quality of a product or service?  Value in its most pure form is about feelings.

At Great River Office Products we strive to check all of the value boxes with our products and services with the most emphasis levied on our service to our customers.

We feel our biggest value is about how we make you feel and what we can do for you that other office products companies don’t or don’t do very well. 

Examples of the value GROP can bring to your business include:

1.      Flexible and timely delivery.  If you tell us you want your cases of soda delivered and loaded into the refrigerator in the break room, that’s where our delivery person will place it.  You won’t find it on the floor, or in the middle of the stack of copy paper you also ordered.  It will be in the refrigerator.

2.      Consulting.  No one wants to be sold something.  Our sales people are consultants here to help you solve problems and find the right products for all of your needs.  Our president said it best, “We believe it takes people to understand your office product needs.”  From office supplies to office furniture and break room items, our sales consultants are here as a resource for you.

3.      Core Values.  We are a family owned company that takes to heart what it means to treat others like you would like to be treated.  That is why we compile our list of Core Values products quarterly.  They are products we know and trust as being the best quality at the best price.  Contact us to receive your copy of the Core Values list today.

Since 1962 our St. Paul, MN based office supply company has been providing value to our customers.  Let us show you how we can make a difference in your office.  Contact us at 877-793-1135.  We provide local and national next day delivery.