The difference is obvious between 1965 and 2010. From the simple beginnings in Wapakoneta, Ohio to high growth and diffusion through several locations around the state, Friends has branded single-source service.

“We’re not just an office supply business worrying about who needs pens and pencils,” establishes Betsy Hughes, Vice President of Sales for Friends. “When you ask yourself where you should go for a product or service, you only need to think one place, one source.”

So, what is single-source service? It is the separation between retail outlets like Staples, Office Depot and Office Max and an all-inclusive, full-service venue that is Friends. Many of our customers know that we offer office products and even business machines, but many do not realize that we also offer furniture, promotional products, janitorial supplies for break rooms and facilities, Keurig coffee makers and k-cups, printing services, print management, customized business reviews and school supplies.

As consultants rather than salesmen, there is a care and consideration for each customer. Days when you need a new stapler versus days when your office furniture needs updated are highly considered and sorted through with the help of our representatives. Our solutions will work for your style, comfort and pocketbooks.

CEO, Ken Schroeder, upholds Friends single-source service with gusto. “It saves our customers money internally, and reduces our cost to deliver to and support them. This enables us to be more competitive.  Plus, dealing with one vendor versus many should save our customers a lot of time in procurement.”

So, what do we really offer?

Friends is your school supplies headquarters. We’re the official supplier for the Ohio Schools Council, with a full-line catalog, Teacher Requisition Workbooks, and on-staff school specialists to help you find just what you need. Our Friends Back-to-School boxes give you teacher-approved supplies packed and ready for students on the first day of school. You get competitive prices and convenience that saves time for busy parents.

Interested in promotional products? We have a wide selection and we work directly with manufacturers to find what you need in a matter of minutes. Promotional items are a great way to celebrate a special event, motivate your staff, thank a customer, improve traffic to your business or organization and increase awareness of your brand.

Our janitorial, break room, paper and safety catalogs feature over 6,000 items in-stock for next-day delivery.  And our staff of janitorial experts with 90 years of collective experience is here to help with any need. Our own brand of E-Z-2-Clean chemicals includes Affex and Merfin Paper Products, Noramco can liners, Andersen matting, Nilodor Odor Control Solutions, and Nobles Machines. Already own a machine but it is out-of-service? We can repair it!

The Friends Coffee Club gives you fresh coffee with every cup and unique flavors for individual taste. Keurig coffee makers are leading coffee modernization. We want you to benefit from the ease and novelty. No more complaints – just great coffee. Ask about scheduling a free Friends Coffee Club party for your office! Yes, we would love to do that for you.

Friends Business Source offers furniture services and distribution from Southeast Michigan through Northwest, West, and Central Ohio. The Friends Furniture Team has over 50 years combined experience with all manufactured systems and can offer competitive service rates for whatever solution your business or office needs. Our professional design team will assess your requests and provide a variety of options. Through scheduled appointments, we can help you reconfigure existing spaces, repair office furniture by manufacturer trained technicians, and even offer you complete project management.

Why is Friends the best choice for business machines? Because we do not just sell you product – our experts will find a solution that fits your needs, whether it is a home office or a commercial print shop. You will receive competitive pricing and prompt service through a great selection offering a full line of multi-function printers from Toshiba, Kyocera (KY-oh-SAIR-ah) and Lexmark. That is how Friends is leading innovation.

Friends now offers managed print services for your company or organization. Programs like HQueue offer the consumer the ability to offload the management of hardware, parts, service and supplies for networked printers with added control. Typically, an office employee prints an average of 34 pages per day. As printing expenses are second highest to payroll expenses, HQueue’s managed print service through Friends can be a welcomed offset and therefore further user-friendly managed print solutions.

Get to know your Friends through social media networks. Whether you “Like” us on Facebook, “Follow” us on Twitter, “Watch” us on YouTube, or “Link-up” with us on LinkedIn, we know you’ll get more from us by being networked with Friends.

We continually go the “extra mile” without the consumer accumulating extra charges and fees for the services we offer,” elaborates Dennis Mitchell, Warehouse and Purchasing Manager for Friends. “Our standard of service has remained the same over the past 45 years, even though our reach has expanded significantly.”

The question now becomes, what can’t you find for your business at Friends? Leave the apples and lettuce to the grocery stores and let us serve all of your business and organization supply needs.
Contact us at 1.800.427.1704 or visit our website www.friendsoffice.com, and you’ll be glad that you did!