Kaysville-based ABC Office celebrates 25th anniversary

Paper shredders, collators, staplers and office furniture aren't limited to big-box stores like OfficeMax and Staples.

Kaysville-based ABC Office has reached a 25-year milestone in selling office supplies. And according to David Stuart, marketing supervisor for the company, the big-box stores have not dampened sales.

"One of the things that we've found is that they sell more pens, fax machines, computers, paper, envelopes," Stuart said. "We sell more of the high-end specialized equipment."

That high-end equipment includes paper folder inserters, shredders, paper cutters and roll laminators.

"Every once in a while," Stuart said, "we'll actually get a call from some OfficeDepot or OfficeMax, and they'll actually buy stuff from us when they do get a request for some odd stuff like that."

ABC Office began when William Barlow started it as a Bountiful home-business in 1980. It soon moved into Bountiful's business district, catering to print shops and copy centers.

By the 1990s, the company took advantage of the Internet, launching a Web site. Calls and orders soon started coming in from around the world.

The existing Bountiful location was quickly outgrown. Calvin and Brent Barlow, current owners and sons of William Barlow, built a new 27,000-square-foot display floor and warehouse in Kaysville.

Today, the company ships its products throughout North America and Asia, as well as to Europe and the Middle East. The company employs 30 people, many of them working in sales and in the company's Web department.

The company's product line also has expanded to include security equipment, display racks and photo identification equipment. Paper shredders are one of the most popular products sold.

"ABC Office is a true realization of the American Dream," according to a prepared statement by the company. "In only 25 years, ABC Office has gone from a door-to-door, home-based business to an international leader in high-end office equipment, accessories and supplies."

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E-mail: danderton@desnews.com

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