The National Office Products Alliance (NOPA) has issued a statement challenging New Jersey’s decision to award an exclusive, new 4-year office supplies contract to Staples without conducting its own competitive bid process that includes small independent dealers based in the State.
NOPA says that this decision was taken despite strong evidence that -- based on in-depth "apples to apples" product comparisons -- prior State contracts with small, New Jersey dealers offered pricing that was at least 20% lower than available under the current Staples contract that expires on July 31.
NOPA has an appeal pending before the New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division, on the State's 2009 decision to shift from using a dozen or more local small businesses to a single-source contract with Staples.
According to NOPA, millions in small business sales have been lost and more than 100 New Jersey employees laid off due to that decision last fall. New Jersey dealers anticipate more layoffs and reductions in hours worked this year as a result of the new Administration's surprise decision.
"This contracting decision has been taken at a time when New Jersey's economy and State budget are in disastrous shape, and directly conflicts with the Governor's first Executive Order and publicized efforts to set the State's economy back on the right track by rejecting the economically destructive and protectionist ways of the past," said Chris Bates, President of NOPA.