About OE/S

Know Our Mission ... And Our History

Harry Strauss opened his stationery store in New Brunswick, N.J. in May of 1919. Harry and his wife, Edith, stocked the latest office supply and social stationery products that were available. From 1919 until after World War II Harry and Edith waited on their customers; business people, professionals, clergy and school children, giving them personal attention on every purchase from pens and note paper to desks and file cabinets. It seemed like they knew everyone in New Brunswick from their first day of school until they grew up and had careers.

Soon after World War II, Harry and Edith's two sons, Milton and Robert returned to New Brunswick after serving their country. The two brothers began to concentrate on expanding the business by visiting local businesses throughout Central New Jersey. Soon Harry Strauss & Sons (the company was renamed in 1946) became one of the largest commercial office products companies in New Jersey. By the early 1970's Harry Strauss & Sons had grown to over 100 employees serving businesses throughout the New York and Philadelphia metropolitan areas.

In 1973, Hank Strauss, Milton's son, joined the company as a salesman. He began selling calculators and typewriters made by Olivetti, Sharp and IBM. In 1978, shortly after his father's untimely death, Hank took over the office equipment and office furniture divisions of the company. In 1981 Hank became Vice President of the company, responsible for all of the sales and marketing of the company. By 1984 the company had grown to over 200 employees with a sales volume over 35 million dollars per year, making it one of the largest independently owned office products dealers in the United States. Most of this growth had come by serving the needs of professional offices and emerging growth companies in Central New Jersey in many fields including pharmaceuticals and technology. However, Harry Strauss & Sons also included some of the nations largest corporations among it's clients including Johnson & Johnson, Bristol Myers, E.R. Squibb, Prudential, Warner Lambert, Burlington Industries, Digital Equipment and Dun & Bradstreet.

By 1988 the changing climate of the retail segment of the industry along with the ever changing landscape of Central New Jersey had forced Hank Strauss to realize that the company needed to restructure and refocus it's resources to properly serve the needs of the core customers of the company who also were the fastest growing segment of the customer base; small and medium sized companies.

A difference in business philosophy led to the creation of Office Express/Strauss, Inc. in late 1989. Hank Strauss spun off the retail division of Harry Strauss & Sons and formed his own company dedicated to serving the needs of small and emerging companies in Central New Jersey. Because of legal restrictions Office Express/Strauss operated as a retail entity until what remained of Harry Strauss & Sons ceased
operations in 1994.

In 1994 Hank Strauss consolidated the company's three store locations in Princeton, Somerville and North Brunswick into its present multi-use facility. Office Express/Strauss continued operating solely as a commercial office products supplier to small and medium sized offices as well as emerging growth companies in Central New Jersey.

Eric Snee came to Office Express/Strauss from the financial services industry in April of 1998. The experience gave Eric unique insights into how and why companies and individuals build and protect their assets. Eric's ability to listen to his customers and unique problem solving skills made him a valuable asset to his customers. In 2005, Eric entered into a buyout agreement to purchase Office Express Strauss. Since acquiring the company, Eric has continued to grow and operate Office Express Strauss under the same "family business" & "customer service" philosophy begun some 90 years ago in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Office Express/Strauss continues to grow and expand by bringing the latest in procurement and operational technology to it's growing family of customers. Today Office Express/Strauss is part of a nationwide distribution network, delivering office products, janitorial supplies; break room supplies and office furniture to offices from coast to coast. We are able to reach our customers and communicate with them by visiting each one personally on a regular basis as well as maintaining and expanding one of the most customer friendly and technologically advanced web sites in the office products industry. Our contract office furniture customers enjoy a level of service that usually can only be provided by the largest office furniture dealers. Office Express/Strauss is able to provide it's contract furniture customers with a complete array of services and personal attention representing over 200 of the best office furniture manufacturers encompassing every taste and budget from Queen Anne tables to complete office environments including the walls, floors and ceilings.

Office Express/Strauss is one of very few office product suppliers who actually have a history to tell. Find out more about our history; our family of associates and our vast distribution network. See how we can reduce your cost of procuring the products and services needed to run your office efficiently at the same time improving the overall efficiency of your office. Sample our technology and personal touch. Feel free to browse our web site and please let us know what you think. Please call us and invite us to visit with you so that we can demonstrate the feeling of trust and support that our valued customers have enjoyed for nearly 90 years.