Creates World's Largest Business-To-Business Leader

In Office Product Distribution

BROOMFIELD, Colo., Oct. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Corporate Express, Inc. (Nasdaq: CEXP), a leading supplier of essential office and computer products and services to corporations that value innovative procurement solutions, today announced the completion of its merger with Buhrmann NV (Amsterdam: BUHR), a leading international business services and distribution company, and the parent company of BT Office Products. As a result of the transaction, Corporate Express, Inc. is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Buhrmann, and will cease trading under the ticker symbol CEXP on Nasdaq today.

The combination of these two premier organizations creates the world's leading business-to-business office supply and services company, with total revenues of approximately $9 billion, 30,000 employees and operations in 28 countries.

"We are extremely pleased to complete the acquisition of Corporate Express, which creates significant growth opportunities and strongly advances our strategy to become the world's premier office products distributor in the business-to-business market," said Frans Koffrie, CEO of Buhrmann. "By combining our two successful office products businesses, we become the logical choice for large corporations looking to consolidate their procurement programs on a global basis."

"We also extend a very warm welcome to the Corporate Express employees, who will be instrumental in our successes going forward, and we look forward to working closely with Robert King, Richard Dubin, Mark Hoffman and Gary Jacobs, the new North American Executive Board," added Koffrie.

Buhrmann's worldwide headquarters will remain in Amsterdam. Internationally, Corporate Express' and Buhrmann's European office products operations have combined to form the leading supplier of office products in the European business-to-business market. Janhein Pieterse has been named President Office Products Europe. Corporate Express Australia will continue to operate as the leading office products supplier in the Australian business-to-business market under the leadership of Ted Nark, President of Corporate Express Australia Pty Limited.

In North America, BT Office Products has combined with Corporate Express' North American operations to form the newly named entity, Corporate Express, A Buhrmann Company. Robert King, the former President and CEO of Corporate Express, Inc. has been named President and CEO of this entity. Headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado, Corporate Express, A Buhrmann Company is the leading business-to-business supplier of office products and services in North America, with revenues of $4 billion and approximately 15,000 employees.

"Customers will truly benefit from the merger of Corporate Express and Buhrmann," said Robert King, President and CEO of Corporate Express. "In North America, we are now the market leader in terms of revenues, facilities, staffing and the breadth of our product offering. Customers have access to superior "one-stop" procurement solutions. Our sales force is supported by more locations and distribution centers than any other business-to-business office supply company, with almost double the number of delivery vehicles of our nearest competitor, state-of-the-art distribution technology and a strong commitment to quality."

"The anticipated benefits of the merger would not have been made possible without the sound advice and dedicated service of our Board of Directors," added King. "We appreciate their efforts as well as the efforts of the Company's professional advisors, who worked diligently to bring this transaction to fruition."

Under the terms of the merger agreement, Buhrmann will pay $9.70 cash for each share of Corporate Express' outstanding common stock. The process for exchanging stock certificates for the merger consideration of $9.70 per share will begin immediately. Buhrmann has also assumed $1.2 billion of Corporate Express' debt, bringing the total transaction value to approximately $2.3 billion.

Corporate Express has posted on its Internet website (www.CorporateExpress.com) information for shareholders explaining the procedure for exchanging stock certificates for the merger consideration of $9.70 per share. In addition, shareholders who hold stock certificates will receive mailed instructions from the Company's paying agent, ChaseMellon Shareholder Services, LLC, indicating the procedure for submitting the stock certificates and requesting information as to where payment should be delivered. Shareholders who hold shares in a brokerage account will receive payment directly into their account following the closing of the transaction.

Corporate Express, A Buhrmann Company, is the leading supplier of essential office and computer products and services to corporations that value innovative procurement solutions. The company was created through the combining of Corporate Express, Inc. and BT Office Products in October 1999. Corporate Express, A Buhrmann Company has revenues of more than $4 billion and approximately 15,000 employees.

SOURCE Corporate Express, Inc.