BOCA RATON, Fla. & NAPERVILLE, Ill. -- Office Depot, Inc. (NYSE:ODP) and OfficeMax Incorporated (NYSE:OMX) today announced the preliminary results of their respective special meetings of stockholders held earlier this morning. OfficeMax stockholders voted to approve the merger and adopt the Agreement and Plan of Merger with Office Depot. Office Depot stockholders voted to approve the issuance of shares of Office Depot common stock to OfficeMax stockholders pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger.

“We are very pleased with this endorsement of our proposed merger with Office Depot by our OfficeMax stockholders,” said Ravi Saligram, President and CEO of OfficeMax. “This is an important and historic milestone in bringing our two great companies together. With integration planning now well underway, we believe more than ever that the combined company will create a stronger, more innovative and efficient global provider better able to compete in today’s rapidly changing office solutions industry, creating long-term value and opportunity for our customers, our stockholders and our employees.”

“Our Office Depot shareholders today endorsed our collective efforts to create a combined company that will be a world-class provider of office products, services and solutions, with significantly improved financial strength and the ability to deliver better long-term operating performance,” said Neil Austrian, Chairman and CEO of Office Depot. “Our two companies remain optimistic that the closing will occur by the end of the calendar year 2013, subject to the receipt of regulatory approval and other customary closing conditions; and we continue to work cooperatively with the FTC as it conducts its review of the proposed combination.”

About OfficeMax

OfficeMax Incorporated (NYSE: OMX) is a leading provider of products, solutions and services for the workplace, whether for business or at home. The OfficeMax mission is simple: We provide workplace innovation that enables our customers to work better. The company provides office supplies and paper, print and document services, technology products and solutions, and furniture to businesses and consumers. OfficeMax consumers and business customers are served by approximately 29,000 associates through OfficeMax.com, OfficeMaxWorkplace.com, and Reliable.com; more than 900 stores in the U.S. and Mexico, and direct sales and catalogs. OfficeMax has been named one of the 2013 World's Most Ethical Companies, and is the only company in the office supply industry to receive Ethics Inside® Certification by the Ethisphere Institute. To find the nearest OfficeMax, call 1-877-OFFICEMAX. For more information, visit www.officemax.com.

About Office Depot

Office Depot provides office supplies and services through 1,628 worldwide retail stores, a field sales force, top-rated catalogs and global e-commerce operations. Office Depot has annual sales of approximately $10.7 billion, employs about 38,000 associates and serves customers in 60 countries around the world.

Office Depot’s common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ODP. Additional press information can be found at: http://news.officedepot.com.

All trademarks, service marks and trade names of Office Depot, Inc. and OfficeMax Incorporated used herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Office Depot, Inc. and OfficeMax Incorporated, respectively. Any other product or company names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.