August 25, 2009 - 3:17pm
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Karrow Says Local Office Supply Companies Deserved Chance to Bid on Corzine Contract

Senator Marcia Karrow says that New Jersey vendors deserved the right to bid on a contract to supply office supplies to state government. No local vendors were told about bidding on the multi-million dollar contract, which was awarded to Massachusetts-based Staples Advantage.

"All these local companies want is a chance to compete for the state's business," Senator Karrow said. "These companies pay taxes and create jobs in New Jersey. They deserve the right to try to win the state's business."

Karrow said she was disturbed by reports that local vendors learned through a posting on a state Treasury Department Web site that Staples had won the contract through the National Joint Powers Alliance, a cooperative of state and local governments based in Minnesota. The local companies had been providing the office supplies and said that they had almost no notice that they would be losing the business. The companies will now have to dispose of large inventories.

ANDREW PRATT can be reached via email at apratt@njleg.org.