WB Mason

Who but W.B. Mason could offer such an array of office supplies? The company, founded in 1898 as a rubber stamp maker, is one of the largest private office products dealers in the US. Its operations cover about a dozen states in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic and include about 15 W.B. Mason office supply centers and about 15 Whatta Bargain locations, which stock furniture and business equipment. The company also sells merchandise to customers in select states via its e-commerce site. W.B. Mason's customer base is mostly composed of small and midsized businesses. The firm is owned by members of senior management, including chairman Steve Greene and CEO Leo Meehan.

A well-known entity on the East Coast, the firm stokes its "company next-door" image with old-fashioned ads on TV and in prominent places, such as Fenway Park's manual scoreboard. The company reached its lofty position through acquisitions of regional suppliers over the years. In early 2011 W.B. Mason purchased P.W. Sherman, an office furniture dealer in Worcester, Massachusetts. The company also extended its reach to Maryland that year, buying Kelly's Stationery in Westminster. 

The company recorded $850 million in sales in 2010 and expects to log about $1 billion during 2011.