Mystique Salon and Spa Named 'Official Small Business of NASCAR, Courtesy of Office Depot'

Business Wire, Sept 26, 2008

Female Entrepreneur From Boise, Idaho, Wins Promotion To Put Company Logo On Carl Edwards' No. 99 Office Depot Ford At Kansas Speedway

DELRAY BEACH, Fla. -- Office Depot (NYSE:ODP), a leading global provider of office products and services, announced today that Mystique Salon and Spa of Boise, Idaho, will be the "Official Small Business of NASCAR, courtesy of Office Depot" for the remainder of the 2008 NASCAR[R] Sprint Cup Series[TM] season.

Mystique Salon and Spa owner Julie Catalano -- the first female business owner to be named as the Office Depot "Official Small Business of NASCAR" since the annual promotion began in 2005 -- was introduced by Office Depot during a press event this morning at Kansas Speedway. Catalano was joined by Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Office Depot Ford Fusion; Jack Roush, owner of Roush Fenway Racing; and Steve Phelps, Chief Marketing Officer of NASCAR.

Catalano, who opened Mystique Salon and Spa in 2000, helped Edwards unveil the special edition No. 99 Office Depot Ford featuring her company's logo. The winning business logo will make its on-track debut during the Kansas 400 race (Sunday, Sept. 28, 1 p.m. EST, ABC).

"This is an amazing opportunity for any small business owner, and I am thrilled to have the Mystique Salon and Spa logo featured on the No. 99 Office Depot Ford Fusion," Catalano said. "Office Depot helps me take care of my business every day and having that kind of support, along with hard work, has been very important in expanding my business during the past eight years."

Edwards, who also created his own small business, Back 40 Records, said he was impressed by the hard work and dedication Catalano had put into her company.

"As an entrepreneur myself, I know how hard it is to run a small business," Edwards said. "It takes a lot of time, effort and creativity to build and operate a successful small business, and Julie (Catalano) has done an incredible job -- Mystique Salon and Spa truly deserves to be the Office Depot 'Official Small Business of NASCAR.'"

'Connect with Carl'

This year, entrants in the fourth annual "Official Small Business of NASCAR, courtesy of Office Depot" promotion were able to support their entry by utilizing a new online viral component. Once a small business owner entered the sweepstakes at www.officedepotracing.com, they could spread the word to co-workers, friends and family by sending out a customizable e-mail audio message featuring Edwards.

The message encouraged recipients to support their favorite small business entered in the promotion with a nomination. Each nomination received counted as an additional entry, with the winning small business being selected at random from among all entries.

Catalano -- who said she typically visits her local Office Depot store in Boise, Idaho, at least once a week to handle a wide range of business needs -- sent out 11 "Connect With Carl" e-mails, resulting in 165 nominations from her family, friends and clients.

Prize Package

As the "Official Small Business of NASCAR, courtesy of Office Depot," Mystique Salon and Spa (www.mystiquesalonandspaboise.com) will receive invaluable exposure on national television, and the company's logo will be featured on the No. 99 Office Depot Ford's TV panel (the rear panel on a NASCAR race car) during this weekend's Kansas 400 at Kansas Speedway. Throughout the rest of the race season, the logo will be on the car's b-post (located between the front and rear windows).

In addition to logo placement on the No. 99 Office Depot Ford Fusion, the "Official Small Business of NASCAR courtesy of Office Depot" prize package includes the following:

* $10,000 Small Business Makeover

* VIP race experience at the September 26-28 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race weekend at Kansas Speedway

* Company logo, Web site design by Logoworks[TM], plus business stationery courtesy of Office Depot Design, Print & Ship Depot[TM]

* A private coaching session with NASCAR executives, including an insider's look at the business of NASCAR

* Two-year membership to Lifelock[R] Identity Theft protection service for 10 employees

"Small business owners like Julie Catalano represent Office Depot's core customer and their passion is contagious," said Chuck Rubin, President of North American Retail for Office Depot. "The Office Depot 'Official Small Business of NASCAR' promotion is a great way for us to recognize and reward an outstanding small business owner, and we are excited to provide Julie - who is also a great NASCAR fan - with a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

Steve Phelps, Chief Marketing Officer of NASCAR, also spoke about the significance of this year's promotion winner.

"The Office Depot 'Official Small Business of NASCAR' promotion has proven to be one of the most creative and effective initiatives among our partners," Phelps said. "Women make up approximately 40 percent of NASCAR's fan base as well as an increasing proportion of America's entrepreneurs. It was only a matter of time before a passionate NASCAR fan and successful business owner like Julie Catalano got her company's name on Carl Edwards' Office Depot Ford Fusion."