Quill Corporation
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1956 |
| Headquarters | Lincolnshire, Illinois, U.S. |
| Products | Office supplies |
| Parent | Staples Inc. (1998–present) |
| Website | www.quill.com |
Quill Corporation is a United States retailer, generating over one billion in sales and headquartered in Lincolnshire, Illinois. Quill.com has a growing assortment of over 1 million products, which it offers to more than 1 million small and mid-sized US business through Quill’s catalog, direct sales organization, 1-800 number and online at Quill.com. Over 70% of Quill's sales are conducted online. It is considered to be among the largest business-to-business direct markets of office supplies in United States, but it also sells products in other categories such as technology, cleaning & breakroom supplies, furniture, safety products and professional medical equipment through its Quill Healthcare unit. Quill is owned by Staples, Inc.,considered to be a part of its North American Commercial segment, and is recognized as their most profitable division, accounting for about 25% of the company's net income. Between 1998 and 2009, Quill grew from $500 million in revenues to over one billion.It employs only about 500 people and has 12 distribution centers. Opened in 1956, in 2016 Quill.com celebrated its 60th anniversary. It is also considered to be an A+ accredited business. The company is one of Staples' most profitable divisions and is led by Sergio Pereira, President of Quill Corporation.
Quill Corporation was the outgrowth of an idea by Jack Miller. In 1956, with a loan of $2,000 from Jack's father-in-law Quill's first office was established in the back room of Millers father's poultry shop on the north side of Chicago. Initially lacking retail experience, the young entrepreneur relied heavily on his face-to-face selling techniques to drive revenue. With the assistance of Jack's brother Harvey, the two evolved their marketing strategies to include mail-order campaigns that enticed potential customers with substantially discounted prices and free shipping - transforming Quill Corporation into one of the first mail-order companies in the United States. In 1974, Quill reported annual sales of $3.5 million. During the early and mid-1980s, the company's revenues amounted to $180 million in 1986. Its mail-order business was the most successful within the office supplies market, with more than 40 million catalogues and flyers sent to a customer base of approximately 600,000 businesses and organizations, and listing more than 9,000 various office supplies and products. In 1996, the company launched the website Quill.com. In 1998, Quill Corporation was acquired by Staples, Inc. for approximately $685 million. Jack Miller utilized funds from the sale of Quill to create the Jack Miller Center.
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