Press Release

Rep. Steny Hoyer and Assistant Secretary John Berry Cut Ribbon for New Blind Industries of Maryland Storein Main Interior Building

August 2, 2000
For immediate release
Contact: Joan Moody
Department of the Interior
Phone: (202) 208-6416

Washington, D.C. - Officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony today in the Main Building of the U.S. Department of the Interior for the first office supply store operated by people who are blind and disabled at a cabinet-level facility of the federal government. Operated by the Blind Industries of Maryland, the Office Eagle store provides a convenient source of recycled and "green" products within the workplace of the federal government's leading conservation department as well as for other federal agencies nationwide via the web.

Maryland Congressman Steny Hoyer and John Berry, Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Policy, Management and Budget joined Chairman Donald Morris and President Fred Puente of the Blind Industries and Services of Maryland at today's ribbon-cutting.

"We are excited to launch this facility because it not only benefits the Blind Industries and Services of Maryland but also provides ready access to 'green' office supplies for our employees, for Interior Department agencies, and for other federal agencies," said Assistant Secretary Berry. "We are especially grateful to Rep. Steny Hoyer, a leading advocate of the Blind Industries, for his inspiration and support in setting up this new partnership."

The store will sell at competitive prices to Interior and other federal agencies, including the nearby General Services Administration (GSA) and Office of Personnel Management (OPM). In addition to metropolitan Washington agencies, Blind Industries and Services of Maryland will market its supplies to Interior and other federal offices across the nation via E-Commerce at http://www.officeeagle.com The nonprofit Maryland firm is an affiliate of the National Industries for the Blind.

Office Eagle will market environmentally preferable SKILCRAFT® products. It will showcase and sell recycled-content supplies produced under the Javits-Wagner-O'Day (JWOD) Program, as well as GSA and commercially available office products. Office supplies with the Interior logo are featured in the store.

Interior's National Business Center handled the contract negotiations and oversaw the conversion of Interior facilities for the store. The partnership of the National Industries for the Blind and its associated agencies with federal customers has played a critical role in the nationwide initiative to "green" the government.