Illinois vs. Florida for Office Max, Office Depot HQ

CHICAGO-The possible headquarters requirement for the post merger Office Max/Office Depot company will likely pit the states of Illinois and Florida against each other for the deal.

Naperville, IL-based Office Max appeared before Illinois lawmakers on Tuesday at a state Senate Executive Committee hearing in Springfield. At the session OfficeMax CEO Ravi Saligram and state Sen. Tom Cullerton promoted legislation that would grant the merged company unspecified tax breaks in exchange for maintaining at least 2,000 non-retail jobs in the state and making $150 million in capital investments, according to the Associated Press. The proposed merger of the two office supply companies was announced in February and still requires regulatory approvals. The companies expect the merger to be complete by the end of this year.

OfficeMax now has about 2,000 employees between its headquarters, a nearby distribution center and a call center in Peru. Office Depot is headquartered in Boca Raton, FL.

Saligram said the two companies are just beginning the process of choosing a single headquarters. "What we are trying to do right now is first decide all the criteria, and then try to get economic incentives on both sides so we can come to an informed decision," Saligram added.

In a statement e-mailed to The Associated Press, a spokeswoman for Boca Raton, Fla.-based Office Depot said Florida has not yet made an offer. See story in The Record.