Peter Gaslow, President and CEO of Empire Office, Inc., announced today the acquisition of Thomas W Ruff South Florida, a regional office furniture dealer located in Miramar.  “This acquisition allows us to accomplish several goals,” said Mr. Gaslow.  “We will be establishing a leadership position in the Florida office furniture market and are now positioned to grow in business areas beyond our traditional base of financial institutions.”  In addition to the Thomas W Ruff office in Miramar, Empire Office will establish offices in Miami and Boca Raton to solidify its position in South Florida.
 
Empire Office, a privately held dealership, is the country’s largest office furniture dealer with sales of over $200 million in 2008, and the largest Steelcase distributor in the US. As the company approaches the 4th quarter, it is poised for further growth despite the challenging economic climate.  “We see the current economic situation as an opportunity,” said Mr. Gaslow.  “In addition to a strong cash position, we are expanding geographically, while seeing growth from our core financial industry business and advancing into the municipal and education markets through organic growth and acquisition.”     
 
“Empire Office has a long relationship with Steelcase and serves many of our largest and most demanding customers,” said Jim Keane, President of Steelcase Group.  “We are happy to support Empire’s growth and strengthen our partnership with them in the very important South Florida market.” 
 
About Empire Office, Inc. Founded in 1946 by Abraham Gaslow, Empire Office, Inc. began with a team of five employees.  Today Empire Office is a third generation business with over 200+ employees.  Under the leadership of Larry Gaslow, Chairman, and his son Peter Gaslow, President and CEO, Empire Office is the preeminent Steelcase furniture dealer in the United States.  Headquartered on Park Avenue in New York City, Empire Office services a diverse client base including the national accounts of Fortune 500 companies, offering advanced office solutions that utilize measurable environmental best practices.