Our History
The 100-year History of Perry Office Plus
Two men with printing backgrounds, R.E. Miller and A.D. Baggett, joined forces with businessman W.H. Birdwell, and on January 10, 1920, American Printing opened its doors in Downtown Temple, Texas. They began with $6,000 in new printing equipment inside a rented space at the Wilcox Building on West Avenue A. They soon added office supplies, textbooks, and even some furniture to their offering.
Birdwell moved on shortly after, and in 1936, Miller and Baggett became competitors when Miller left American Printing to open his own printing firm, Miller Printing Company. Eventually, Miller’s business moved to 120 South 1st Street at Ave B.
American Printing continued to prosper over the next two decades, and by the early 1950s, it employed about 15 people, had 5,000 square feet of floors pace, and was one of the largest printing firms in Central Texas. The company handled “job printing”, engraving, lithographing, and embossing, and carried a complete line of printing and office supplies, as well typewriters and adding machines.
Miller Printing did not fare as well. R.E. Miller died in 1951 at the age of 59. His family attempted to run the business after his death, and later changed hands, but by the early 1960s, the business was up for sale.
An ad in the Dallas newspaper for the small printing company caught the eye of J.W. Perry. He had spent 14 years working in printing and reproduction at the Atlantic Refining Company in Dallas. At that time, he saw no path upward in the company, so he and his wife Ruth were looking to purchase a printing company of their own. In 1962, as the country was just starting to recover from a recession, the Perrys relocated to Temple and purchased Miller Printing.
With just one employee – Harrison Legan, no print jobs in-house, a few office supplies up front, and a healthy dose of blind faith, the Perrys got busy reviving the business. Each day, J.W. would wear a shirt and tie to call on customers, and then return to the shop, don an apron, and start making deliveries. Their hard work paid off, and they slowly added customers, and even a few employees.
Nearby at American Printing, A.D. Baggett was approaching retirement. J.W. and Ruth made yet another leap of faith, closed Miller Printing, and purchased Baggett’s company in 1966. Ever determined to sell more office products and furniture, they began operating the business as American Printing & Office Products. In 1976, the company opened a second store in nearby Belton, which is still in operation today.
J.W. believed customers were still not able to see past the printing side of the business to view them as a source for office products, so in 1983, he divided the business into two different corporations. The printing business operated as American Printing and moved into a new facility, while the office supply and furniture business became Perry Office Products. An additional supply store was opened in neighboring Killeen.
The time came a few years later to let go of the printing business and focus solely on office products and furniture, and so American Printing was sold to long-time employee Jody Donaldson in 1988.
Harry & Debbie Macey approached the Perrys in the early 1990s about purchasing their company, as part of a move to return to their hometown. In 1994, the sale was final and J.W. said, “We couldn’t have picked a better couple to have sold our business to.”
J.W. Perry went on to serve three terms as Mayor of the City of Temple and participate in many other community groups and causes.
Shortly after taking over, the Maceys sought to modernize the company throughout the remainder of the decade, including purchasing the company’s first computer system and updating the name to Perry Office Plus to reflect the wide range of products available beyond simply office supplies.
Just before the turn of the century, Perry Office Plus acquired Curry Office Supply in Waco and Myron’s Office World in Killeen, further solidifying its place in these markets.
In 2005, just ten years into the Maceys’ tenure, the company had quadrupled in size and was spread out across multiple facilities in downtown Temple. To better manage the business and improve communication, the Maceys purchased and renovated the former Coca-Cola bottling plant in Temple, and consolidated the company headquarters, warehouses, and customer support call center into a single facility.
More and more customers chose Perry's cost-effective delivery service over shopping in-store. After 85 years with a retail presence in downtown Temple, that storefront was closed. In 2006, the Waco retail location transitioned to a furniture showroom, and a few years later, the Killeen retail store was closed.
The 2018 acquisition of local furniture dealer CFS, Inc. in Temple, helped the furniture business soar through the next year. Newer product categories such as janitorial supplies and promotional products continued to grow as traditional office products began to decline.
The year 2019 – the company’s 100th year in business – was its best since its founding. Perry Office Plus celebrated the close of that year on January 10, 2020 with a special “Founders Day” anniversary event in downtown Temple, just blocks away from their original location. More than 200 customers, community partners, friends, family, and staff were in attendance, as local and state dignitaries presented proclamations, and the Chamber of Commerce held a ceremonial ribbon cutting.
Despite the challenges created by the coronavirus pandemic of 2020, the company not only survived, but thrived. Two acquisitions -- the office products division of Mackie's in Waco, and the Austin branch of Tejas Office Products (formerly Office Edge) -- were finalized in that year, further solidifying the company's presence in those areas. A laundry and warewash division was established to support customers' need for a local, reliable chemical supplier.
On December 31, 2021, Harry and Debbie Macey retired and sold Perry Office Plus to their son and daughter-in-law, H.B. and Lynnsay Macey.
In October 2022, Perry acquired the Georgetown-based V-Quest Machines & Office Products, expanding its footprint further into the Austin market and creating a greater product selection for both companies' customers.
Perry Office Plus began with the entrepreneurial spirit of its founders, endured with determination and hard work by J.W. and Ruth Perry, and was modernized and expanded by the Maceys. With the new owners, the company moves forward yet again into the future with a focus on growth and a continued dedication to excellent service that the community has come to expect.
As a local, independent business for 100 years, Perry Office Plus is proud to be part of the story of Central Texas and beyond for the past century, and for years to come.
Temple, Texas Roots
Perry Office Plus began as American Printing in downtown Temple, Texas on January 10, 1920 by A.D. Baggett and R.E. Miller. By the late 1930s, the two had gone their separate ways. Miller started his own printing company while Baggett remained with American Printing. At that time, the company was already pretty diversified, carrying items such as office supplies, machinery and even textbooks, aside from the printing business.
In 1962, J.W. Perry saw an ad for Miller Printing in the Dallas newspaper and purchased the company. With only one employee – Harrison Legan – and no printing jobs, Perry and his wife Ruth built up the business. After a few successful years, in November 1966, Perry closed Miller Printing and purchased American Printing from Baggett.
Belton, Texas Roots
In 1976, American Printing expanded by opening an office on Central Street in Belton, called Belton Office Products. In 1983, Perry divided the printing and office products businesses and the Belton store was named Perry Office Products.
Growth & Change
Perry sold the printing portion of the business to Jody Donaldson in 1988, in order to focus on the office products and furniture business.
In May 1994, J.W. sold Perry Office Products to Harry and Debbie Macey. Perry said, "We couldn't have picked a better couple to have sold our business to."
Shortly after, the company began operating under the name Perry Office Plus, to help demonstrate the products and services available beyond office supplies.
In 2005, the Macey’s purchased and renovated the former Coca-Cola bottling plant on North 3rd Street in Temple, closed the downtown retail store, and consolidated the company headquarters, warehouses, and customer support call center into a single facility.
In 2018, Perry Office Plus acquired local furniture dealer CFS, Inc. in Temple, and in turn, aligned with furniture manufacturer Knoll, adding another recognized high-quality, workplace furnishings vendor to their partnerships. In January of 2020, the company celebrated the completion of its 100th year in business. That same year, two additional acquisitions were finalized: the office products division of Mackie's in Waco, Texas, as well as the Austin branch of Tejas Office Products, formerly known as Office Edge.
Debbie & Harry Macey made the decision to retire at the end of 2021, and sold the business to their son and daughter-in-law, H.B. & Lynnsay Macey. Having been part of the company for many years, they have committed to continue growing the business through outstanding customer service, integrity, and dedication to their staff and the community.
Killeen, Texas Roots
In the early 1900s, Carter Printing printed a local newspaper and operated a printing company in Killeen, and located in the 400 block of Gray Street. This company became the main printing and office supply source for the area. In the early 1970s Myron Johnson, a Killeen typewriter repairman, helped expand Carter Printing's operation into machine sales and repair. Myron purchased the company and eventually changed the name to Myron's Office World, with a growing emphasis on office supplies, furniture and equipment. In 1985, Perry Office Products opened in Killeen on Florence Road and in 1999, purchased Office World and operated the retail store downtown until 2009. It marked the end of a century of having a printing & office supply operation in the 400 block of Killeen's Gray Street.
Waco, Texas Roots
Curry Office Supply was founded in 1939 by Ted and Roberta Curry who then moved to downtown Waco in 1947. The location on Washington Avenue survived the Waco tornado – the roof was torn off – and two fires – both arson. Curry was purchased by Perry Office Plus in 1999 and operated at the Washington Avenue location for many years. In 2006, Perry moved to Austin Avenue and operated as an office furniture showroom, and later relocated in 2009 to the Crossroads West shopping center at Hwy 84 and Hewitt Drive in Woodway. In 2020, Perry acquired the office products division of Mackie's in Waco to continue to grow its local customer base.
Austin, Texas Roots
Convenience Office Supply was a staple of the Austin business community beginning in the 1980s. In the early 2000s, the company rebranded as Office Edge. The company was acquired in 2018 by Houston-based Tejas Office Products, and sold to Perry Office Plus in 2020, helping to solidify Perry's presence as Austin's leading independent workplace solutions provider.
Looking to the Future
With the hard work of dedicated employees, Perry Office Plus has become the largest independent office products and furniture dealer in Central Texas and continues to look forward to the future while focusing on serving our customers beyond expectation.
