WS Chronicle

Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind (WSIFB) opened its 18th Base Supply Center (BSC) at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 9.

The AbilityOne Base Supply Center store, operated by Paperclips, Etc., sells office supplies and other essential products. BSCs are located in government offices and military installations around the world and are staffed in part by IFB employees who are blind or visually impaired.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by leaders from Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind, National Industries for the Blind and the Securities and Exchange Commission.  Jeff Heslop, Chief Operating Officer for the Securities and Exchange Commission, and IFB employee Anastasia Powell were the event’s keynote speakers.

Anastasia Powell speaks.

According to Industries for the Blind, BSCs not only provides important employment opportunities, but 35-40 percent of the office products are produced by IFB and other blind agencies nationwide.

“We are very grateful to the SEC for giving us the opportunity to open this new facility,” said Jerry O’Hagan, director of Base Supply Centers.  “Over the 16 years since IFB established our first BSC, we have been able to create so many opportunities for our employees as store managers, cashiers and shelf stockers as well as create demand for office products manufactured in our two facilities in North Carolina.”

The newest IFB Base Supply Center will serve more than 3,000 SEC employees.  The store has 1,500 square feet of retail space and offers 1,500 different items, from pens and staplers to markers and paper.

In addition, SEC employees can access the store’s online site, www.paperclipsEtc.com, and order from more than 42,000 available SKUs.

Customer service for PaperclipsEtc.com is handled by IFB employees in Winston-Salem.