C.R., Coralville office products suppliers merge

Two longtime office products suppliers in the Cedar Rapids-Iowa City Corridor have merged.

Frohwein/Matthews Office Plus of Coralville and Pioneer Workspace Solutions in Cedar Rapids became a single company, Tallgrass Business Resources, on June 1. The business, which serves customers in Eastern Iowa and western Illinois, and have over 45 employees in four locations.

Doug Parsons will be president and chief executive officer of Tallgrass Business Resources, Phil Wasta will serve as vice president, John Wasta as chief operating officer, and Dave Parsons as chief financial officer. Randy Devine, a longtime Frohwein employee, will continue as sales director of the office products division.

A news release issued by Tallgrass Business Solutions states that all employees will be retained and there will be no positions eliminated due to the merger.

Pioneer Workspace Solutions is a third generation family-owned business that began in 1924  in Cedar Rapids. Key clients include Rockwell Collins, United Fire Group, GreatAmerica Leasing, Infinity Contact and IGD Industries.

Frohwein Office Plus is a fourth generation family-owned business that began in 1922 in downtown Iowa City.  In 2004, Frohwein in Coralville merged with Matthews Office Plus in Wilton and Davenport, though all locations kept their existing names.

Key clients of  Frohwein/Matthews Office Plus include the University of Iowa, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, the cities of Coralville and Iowa City and Oral B Laboratories.

Tallgrass Business Solutions was selected as the name of the merged entity because it refers to the merged company's Iowa and Illinois market area that was formerly the heart of the Midwest Tallgrass Prairie.  It also represents a commitment to green products, conservation and sustainability, which will be a strong component of the company's offerings and initiatives.