Small-Business Owners Vie for Chance to Appear in aSuper Bowl Commercial.

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 23, 1998--

Twenty Entrepreneurs Named Semi-Finalists in Mail Boxes Etc.'s

"See Your Small Business on the Super Bowl Search II."

Fame may be fleeting, however, the chance for an entrepreneur to showcase his or her small business during

A tremendous opportunity awaits one of 20 small businesses that have been named semi-finalists in Mail Boxes Etc.'s "See Your Small Business on the Super Bowl Search II."

The entrepreneurs who have been selected as semi-finalists represent the millions of small businesses that make up the growing small-office/home-office (SOHO) market.

"Entrepreneurs such as our semi-finalists work long and hard to realize their dreams of owning a business," said James Amos, MBE president and chief executive officer. "Small-business people are succeeding in every town in America. Their ambition and commitment deserve to be showcased on the Super Bowl, alongside commercials from some of the biggest companies in the world."

The semi-finalists are (alphabetically): -0-

     American Auto, Richard Kim, Aurora, Colorado
This company's innovation, called "KimVue 2000," is a clip-on rearview
mirror designed to eliminate "blind spots."

     Aqua Golf, Dean Peabody, Taylorville, Illinois
Avid golfers never like to be far from the tee, and now, thanks to
Aqua Golf's fun and challenging golf game, they can work on chip shots
while bathing at the pool.

     Awesome Games, Mark Keener, Atlanta
Drawing on childhood experiences, which pre-date video games, Awesome
Games develops modern-day boardgames for hours of high powered, yet
unplugged, family fun.

     Bubbletime, Inc., Brian Glover, Patchogue, New York
An explosion of bubbles is a sure-fire way to add excitement to a
party, and thanks to the Bubbletime machine, everyone can be
surrounded with tiny bubbles.

     Croll Cycles, Frank Amore, Minneapolis
Craftsmen at Croll provide cyclists with custom designed, steel-frame
bicycles which are built to meet the specific requirements of the rider.

     Fishing Enthusiasts, Matthew Wanderer, Boulder
This web-based company, fishingethusiasts.com, provides unique gifts
for the special fisherman or fisherwoman in your life.

     Good as Gould, Stu Gould, Evanston, Illinois
For ice hockey goalies, good equipment is essential, so this company
creates custom-fit goaltending equipment for any size goalie, from
ages five to 105!

     Googles, Chris Patterson, Lawrenceville, Georgia
These brightly colored swim goggles for children don't just look good,
they are also easily adjusted and shatter-resistant.

     Jeremy's Microbatch, Jeremy Kraus, Philadelphia
This delicious company creates a premier ice cream line and was
started by a 22-year-old Penn State college student.

     Johnston Development Corp., Britian Johnston, Tampa
This company develops and distributes adhesive magnets which turn just
about anything into an "ice box creation."

     MOC Innovations, Martin Crum, Visalia, California
Tired of digging through the garage for the basketball? The Ball
Garage is a handy storage device for keeping basketballs, volleyballs,
etc., easily accessible.

     Noel Enterprises, James Noel, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Building on first-hand experience, this entrepreneur now markets an
accident reporting kit to keep in the automobile, complete with a
camera to document the scene, accident report forms, a flashlight, etc.

     Norris Hall Studio, Norris Hall, Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Turning a love for art into a business was the dream of this
entrepreneur who now has a design studio which creates colorful and
whimsical furniture, clocks, switchplates and sculptures.

     Pendulum Golf, Tommy McKoon, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
This company, whose motto is "it's not the putter, it's the stroke,"
markets a specially designed golf club to help improve your game.

     Re-Sails, Angela Berry, Newport, Rhode Island
Re-Sails creates nautical-themed clothing and accessories from actual
sails, producing unique items and helping recycle readily available
resources.

     Sidekick Off Road Adventures, Rick Russel, Chino, California
Off-roading can be fun and safe, thanks to this company's off-road
maps, how-to videos and other materials for the adventurer.

     Synergist LLC, Bobbi Manning, Louisville, Kentucky
This company markets "The Blowsdrier," a portable clothes dryer for
travelers, powered by a hairdryer.

     Tech 2000 Services, Don Ashton, Duncan, Oklahoma
The "Tire Safety Gauge" is an innovative device with color-coded
markings which, when inserted onto tire valves, let drivers know when
air pressure is getting low.

     Tie Teacher Inc., Daniel Cianciotto, Commack, New York
This simple yet unique product provides the tools necessary for men to
master eight different tie knots.

     Wild Flower Bakery, Dolly Martens, New Berlin, Wisconsin
Handcrafted, European-style breads are the specialty of this
family-owned bakery.

"MBE created the 'See Your Small Business on the Super Bowl Search' to honor the millions of individuals who have the dedication, determination and passion to strike out on their own and make their business dreams come true," added Amos. "This is how the MBE network was started, and how our more than 3,000 franchisees started their businesses."

The Mail Boxes Etc. "See Your Small Business on the Super Bowl Search II" will award one lucky small business a grand prize of being featured on MBE's nationally televised commercial during Super Bowl XXXIII on Jan. 31, 1999. In addition to appearing in MBE's commercial, the winner will receive $5,000. Second and third place winners will receive $2,000 each.

The search was conducted between August 1 and October 15, 1998, and was open to self-employed, independent contractors working from home, or principals of small businesses with 20 or fewer full-time employees.

Entry forms asked small-business owners two questions: -0-

1.  In 25 words or less, tell us how your small business demonstrates
    the entrepreneurial spirit of small business in America; and

2.  In 25 words or less, tell us what you'd say about your small
    business to 130 million Super Bowl viewers.

Ten finalists will be named in December and the grand prize winner will be announced the first week of January 1999.

MBE has bought commercial time on the three previous Super Bowl telecasts, and last year conducted its first national search for a small business to appear in its advertisement. Last January's winners, Robert Lange and Charles Davey, co-owners of Pocket Pump, displayed their hand-held, squeeze-action air pump to Super Bowl viewers.

Mail Boxes Etc. a wholly owned subsidiary of U.S. Office Products Company (Nasdaq:OFIS), is the world's largest franchisor of retail business, communication and postal service centers. There are more than 3,600 centers operating worldwide, with master licensing agreements in place for the development of the MBE business in 62 countries around the world.

In the United States, MBE centers are owned and operated by licensed franchisees of Mail Boxes Etc., USA, Inc. Outside the United States, MBE centers are owned and operated by MBE master licensees or their franchisees. MBE maintains a Web site at http://www.mbe.com.

U.S. Office Products Co. (USOP) is one of North America's leading providers of office supplies, office furniture, and office breakroom products featuring Starbucks(R) Coffee. It also owns and operates Mail Boxes Etc. and Blue Star Group Limited, a leading supplier of office products and business services in New Zealand and Australia. In addition, USOP owns a 49% interest in Dudley Stationery Limited, the second largest stationer in the United Kingdom. USOP's web site can be found at www.usop.com

US Office Products is one of North America's leading providers of office supplies, office furniture, and office breakroom products featuring Starbucks coffee. USOP also owns and operates Mail Boxes Etc. and Blue Star Group Limited, a leading supplier of office products and business services in New Zealand and Australia. USOP's website can be found at www.usop.com.