Key organization isn’t one of those things many of us think about. We usually keep keys in a pocket, on a peg in the kitchen or sitting on a counter. If you manage a fleet of vehicles, construction equipment or even multiple rooms in a building, a security key cabinet can be a lifesaver. Carl, a leading manufacturer of office equipment, makes 3 different secure key cabinets.

Having worked as a custodian myself (keeper of the keys), I have used a key cabinet for key organization. The cabinet I used, however, was open-faced and had no front door. It was easy to reach in and grab a key. While this wasn’t as big a deal for me at the time, security is a growing concern. If keys aren’t meant to be used, they shouldn’t be easily accessed.

Carl has developed a unique key management system. Their line of secure key cabinets use a special color coordination system, combined with numbers. A color-coded tag is attached to each key, which coincides with a color coded hangers. Keys can easily be removed and added without much thought.

The best feature of the Carl secure key cabinets is that they can be locked. The cabinet can actually be closed and locked with one of 2 included keys. When locked, access to contained keys is near impossible. Once needed, an authorized person can open the cabinet and access keys. It’s that easy.

Carl currently offers 3 different models

1. Carl CKB-32 Secure Key Cabinet (32 total keys)
2. Carl CKB-48 Locking Key Cabinet (48 total keys)
3. Carl CKB-64 Security Key Cabinet (64 total keys)

These cabinets can be easily mounted to a wall for stability and security. These cabinets are also portable, featuring an easy carrying handle. The build quality on these cabinets is excellent, designed to hold up for years. Not only are they functional and affordable, but they look also great.

Time permitting, stop by and check out our entire line of security key cabinets here.

It seems like there is an earthquake, tornado or hurricane happening every week somewhere in the world. With natural disasters seemingly on the rise, the chances that one will hit during the day is almost as likely at night. For this reason, it is a good idea to have your office prepared for a natural disaster, such as an earthquake. At ABC Office, we offer emergency kits that can help you prepare for the worst.

Many of us spend at least 8 hours a day at the office, 5 days a week. In a full 40-hour week, that almost 25% of our time. While none of us like to think about it, you have a 1 in 4 chance of being at work when a disaster strikes. In the event of an earthquake, there are many things you need to have on hand.

To begin with, you need to have shelter, food and sanitary toiletries available. Our office emergency preparedness kits have everything you need to keep yourself in tip-top shape for at least 72 hours. We offer children’s emergency kits, single adult kits and group emergency kits for an office of 15-30 people.

Our office emergency kit includes 633 items that range from food to first aide kits. These are just a few of the items our office emergency kit includes:

Office Emergency Kit

• Flashlights (w/ batteries)
• Reflective vests
• Whistles
• Dust masks
• Tube tent
• Poncho
• Blankets
• Tissue
• Beef jerky
• Granola bars
• Fruit rollups
• Crackers
• Hi C drinks
• Trail mix
• 400+ piece first aide kit.

You can view everything in our office emergency kit here.

We also offer a sanitation kit that is also extremely nice to have on hand in the office. This kit includes 32 items. This includes

Sanitation Kit

• 5 gallon bucket
• Toilet seat
• 50’ nylon rope
• clothes pins
• Tarp
• Trash can liners
• Toilet tissue
• Hand sanitizer
• Soap
• Chemical deodorant
• Laundry soap
• Vinyl gloves

You can view everything in our sanitation emergency kit here.

Be prepared. It’s the Boy Scout motto and it should be yours as well. At an affordable price, it is easy to keep your office prepared for the worst. We currently offer over 6 different emergency kits. You can view our entire selection of emergency 72 hour kits here.

We have years of experience working with office preparedness. Please feel free to speak with one of our emergency preparedness specialists by calling 1-800-658-8788.

When people ask me what paper trimmer I recommend for scrapbook operations, I almost always recommend a Carl paper trimmer. This isn’t because Fiskars, Purple Cows and other brands are necessarily bad, it is because Carl goes above and beyond what you would expect in a paper trimmer. One recent addition to our site, which will probably be a huge hit with the scrabookers, is the Carl DC-300N premium 12″ rotary paper trimmer. This is my review.

Carl manufactures a wide variety of paper trimmers. This varies from handheld pizza-cutter-like trimmers to high-end professional trimmers for photographers. Carl paper trimmers are affordable. A few years back I purchased an RT-200 for my wife and she absolutely loves it.

The Carl DC-300N has a lot going for it. To begin with, it is made from 100 percent recycled materials. This is pretty cool in my book, and if you’re trying to be more green, an environmentally-friendly paper trimmer like the DC-300N is a great option. Both the metal and plastic components are made from recycled materials.

One feature everyone expects to have in a scrapbook-capable paper cutter is portability. While portability may not be a feature you need in a rotary paper trimmer, this cutter includes a built-in handle. Just grab the cutter and go! It also features several storage compartments where you can place extra blades.  You can see more pictures of the Carl DC-300N here.

Blades on the DC-300N are extremely easy to swap out. Not special tools are required. The cutting head itself keeps the blade safely covered during the entire cutting process, making the DC-300N extremely safe. The cutting head is also ergonomically designed to fit in the palm of your hand, making the trimming operation seamless. The blade itself is a premium carbide blade.

While you would expect a paper trimmer to cut only paper, the DC-300N can also be used to trim card stock, photographs, laminated material and more. It has a 20 sheet cutting capacity (with 20lb paper), so it is a pretty robust little cutter, especially considering the low price.

Accuracy may be one of the DC-300N’s highest selling points. The cutting blade is designed to stay true, stable and accurate during the entire cutting process. A built-in clamp helps to keep paper in place, eliminating the dreaded crooked cut. Specially patented Carl cutting rails also help keep things sturdy. This cutter is also pre-calibrated prior to shipping, ensuring accuracy.

One cool feature that I really like, which also helps contribute to accuracy, is the luminous paper holder. This is the green/yellow looking plastic piece you see in the picture. This holder is designed to gather light and highlight the item being trimmed. This puts you in control of the cutting process and makes it extremely easy to see what’s going on.

As you would expect with any rotary paper trimmer, the Carl DC-300N has a series of graphics, grids and rulers printed right on the base of the cutter. This makes it easy to align material for cutting. An adjustable paper clamp also helps you line up your cut.

Overall I have to say that this is a solid little cutter. While it isn’t designed for high-volume cutting, it is perfect for scrabooking, hobby cutting, photo trimming and much more.

You can find the Carl DC-300N premium 12″ rotary paper trimmer here and our entire line of rotary paper cutters here.

Carl rotary paper trimmers are some of the most popular trimmers we offer. There are many reasons for this. To begin with, Carl paper cutters are extremely affordable. There are a variety of different designs to choose from and many of them are available with interchangeable blades. Car trimmers are a huge hit with scrapbookers, photographers, hobbyists and others that need precision cutting. We are proud to announce that we have just added 7 new models to our site.

Carl has made many changes to their new lineup of rotary paper trimmers. These changes, in my opinion, are for the better. To begin with, their new paper trimmers are made from recycled materials. This is environmentally friendly and a rarity among paper trimmer manufacturers.

I’m also a big fan of the new color scheme. Carl trimmers used to have a blue and gray look, but now have a metal gray and black look. The new look is very modern and looks excellent sitting on a desk or table. Most of the new Carl trimmers are extremely portable and many even include a built-in handle.

One of the biggest changes is the addition of a luminous paper holder. This holder has a fluorescent yellow/green look to it. It is designed to gather ambient light; focusing the light on the item you are cutting. Because it is easier to see what you are trimming, cuts turn out better.

Here are the new Carl trimmers we just added to our site:

• Carl DC-95N Personal Rotary Trimmer
• Carl RBT-12 Personal Rotary Trimmer
• Carl RT-200N Professional Rotary Trimmer
• Carl DC-300N Premium Rotary Trimmer
• Carl DC-238N Heavy-Duty Rotary Trimmer
• Carl DC-210N Personal Rotary Trimmer
• Carl DC-220N Heavy Duty Rotary Trimmer

We are excited to have these new trimmers on our site. We have always had great luck with Carl. A few years ago I purchased an RT-200 for my wife and she loves it. I am certain you will love these new rotary paper trimmers. You can find our entire selection of rotary paper cutters here.

If you’re shopping around for a pressure sealer or envelope-stuffing machine, there are a few reasons why you may want to consider using Formax product. To begin with, Formax products simply have a great reputation. Many of their machines, including their pressure sealers and paper folding machines, are made in the USA. While these are all great reasons to get a Formax office machine, the warranty and initial purchase perks are some best in town.

Formax goes above and beyond when it comes to customer satisfaction. Many Formax products feature free on-site installation and on-site training. This is a huge benefit and ensures that your employees are using the products correctly, right out of the box. How many other manufacturers include that?

Installation and training are covered on:

• Pressure Sealers (FD 1500, FD 1500 Plus, FD 200, FD 2030, FD 2052, FD 2000IL, FD 2052IL, FD 2094, FD 2084, FD 2200-10 and FD 2200)
• Folder Inserters (FD 6100, FD 6202, FD 6304, FD 6402, FD 6602, FD 6900, FD 7100)

Not only do these models feature on-site installation and training, but they also carry a 90-day service agreement and a one-year warranty. How many other manufacturers offer this much customer care on an order? Not many.

You can view our entire selection of Formax pressure sealers here and Formax folder inserters here. Please feel free to speak with one of our Customer Service Reps with any questions regarding Formax and their warranty.

If you are familiar with paper shredders, you have probably heard of Intimus. These German-made paper shredders not only have a great reputation, but are also known as being some of the quietest paper shredders on the market. We have added a total of 14 new Intimus paper shredders to our site. These shredders are best used in offices and departments, however, some smaller models may also be used for home use.

I have personally used Intimus paper shredders for the past 10 years. They are great machines. When I first started using Intimus paper shredders, they were owned and managed by Shleicher. Martin Yale, who has been manufacturing office equipment for decades, now owns the Intimus line.

Over the past year, Intimus has discontinued many of their older models and have replaced them with the 14 new machines we just added to our site. I mentioned earlier that Intimus shredders are known for being very quiet. I would say about 90% of the new shredders we just added use Silentec technology. This essentially consists of special spring shock absorbers that the shredder motor sits on. These springs absorb vibrations and sound, keeping the shredder to a dull hum.

These are the 14 new shredders we added. The CC3 line offers a security level 3 and the CC4 line offer a security level 4.

1. Intimus Pro 20CC3 Cross Cut Shredder (8 Sheet Capacity)
2. Intimus Pro 26CC3 Cross Cut Shredder (8 Sheet Capacity)
3. Intimus Pro 32CC3 Cross Cut Shredder (12 Sheet Capacity)
4. Intimus Pro 45CC3 Level 3 Paper Shredder (18 Sheet Capacity)
5. Intimus Pro 45CC4 Level 4 Paper Shredder (8 Sheet Capacity)
6. Intimus Pro 60CC3 Office Paper Shredder (18 Sheet Capacity)
7. Intimus Pro 60CC4 Level 4 Office Shredder (9 Sheet Capacity)
8. Intimus Pro 90CC3 Departmental Shredder (18 Sheet Capacity)
9. Intimus Pro 90CC4 Level 4 Office Shredder (9 Sheet Capacity)
10. Intimus Pro 120CC3 Heavy-Duty Paper Shredder (23 Sheet Capacity)
11. Intimus Pro 120CC4 Level 4 Cross Cut Shredder (15 Sheet Capacity)
12. Intimus 315 Cross Cut Shredder (25 Sheet Capacity)
13. Intimus Pro 175CC3 Heavy Duty Cross Cut Shredder (50 Sheet Capacity)
14. Intimus Pro 175CC4 Departmental Level 4 Shredder (25 Sheet Capacity)

I am confident, as long as you select the appropriate security level and sheet capacity, that you will enjoy these shredders. The cutting cylinders are made from hardened steel and most feature a lifetime warranty. Most of these shredders can also handle shredding CDs, DVDs, credit cards and some can even handle floppy disks.

You can find our entire selection of Intimus paper shredders here and our entire selection of paper shredders here.

Do you have questions about Intimus paper shredders? Call one of our specialists at 1-800-658-8788. They are more than happy to help answer your questions. Do you need Intimus paper shredder repairs, parts or servicing? Call our Service Department at 1-800-658-8788 x129.

When businesses ask me which shredder security level they should go with, I usually recommend a security level 3. The level 3 particle size offers a nice blend of security and capacity. If you’re a business and are looking for a level 3 shredder that can be used by 6-8 people throughout the day, you may want to consider the Intimus Pro 175CC3 cross cut shredder. This is my review.

The Intimus brand has been around for some time. Several years ago the line was run and managed by Schleicher, but is now run by Martin Yale. Intimus shredders are considered to be some of the best shredders around. They first gained worldwide recognition in the 1970s, due in part to Oliver North using an Intimus 007-S to shred sensitive information during the Iran-Contra scandal.

Intimus shredders are known today as being easy-to-use, reliable and extremely durable. Most Intimus shredders are still made in Germany, designed using precision engineering and made from high-quality materials.

The Intimus Pro 175CC3 carries on the Intimus name and reputation. This departmental shredder offers an excellent blend of security and capacity. This shredder cuts paper down into 5/32″ x 1 13/16″ particles, which qualifies as a level 3 shredder according to DIN 32757 standards. It also offers an excellent capacity, capable of shredding up to 50 sheets of 20lb paper at a time. This is enough speed and security to keep up with most business operations.

Not only does the Intimus Pro 175CC3 shred paper, but it can also handle CDs, DVDs, floppy disks and plastic cards. A wide 16″ cutting width handles most sizes of paper. This includes envelopes, receipts, letter size paper, legal size paper and even larger computer forms paper.  The hardened steel cutting shafts can also handle staples and paper clips without suffering nicks and damage. The cutting shafts are also covered by a lifetime warranty.

While the specifications on this shredder are impressive, it’s the “Extra” features that really sell this shredder. Let me go over a few of the most impressive features.

i-Control – The i-Control management system is very robust. It informs and notifies the operator regarding the shredder’s status. This includes a child safety lockout, an oil indicator, a paper jam notification, bin full status and a bin open alert.

EcoLogic – Being green not only makes sense for the planet, but also for energy savings. The 175CC3 uses an EcoLogic system that puts the shredder into sleep mode when it has been sitting idle. While in seep mode, this shredder uses zero power.

DLS – A special sensor, built into the shredder head, can sense the amount of paper being run through. This data is then converted into changing colors via a light strip (like traffic lights) that show up in the shredder’s feed area. This lets the operator know whether the shredder is being overburdened or not. This really helps the operator gauge how much paper is being fed without having to manually count the sheets prior to shredding.

The Intimus 175CC3 also includes several features that are now the “norm” with shredders. This includes an auto on/off and reverse switch. It also includes a light that notifies you when the shredder needs to be oiled, which is a hug plus for shredder longevity. Casters make this shredder extremely easy to move around the office.

This is a very robust shredder, weighing in at 198 pounds, and should easily be able to keep up with most business shredding needs. This shredder definitely makes an impression on me and I believe you will appreciate it too.

You can find the Intimus Pro 175CC3 cross cut shredder here, our entire line of Intimus shredders here and our broad selection of office paper shredders here.

Counterfeit money has always been a problem, and as a result, the U.S. government has spent over a decade producing a new $100. This new bill is packed full of useful features, which I will cover in this article. As a result of this new design, many counterfeit detectors will either need to be updated or they will become outdated. Cassida, one of our leading counterfeit detector manufacturers, is prepared for this new shift in currency, as I will also discuss in this article.

The new $100 bill has many features that currently exist in the older bill, however, a few additional things have been added. These are the counterfeit prevention features you will find in the new $100 bill:

• 3-D Security Ribbon – A vertical blue ribbon, which goes through the middle of the bill, will change from bells to 100s as the bill is tilted back and forth. This ribbon is woven into the bill, not printed.
• Bell in the Inkwell – A color-shifting bell, that sits in a copper inkwell, will change from copper to green as the bill is turned.
• Portrait Watermark – A watermark of Benjamin Franklin is located on the right side of the bill. This watermark becomes visible when held in front of light.
• Security Thread – A security thread, currently found on $100 bills, is laid vertically through the bill. This thread can be seen when placed in front of light and will glow under a UV light.
• Color-Shifting 100 – A color-shifting number 100 is located in the bottom right corner of the $100 bill. This number will shift colors as the bill is tilted and moved around.

These are just a few of the most obvious counterfeit detection measures incorporated into the new bill. Many other features, less prominent, are also included. This includes microprinting, raised printing, FW indicators, Federeal Reserve indicators, serial numbers, symbols of freedom (such as phrases from the Declaration of Independence and the quill the Founding Fathers used to sign the historic document), a large gold 100 on the back of the bill and much more.

As previously mentioned, over a decade of research as gone into making the new $100 counterfeit proof. While the new currency will begin circulating within the next year, older $100 bills will still be considered legal tender. You can read more about the new $100 bill here.

As new bills are released into circulation, older counterfeit detectors become deprecated and useless. Luckily, many manufacturers make their counterfeit detectors upgradeable via a software update. Cassida has updated their entire line of currency counters and counterfeit detectors to handle the new $100 bill in advance.

Cassida, a customer favorite, has been working with the US Bureau of Engraving and Printing since 2010 and completed calibration of all their machines in February 2011. This is a pretty huge advantage if you are in the market for either a counterfeit bill detector or a bill counter with counterfeit detection capabilities.

You can find our entire line of Cassida products here, our entire line of counterfeit bill detectors here and our entire line of bill counters here.

Please feel free to call us at 1-800-658-8788 with any questions regarding Cassida and the new $100 bill.

Shrink wrap machines come in all shapes and sizes. If you’re familiar with packaging, you’ve probably seen I-bar sealers, L-bar sealers with heat tunnels and much more. One of the most effective shrink wrappers I have used is the integrated tunnel / L-bar sealers made by Minipack. One such example is the Minipack RP 40 industrial grade shrink wrap machine. This is my review.

Minipack is an Italian company that manufactures shrink wrap machines, vacuum food sealers, heat tunnels and much more. Their products are renowned for their quality, results, durability and much more.

The RP 40 is a relatively new machine. I don’t know about you, but when I first saw it, the RP 40 reminded me of the old Minipack Mini Plus. The dimensions are even similar. That said, the Minipack RP 40 is a compact all-in-one style shrink wrap machine that is perfect for low to medium volume packaging. It is rated at about 6 wraps per minute, which is significantly faster than the 1-2 a minute that most I-bar sealers provide.

The Minipack RP 40 has a 16″ x 10″ x 6.6″ sealing area. This is big enough to package a DVD, Blu-ray, CD, small box, books, paper, small baskets and much more. As mentioned earlier, this is an all-in-one machine. Once you have inserted your product into the film, all you need to do is pull down the hood.

The hood includes an L-bar sealer, which quickly cuts the film. Once cut, the machine then uses the hood chamber area as a heat tunnel. This means cutting and shrinking is all done in a single pass. The clear Plexiglas hood makes it easy to see what is going on the entire time! I certainly appreciate this option far more than a standard enclosed heat tunnel.

Setting up this machine is easy. It has a centerfold shrink film roll dispenser that is set on smooth bearings. The RP 40 can use a roll of film up to 20″ wide and 10″ in diameter. Once your film has been placed on the dispenser rollers, simply feed it through the tear-free perforators and through the film separator. That’s pretty much it. I can set this machine up with film in about 2-3 minutes.

The RP 40 can be used with both PVC and Polyolefin centerfold shrink film. This allows you to package products for retail sale or food for display in a grocery store. The impulse sealer is fast and the heat sealing is quick enough that it will not damage food products.

The control panel is extremely easy to set up. A digital display combined with buttons lets you modify various settings and the built in storage will save up to 10 customizable programs.

The body of the RP 40 is made out of solid steel coated with a baked enamel finish, not that flimsy sheet metal stuff you find in other machines. The quality is unprecedented. This sealer includes its own supportive legs that are set on casters for added portability.

In conclusion, I highly recommend this machine. The quality is there, it should easily hold up for years to come and it is excellent for daily packaging of a variety of products. It really is that good. The RP 40 is robust enough for your manufacturing needs, yet compact enough that it can be used in most rooms. I recommend a ventilated room for use with PVC film.

You can find the Minipack RP 40 shrink wrap machine here, our centerfold rolls of shrink film here and our entire selection of shrink wrap machines here.

Have you ever used one of those “gravity” coin sorters that bounce the coins around and eventually deposit them in the appropriate bin? While these machines are fun to look at, and kids get a kick out of them, you probably need something a little more robust for your coin sorting and counting needs. One new machine that you may want to look at is the Cassida C200 coin counter, sorter and wrapper. This is my review.

Cassida is one of the leading manufacturers of coin counters, sorters, wrappers, bill counters and counterfeit bill detectors. Their products are some of the most affordable available online and continue to offer some of the best customer satisfaction rates I’ve seen in some time. When Cassida products leave our warehouse, we rarely ever hear back with issues.

The Cassida C200 is much like what the C100 used to be before it was re-designed. The C200 essentially consists of a plastic shell, plastic deposit bins, a few electronics (including buttons and a digital display) as well as a powered motor that paddles through the coins. A handle on the top of the machine makes it easy to pick up and move around.

I’ve you’ve been shopping around for a coin counter / sorter online, you’ve probably noticed that a lot of the specifications are based on dimes. There are a few reasons for this. To begin with, dimes are the smallest US denomination in size. This makes the specifications look extra nice. Saying a machine holes 1,000 dimes versus 400 quarters looks nicer.

That being said, the specifications I am going to provide you with are all rated in dimes. The bin, located on the top of the machine, can hold about 2,000 dimes, which is pretty impressive. Each of the coin drawers has a capacity of 900 coins. Compared to other coin sorters and counters, this isn’t bad.

Now that we’ve established that this machine can hold a lot of dimes, I would like to cover the various denominations it can handle. The Cassida C200 can handle pennies ($.01), nickels ($.05), dimes ($.10), quarters ($.25) and dollar coins ($1.00). A Canadian version is available upon request.

The C200 will not only sort coins into separate bins, but it will also provide you with a total value and total quantity. All data is viewable on the included digital LED readout. The green letters are very easy to view and the control panel itself is extremely easy to navigate.

The control panel allows you to flat out count coins, add several groups of coins together or even batch count. These are pretty much all the counting features most people need in a coin counting machine.

One of the coolest features of the Cassida C200 is its ability to also wrap coins in tubes. Simply remove the coin bins and replace them with the included coin tubes. These tubes make it easy to wrap and roll coins in just seconds. A shortcut button allows you to automatically set the C200 up for the appropriate batch counting required to fill up coin rolls. This is really neat.

In conclusion I have to say that the Cassida C200 is a very nice coin counter, sorter and wrapper. It is ideal for businesses, schools, churches and other organizations and can even be used for light to medium-volume bank or credit union coin counting. This machine gets high marks from me.

You can find the Cassida C200 coin counter, sorter and wrapper here and our entire selection of coin counting machines here.