Corporate Express, Dutch company to merge

BROOMFIELD –Corporate Express, the second largest Colorado-based corporation after the acquisitions of U S West and TCI, is merging with a Dutch partner.

Corporate Express was founded in Boulder in 1986 by Jirka Rysavy. A year ago, after 12 years as chairman and chief executive officer, Rysavy passed his CEO title to company president, Bob King, in order to focus on his newest venture, Gaiam Inc.

The decision by Corporate Express Inc. (CEXP, Nasdaq) to merge with Buhrmann NV, a Dutch business-services company (BUH, Amsterdam), was motivated in part by Buhrmann’s impressive…