Staples Inc. has agreed to acquire office-supplies company Essendant Inc. in a deal worth $482.7 million in cash, a combination that would strengthen one of the world’s largest office-solutions providers.
After previously resisting overtures from Staples, Essendant said Monday that a sweetened offer from the office-supplies retailer of $12.80 a share was superior to the one it had pending with Genuine Parts Co.
Genuine...