Exhibit 99.1

ESSENDANT REPORTS SECOND QUARTER 2016 RESULTS

DEERFIELD, Ill., July 20, 2016 – Essendant Inc. (NASDAQ: ESND), a leading supplier of workplace essentials, today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2016.  Key results for Q2 2016 were as follows:

“In light of the challenges we faced in the quarter and our reduced outlook for the balance of the year, we are accelerating efforts to advance our strategy, improve margins and reduce costs,” said Robert B. Aiken, Jr., president and chief executive officer of Essendant.  “We plan to execute these actions while reducing our inventory levels over the balance of the year to improve the company’s return on investment. Building on our core capabilities while increasing operating and working capital efficiency is the right path forward.  With the common platform implementation of our office products and janitorial/sanitation businesses now complete, several large accounts wins on boarded and our industrial business making progress in its recovery plan, our company's core capabilities continue to offer a competitive advantage in the marketplace,” Aiken continued. 

Second Quarter Sales

Note: All EPS numbers in this document are diluted unless stated otherwise.

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Essendant Reports Second Quarter 2016 Results

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Second Quarter Performance

Margin Enhancement, Cost Reduction and Improved Cash Flow

The company continues to reposition the business for continued success despite marketplace headwinds, which includes a plan to accelerate efforts to advance our strategy, improve margins and reduce costs, and increase cash flow in the second half of 2016.  The plan involves a number of actions including pricing that better aligns to our cost to serve, merchandising excellence, continued reduction in discretionary expenses, a plan to reduce distribution center footprint, further simplification of the organization and lower fixed cost structure, as well as significant inventory reduction driven by lower purchasing levels.  

The actions are designed to improve the run-rate financial performance of the company and are reflected in the updated guidance.  

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Guidance

The company currently expects the following in 2016 versus the prior year, excluding any acquisitions or unusual charges:

Pension Lump Sum Distribution

The company significantly reduced interest rate, mortality and investment risk by offering a limited-time voluntary lump-sum payment to eligible, terminated, vested plan participants, which was concluded in the second quarter. As of June 30, 2016, shareholders’ equity improved $0.9 million as the unrecognized actuarial loss, included in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income, was reduced by $12.6 million, partly offset by a non-cash settlement charge of $11.7 million. The pension plan trust paid $37.6 million in lump sum payments during the first five months of 2016.  This offer further reduces future pension expense recognized by the company and volatility related to the future obligation of the plan.

Conference Call

Essendant will hold a conference call followed by a question and answer session on Thursday, July 21, 2016, at 7:30 a.m. CDT, to discuss second quarter 2016 results. To participate, callers within the U.S. and Canada should dial (877) 358-2531 and international callers should dial (412) 902-6623 approximately 10 minutes before the presentation.  The conference ID is “10087894.”  To listen to the webcast, participants should visit the Investors section of the company’s website (investors.essendant.com), and click on the “Q2-16 Earnings Release” button on the right side of the page, several minutes before the event is broadcast.   Interested parties can access an archived version of the call, this news release, a financial slide presentation and other information related to the call, also located on the quarterly results section of Essendant’s investor website, about two hours after the call ends.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements, including references to goals, plans, strategies, objectives, projected costs or savings, anticipated future performance, results or events and other statements that are not strictly historical in nature.  These statements are based on management’s current expectations, forecasts and assumptions.  This means they involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied here.  These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to the following: Essendant's reliance on key customers, and the risks inherent in continuing or increased customer concentration and consolidations; end-user demand for products in the office, technology, and furniture product categories may continue to decline; the impact of Essendant's repositioning activities on Essendant's customers, suppliers, and operations; Essendant's reliance on independent resellers for a significant

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percentage of its net sales and, therefore, the importance of the continued independence, viability and success of these resellers; prevailing economic conditions and changes affecting the business products industry and the general economy; Essendant's ability to maintain its existing information technology systems and to successfully procure, develop and implement new systems and services without business disruption or other unanticipated difficulties or costs; the impact of price transparency, customer consolidation, and changes in product sales mix on Essendant's margins; the impact on the company’s reputation and relationships of a breach of the company’s information technology systems; the risks and expense associated with Essendant's obligations to maintain the security of private information provided by Essendant's customers; Essendant's reliance on supplier allowances and promotional incentives; the creditworthiness of Essendant's customers; continuing or increasing competitive activity and pricing pressures within existing or expanded product manufacturers who sell directly to Essendant's customers; the impact of supply chain disruptions or changes in key suppliers’ distribution strategies; Essendant's ability to manage inventory in order to maximize sales and supplier allowances while minimizing excess and obsolete inventory; Essendant's success in effectively identifying, consummating and integrating acquisitions; the costs and risks related to compliance with laws, regulations and industry standards affecting Essendant's business; the availability of financing sources to meet Essendant's business needs; Essendant's reliance on key management personnel, both in day-to-day operations and in execution of new business initiatives; and the effects of hurricanes, acts of terrorism and other natural or man-made disruptions.  

Shareholders, potential investors and other readers are urged to consider these risks and uncertainties in evaluating forward-looking statements and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. For additional information about risks and uncertainties that could materially affect Essendant's results, please see the company’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings.  The forward-looking information in this news release is made as of this date only, and the company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement.  Investors are advised to consult any further disclosure by Essendant regarding the matters discussed in this news release in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and in other written statements it makes from time to time.  It is not possible to anticipate or foresee all risks and uncertainties, and investors should not consider any list of risks and uncertainties to be exhaustive or complete.

Company Overview

Essendant Inc. is a leading supplier of workplace essentials, with 2015 net sales of $5.4 billion. The company stocks a broad assortment of over 180,000 items, including technology products, traditional office products, janitorial and breakroom supplies, office furniture, industrial supplies, and automotive aftermarket tools. The Company’s network of 71 distribution centers enables the Company to ship most products overnight to more than ninety percent of the U.S. For more information, visit www.essendant.com.    

Essendant common stock trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol ESND.

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Essendant Inc. and Subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income

(in thousands, except per share data)

(unaudited)

* During the third quarter of 2015, the Company elected a change in accounting principle for the valuation method of certain inventories to the last-in, first-out (“LIFO”) method from the first-in, first out method (“FIFO”). This change required retrospective application. As such, the financial statements presented for prior periods are titled “Revised”.

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Essendant Inc. and Subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(dollars in thousands, except share data)

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Essendant Inc. and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(in thousands)

(unaudited)

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Essendant Inc. and Subsidiaries

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Adjusted Operating Expenses, Adjusted Operating Income, Adjusted EBITDA,

Adjusted Net Income, and Adjusted Diluted Net Income Per Share

(unaudited)

(in thousands, except per share data)

Note: Adjusted Operating Expenses, Adjusted Operating Income, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Earnings Per Share in the second quarter of 2016 exclude the effects of a defined benefit plan settlement charge. The 2015 quarter excludes the effects of a workforce reduction and facility consolidation charge, intangible asset impairment charge and accelerated amortization related to rebranding, and an impairment charge related to listing a non-strategic business for sale. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles require that the effects of these items be included in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.  Management believes that excluding these items is an appropriate comparison of its ongoing operating results and to the results of the prior year. It is helpful to provide readers of its financial statements with a reconciliation of these items to its Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income reported in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.

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Essendant Inc. and Subsidiaries

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Adjusted Operating Expenses, Adjusted Operating Income, Adjusted EBITDA,

Adjusted Net Income, and Adjusted Diluted Net Income Per Share

(unaudited)

(in thousands, except per share data)

Note: Adjusted Operating Expenses, Adjusted Operating Income, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Earnings Per Share in the first six months of 2016 exclude the effects of a defined benefit plan settlement charge and a workforce reduction and facility consolidation charge. The 2015 quarter excludes the effects of a workforce reduction and facility consolidation charge, intangible asset impairment charge and accelerated amortization related to rebranding, and an impairment charge related to listing a non-strategic business for sale. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles require that the effects of these items be included in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.  Management believes that excluding these items is an appropriate comparison of its ongoing operating results and to the results of the prior year. It is helpful to provide readers of its financial statements with a reconciliation of these items to its Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income reported in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.

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