Master distributor of business, industrial and jan-san products United Stationers Inc. (NASDAQ: USTR), Deerfield, IL, reported sales for the third quarter were $1.3 billion, up 3.1 percent over the same period a year ago. Profit declined 2 percent to $35.8 million.

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\”Our growth and customer initiatives continue to drive positive results, particularly in our janitorial/breakroom and industrial categories, in an economy that still does not have many bright spots,\” said Cody Phipps, president and CEO.

Strong growth continued in the industrial supplies and janitorial/breakroom categories, which were up 23.7 percent and 10.6 percent, respectively, from last year. Office products, technology and furniture category sales were down 0.6 percent, 0.6 percent and 9.8 percent, respectively, versus the prior year.

Sales in the first nine months of 2011 were $3.8 billion, up 4.3 percent, led by double-digit increases in industrial supplies and in the janitorial/breakroom category and low single digit growth in the office products category. These increases were partially offset by lower furniture sales and a slight decrease in technology sales.

Year-to-date profit fell slightly to $81 million.