Paper Products Distributors
Industry Profile Report
Dive Deep into the industry with a 25+ page industry report (pdf format) including the following chapters
Industry Overview Current Conditions, Industry Structure, How Firms Operate, Industry Trends, Credit Underwriting & Risks, and Industry Forecast.
Call Preparation Call Prep Questions, Industry Terms, and Weblinks.
Financial Insights Working Capital, Capital Financing, Business Valuation, and Financial Benchmarks.
Industry Profile Excerpts
Industry Overview
The 6,200 paper and paper product distributors in the US act as middlemen between paper products manufacturers and large customers, such as publishers, printers, government offices, corporate offices, manufacturers, resellers, and retailers. Companies may specialize in bulk printing and writing paper; stationery and office supplies; or industrial and personal service paper. Some large companies have retail operations.
Competition From Alternative Sources
Paper products distributors compete with a variety of alternative sources, including office supply superstores, office supply distributors, traditional retailers (mass merchandisers, warehouse clubs), manufacturers, and Internet retailers.
Push For Less Paper
Technology and the increasing concern over recycling and the environment have led to considerable efforts to reduce paper consumption.
Industry size & Structure
The average paper products distributor operates out of a single location, employs 18-19 workers, and generates $13.2 million annually.
- The paper products distribution industry consists of about 6,200 companies that employ about 116,000 workers and generate about $82 billion annually.
- The industry is concentrated at the top and fragmented at the bottom; the top 50 firms account for about 70% of industry sales.
- Some companies are vertically-integrated; converters may act as distributors and large distributors may have retail operations.
- Large companies with paper distribution operations include Office Depot and Essendant (formerly United Stationers).
Industry Forecast
Paper Products Distributors Industry Growth
Recent Developments
Oct 8, 2024 - Printing Paper, Packaging Paper Shipments Rise
- Total US printing-writing (P-W) paper shipments increased by 4% in August compared to the same month in 2023, according to the American Forest & Paper Association (AFPA). However, shipments of the three major grades of P-W paper were mixed. Coated free sheet shipments rose 16%, uncoated free sheet was down 1%, and mechanical shipments increased 17%. Total US P-W paper shipments in August were down 4% compared to July. US packaging papers and specialty packaging shipments rose 12% in August compared to the same time a year earlier, according to the AFPA. Year-to-date shipments of packaging papers and specialty packaging were up 12% in the first eight months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.
- North American demand for recovered paper is expected to grow as materials recovery facilities (MRF) leverage technology to produce higher volumes of cleaner fiber, according to a recent Fastmarkets webinar. MRFs are investing in optical sorters and AI-enabled equipment that yield cleaner fiber streams, which command higher prices. Improvements at MRFs come as newer paper mill machines have come online in the past year that can process higher volumes of recovered fiber, both mixed paper and old cardboard containers (OCC). Large paper firms – including Smurfit Westrock and Graphic Paper International - are increasingly prioritizing recovered fiber facilities as older plants are closed and remaining operations are consolidated and optimized.
- As of mid-2024, the volume of corrugated container manufacturing mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity has been strong, according to Printing Impressions. The pace of dealmaking in the corrugated box industry is the strongest in five years. Between August 2023 and July 2024, there were about a dozen corrugated M&A deals. The latest came in July when Ireland-based Smurfit Kappa acquired US packaging firm Westrock to form Smurfit Westrock. The new company will be headquartered in Ireland and have estimated revenue of $34 billion. In April 2024, US-based International Paper (IP) agreed to acquire the UK’s DS Smith in a deal valued at $9.9 billion. The transaction is expected to close before the end of 2024. Industry observers suggest interest in further corrugated M&A activity is robust.
- The paper product distribution industry is expected to experience weaker sales growth for the next several years. The industry’s year-over-year sales growth declined to 1% in 2023, according to Inforum and the Interindustry Economic Research Fund, Inc. Sales growth is projected to moderate further to 0.8% in 2024 before rising to about 1.1% in 2025, then see steady average annual growth of about 1.1% through 2028, according to Inforum and the Interindustry Economic Research Fund, Inc.
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