PBN Manufacturing Awards 2024
MANUFACTURING SUPPLIER: Atlantic Paper & Supply
ATLANTIC PAPER & SUPPLY still operates with a simple mindset, according to company owner and Vice President David Spencer: “If the customer needed something, we found a way to meet it.”
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That philosophy remains true and a significant reason for Atlantic Paper’s longevity. Atlantic Paper, the Pawtucket-based, third-generation family-owned business, has provided manufacturing companies with industrial packaging, shipping, janitorial, maintenance, food service and safety supplies since opening for business in 1948.
“We have been the go-to resource for hundreds of business customers. When we bring a customer on, we think of them as a customer for life,” Spencer said.
Customer service is a priority. Spencer says Atlantic Paper’s customers can buy what it has from unlimited sources, competing with conglomerates such as Amazon.com Inc. and Uline. About 90% of Atlantic Paper’s customer base is manufacturers, Spencer says.
So how does Atlantic Paper, which has less than 15 employees, distinguish itself from the pack?
“Being small and private is an advantage because we are more personable, we develop relationships and dig deep into our customers’ needs,” Atlantic Paper Operations Manager JC Lebarron said.
There are also business practices that win customer loyalty. Spencer says if Atlantic Paper’s prices decrease, the company then automatically lowers prices for its customers. The company also produces customer savings reports that track customers’ savings over time.
“We can show the hundreds of thousands of dollars we saved them. This helps build trust,” Spencer said.
Having its own fleet of delivery trucks, Lebarron says Atlantic Paper strives to deliver orders the next day and can handle multiple emergencies when customers run out of supplies.
Customers can earn points with Atlantic Rewards. Points can be redeemed for free gifts and credits on Atlantic Paper products. The vendor-managed inventory program offers customers solutions to problems such as having an increase in demand for products but not having enough in stock, and having insufficient warehouse space to store extra inventory.
Atlantic Paper also goes the extra mile for customers by stocking items that are specific to it, such as customized shipping boxes and printed items that are kept at the company so the customer doesn’t have to worry about storage and can get them quickly with the Just-in-Time delivery program.
While Atlantic Paper prides itself on being nimble, the COVID-19 pandemic posed challenges.
“We had to pay higher prices for products, but I’m proud that we didn’t take advantage of this and charge customers more, which they appreciated,” Spencer said. “We stuck to our normal margins and fair practices.”
But during the health crisis, the company got creative. With the shortage in cleaning supplies, Atlantic Paper sourced plain wipes and sourced cleaning chemicals and created its own brand of wipes.
“We sold thousands of these; they were successful, as the big-name wipes were widely not available due to demand,” Lebarron said.
Today, the company continues to look for ways to improve the business, especially to take advantage of technology so Atlantic Paper can work quicker and more efficiently, Lebarron says. Spencer and Lebarron say they wish that the company had a full-time web developer to enhance the company’s website so there is a better customer interface.
With Atlantic Paper being in business for more than 75 years, Spencer says he still relies on company principles that have been handed down, refined and improved over the years.
“Not everything you do, or every service for a customer doesn’t have to generate a profit, as long as overall the returns are what you need them to be. It’s OK to make sacrifices. You have to think big picture,” Spencer said.
As much as traditions matter, Spencer says changes occur daily and Atlantic Paper has to adapt to continue moving forward.
“We are willing to change, listen to customers, suppliers and employees. It seems to be working,” Spencer said.
