Western Paper Team Rallies to Benefit Children Battling Cancer

Western Paper Team Member Michele Andersen-Heroux’s life has been touched by childhood cancer. She shared with us her passion to raise at least $2,500 by March 24 for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, as well as her commitment to shave her head if the goal was met! We jumped at the chance to support her through two in-office fundraising opportunities, and corporately offered to match all employee donations toward her cause.

Thanks to our team member’s generosity, Michele exceeded her goal, raising $2,913 for the foundation! And true to her word, Michele shaved her head! She is grateful for the kindness and support demonstrated by her peers to help young people in their health battles with cancer. And we’re grateful to have such a dedicated and compassionate team member on staff!

The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a volunteer and donor powered charity committed to supporting the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives.

Michele's Before and After Photos

Western Paper Employees Support The Marfan Foundation

Marfan Syndrome is a genetic disorder that affects the body’s connective tissue, which holds all the body’s cells, organs and tissue together. It also plays an important role in helping the body grow and develop properly. About 1 in 5,000 people have Marfan Syndrome–including Kylie and Tiffany Gaboriault, the daughter and wife of Western Paper Sales Representative Scott Gaboriault.

Founded in 1981, The Marfan Foundation has made some great strides in inspiring research, raising awareness and supporting the patients and families affected by Marfan Syndrome. Walk for Victory is a nationwide walk program that focuses on fundraising and fun with the 2017–2018 goal of raising $800,000 for the Foundation.

Scott, Tiffany and Kylie participated in Phoenix’s walk on March 11. Their goal was to raise $1,000. Through office fundraising efforts alone, Western Paper team members contributed nearly $600 towards their goal. You can help support The Marfan Foundation by visiting https://give.marfan.org/kylie  and making a donation today!

Western Paper Sponsors Colorado Avalanche Charity Event

Members of Western Paper's leadership team were honored to be a part of 2018's Colorado Avs Better Halves Charity Brunch. The annual event is an incredible day that supports and benefits local children who are fighting life threatening illnesses or dealing with impairments from disabilities. The day begins with the kids meeting and spending time with their professional hockey playing chaperones. Then the players don their aprons to serve lunch to the enthusiastic group of attending philanthropists.

Trading aprons for their Sunday best, the players next join the kids who are all dressed up to walk the catwalk in an upbeat fashion show. Despite the players active involvement, the kids are truly the superstars of the day, and Western Paper is proud to be a sponsor of such a touching and inspiring community event.

Western Paper Receives Top Award From Network

Western Paper’s commitment to excellence in sales and service has once again been recognized by Network, who has chosen Western Paper as the recipient of their 2017 Member Sales Performance Award.  This marks the second award that Western Paper has received for 2017. Earlier this year, Network announced Western Paper as the recipient of their Operations Excellence Award, so we are very pleased to have our great team’s dedication and hard work noted twice in one year! We look forward to even more great things in 2018.

Network Services Company (NETWORK®) Celebrates 50 Years of Distribution by Design

Half a century ago, a handful of distribution companies in the Northeastern U.S. knit together a collaborative partnership that would enbale them to provide service to large regional customers. Right then, the core concept of Network was born. Five decades later the organization now celebrates its tremendous growth in geographic coverage and market share, providing global distribution and product expertise for janitorial supplies, foodservice packaging and disposables, industrial packaging, and commercial printing papers through best-in-class local representation.

Western Paper is a proud member of Network Services Company, and we extend our heartfelt congratulations to the entire Network team in recognition of their remarkable 50th year anniversary.  We recognize that Network is well-positioned to navigate our ever-evolving industry challenges and look forward to working together to achieve another 50 years of progress and growth.

Western Team Members Embrace the Holidays With a Christmas Decorating Contest and Parties

Work is no place for humbugs or The Grinch to get comfortable! This December, Western Paper team members in the Denver office jumped feet first into a friendly holiday decorating competition, and the results transformed the office into a winter wonderland!With a department-wide dinner out on the line, each of the internal teams enthusiastically decked the halls, walls and cubicles with a vast array of holiday décor and cheer. Judging was difficult due to all of the creativity on display, but in the end, first place prize was awarded to the Inside Sales/Sale Support team, with Finance/IT and Supplier Management claiming first and second runner up spots.

In addition to the festivities in Denver, Western Paper employees in Arizona, New Mexico and Grand Junction all celebrated the season with a dinner and office party that brought the teams together for a couple relaxing hours of holiday cheer and team-building fun. As a family owned business, we cherish the opportunities to get together and celebrate the blessings of the year.

Western Paper and PV Roadrunner SupplyTeam Up to Enhance Customer Service

Western Paper Distributors has teamed up with PV Roadrunner Supply in Phoenix, Arizona, to establish an agreement that—effective immediately—Western Paper will begin servicing accounts previously held by PV Roadrunner. This is exciting news as it expands Western Paper’s reach in the Arizona market and is aligned with their corporate vision of being recognized as the leading supplier of cleaning supplies and equipment, foodservice packaging products and related services.

PV Roadrunner Supply has been a reliable supplier of janitorial, foodservice packaging and equipment for many years. With their new shift in focus to their cash and carry business, PV Roadrunner has called on Western Paper to step in and do what it does best—provide innovative strategies and product solutions designed to help make customers’ businesses better.  We look forward to making a personal and positive impact on our new customers in the Phoenix area!

Western Paper Wins Top Honors

As the leading global organization of independent distributors for cleaning supplies and equipment, food service disposables, and industrial packaging products, Network Services knows a thing or two about excellence in the industry. And that's why Western Paper is so very honored to have been named recipient of their 2016 Operations Excellence Award!

At a stockholders meeting, Network Services' CFO Mike Johnson presented Western Paper with this distinguished award that recognizes the company for superior performance in numerous categories of business execution, including new customer implementation, responsiveness, accuracy, error prevention, collaboration, service and continuous improvement. This is another positive affirmation that Western Paper is doing things right. To learn more about our award-winning history, visit www.western-paper.com/awards

Western Paper Helps Raise Record-Breaking $58,000 for Scholarship Fund

On Friday September 29, 2017, Western Paper served as the generous title sponsor of Metro Denver Lodging Council’s annual golf tournament benefiting the Colorado Hospitality Scholarship program. This year’s event, held at Lone Tree Golf Club, was a tremendous success, generating more than twice the funding of last year’s tournament! We’re excited to help students achieve higher education and pleased that one hundred percent of the proceeds generated will be used to provide scholarships to students enrolled in hospitality programs in Denver.

Western Paper CEO Nick Morris and Business Development Manager Steve Jung were among those swinging the sticks for the sake of scholarship support. In addition to Western Paper’s title sponsorship, there was generous support and participation provided by a number of our manufacturing partners, including Rubbermaid, TRC Marketing, Tennant Company and TTI Floor Care. With beverages provided by Tivoli Brewing Company, a good time for a great cause was had by all.

Western Paper Sales Professional Aaron Armstrong played a vital role in this event’s success, serving tirelessly on the planning committee and even foregoing play this year to greet players individually as they approached the first tee box. We’re proud of his involvement and the success of this event, and look forward to next year’s tournament continuing the tradition of helping students thrive. To learn more about the scholarship visit http://coloradolodging.com/education/

Western Paper Donates Over $20,000 of Supplies to Aid in Hurricane Harvey Cleanup

When Johnson United contacted Western Paper about partnering to provide help for the hurting in Houston following the devastation of Hurricane Harvey, we jumped at the chance. They’ve got a real mess down there, and we’ve got a huge warehouse of cleaning supplies! So we turned our picking crew loose on pulling items that will help most in the recovery efforts, including lots of trash bags, wipers and cleaning chemicals. In all we loaded more than $20,000 of supplies on Johnson’s truck bound for Houston. We’re grateful for the opportunity to get involved because when the community needs a hand, Western Paper is here to help! To learn more, check out the video below!

Western Paper Team Members Donate School Supplies to Denver Public Schools

Once again, Western Paper team members participated in the company’s annual Back to School Supply Drive for the Denver Public Schools Foundation. The voluntary program, led by sales support staff Michelle Jackway, generated a positive outcome with both cash donations and boxes of school supplies that will benefit students throughout the district. Thanks to all of our team members who generously helped make getting ready for school just a little bit easier for Denver Public School District students this year! 

Camaraderie Featured at Western Paper’s 2017 Company Picnic

The annual Western Paper picnic gathers team members and their families together for an afternoon of food and fun. This year, there was also bit of friendly competition, with the office staff taking on the warehouse crew in a rousing, rain-soaked game of kickball. Organized primarily by Western Paper team member Kyrie Scott, the “carpet vs concrete” billing lived up to expectations and was the highlight of this year’s picnic.

Youth made the biggest impact on the game, with August Malom (son of Western Paper team member Susan Malom) being designated team MVP after sacrificing the skin on his arm with a slippery slide into second base. Although the final score was close, the concrete crew (warehouse) prevailed with a 9-7 victory over the carpets (office staff). The game was full of dropped catches, stolen bases, awkward kicks…and loads of laughter. Based on the amount of fun had by all, chances are good a rematch is already in the making for next year.

Rubbermaid Truck Highlights Recycling Solutions Innovations at Western Paper

Rubbermaid’s rolling display of products made a special stop at Western Paper last week to showcase its latest technologies and production solutions. The company, who has built a solid reputation as an industry-leading manufacturer of garbage carts and waste receptacles, has expanded into auto flush and sink technologies, which fit nicely in their tradition of providing environmentally friendly sanitation solutions.

Western Paper team members, along with some curious customers, were able to enjoy a catered lunch and get a hand’s on look at a variety of customized decorative solutions, as well as their magnetic waste stations that allow custom configuration for flexible and efficient organization. 

Western Paper Recognized for Its Commitment to Customer Service

Once again, Western Paper has been recognized for its exceptional commitment to service by Network Services Company. This marks the 8th year in a row that Western Paper has received the prestigious "Outstanding Performance Award"! We're so very proud of our team for its hard work and well deserved recognition.

Network Services Company has also elected our CEO, Nick Morris, to serve on its Board of Directors, so we look forward to more exciting developments as the two companies partner to advance the growth of our industry and continue to identify exciting new opportunities to provide superior levels of service to our customers.

Western Paper Helps Raise Money for the Children's Diabetes Foundation

Western Paper served as a proud sponsor of the Colorado Hotel & Lodging Association’s 2017 Delightful Dishes and Dreamy Getaways event on June 13. Hosted this year by the Denver Mariott City Center, this special evening was full of great tastes and exceptional live auction packages—all designed to raise funding for the Children’s Diabetes Foundation. 

Western Paper’s Lodging Specialist Aaron Armstrong worked alongside the planning board of this unique event. “It’s always wonderful to see Colorado’s Lodging Industry work together to make a positive difference in our community,” he says. “The event was a tremendous success and I’m proud to report we raised some money for a really great cause!”

Many of Colorado’s premiere hotels and restaurants—including The Broadmoor, The Brown Palace and The Sheraton Denver Downtown—participated by providing tantalizing food tastings, delicious deserts and lively cocktails, as well as numerous “dreamy getaway” prizes for the live auction.

Plans are already underway for next year’s edition, with a new, yet to be named charity to benefit.

Western Paper Supports Scholarship Program to Benefit Commerce City Students

As an active participant and contributor to the local Denver community, Western Paper was pleased to donate $1,500 as a “Masters Level” sponsor of the 2017 Quality Community Foundation Annual Scholarship Golf Tournament. The event is just one of the foundation’s outreaches to help support post-secondary education and youth recreational program scholarships offered by and through the city of Commerce City.

The Quality Community Foundation Board President is Jim Kummerow, a dedicated Western Paper team member who leads our order entry department. According to Jim, “While most student scholarship applicants are excellent students (with excellent transcripts) and the drive to advance themselves and give back to the community, many come from relative poverty and wouldn't be able to follow their dreams without the generosity of the tournament's sponsors and players. I'm so thankful that Western Paper as a company is a proud, active participant!”

In addition Jim’s leadership and the corporate sponsorship of the event, Western Paper was strongly represented by four playing employees (shown left to right): Kyle Smith (equipment service technician), Ian Gallagher (inside sales representative), Joe McKowen (warehouse and logistics manager), and Brian Faherty (corporate warehouse and logistics manager). The unsuspecting ringer, Kyle Smith, won a closest to the hole contest and just missed winning a Volkswagen a mere two feet on the hole-in-one contest!

Plans are already underway for a 2018 golf tournament, and Western Paper anticipates ongoing participation and support in this inspiring endeavor to create opportunities for advancement and success to our neighbors in Commerce City.

Western Paper Employees Raise More Than $3,800 for Jr. Achievement

More than 70 Western Paper team members enthusiastically and generously participated in this year’s Jr. Achievement Bowl-a-Thon.

The staff raised $3,842, and this marks the second year in a row that Western Paper was actively involved. “We have a lot of good bowlers here, and a lot of people with a passion for helping young people.” said Kristen Schwartz, who coordinated the team’s involvement this year. “The goals were to raise money and have fun, and we did both!”

The Bowl-a-Thon is Junior Achievement’s largest fundraiser of the year and Western Paper is already signed up to participate again next year with the hopes of raising even higher scores and dollar amounts!

Western Paper Annual Sales Conference a Huge Success!

Western Paper’s sales consultants gathered at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort in Colorado Springs for four key days of insight, inspiration and education. This important annual event not only allows our team to discover the latest industry innovations and top product solutions from our preferred supplier partners, but it also gives the company a chance to recognize some of the outstanding performances by those in our industry.

The leadership team presented a comprehensive update on the company’s business plan and celebrated the team’s accomplishments in achieving yet another record-setting year in sales and growth. Network CEO Alan Tomblin also lauded the Western Paper team’s success and gave an insider’s view of where the industry is heading.

At the laughter-filled awards banquet, Western Paper CEO Nick Morris entertained everyone while giving well-deserved recognition to the following award recipients:

Supplier Sales Person of the Year—Dave Doane (with Access Partners)

Supplier of the Year
P&G Professional

2016 Rising Star of the Year
Adam Yeager

2016 Sales Consultant of the Year
Jeff Hartman

2016 Pinnacle Club Members

Western Paper Acquired CDC Janitorial Supply

On Friday, October 14, 2016, Denver's Western Paper Distributors completed the acquisition of CDC Janitorial Supply in Grand Junction, Colorado. The addition of CDC brought a significant increase in Western Paper's sales and purchasing volume and was aligned with its vision of being recognized as the leading supplier of cleaning supplies and equipment, foodservice packaging products and related services.

CDC Janitorial (formerly known as Central Distributing) was known as the leading supplier of cleaning supplies and equipment on the Western Slope. They were owned and operated by the Cadez family for nearly 70 years. CDC covers a wide geographic footprint out of their Grand Junction facility with customers and sales people throughout the Western Slope, including the towns of Vail, Eagle, Glenwood Springs, Aspen, Grand Junction, Rifle, Delta, Montrose, Gunnison, Crested Butte, Alamosa, Durango, Cortez, and Telluride.