WCP Solutions Celebrates 90 Years in Business

Providing Paper, Packaging, Facility Supplies, and Equipment to Customers on the West Coast

Seattle, Washington, March 1, 2020 – WCP Solutions celebrates its 90th Anniversary as a company in March 2020; the company has been in business serving customers in the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, and Northern California since 1930. WCP is a privately-held third-generation wholesale distributor that provides products and service solutions by selling paper, packaging, janitorial supplies and equipment. With facilities in Washington, Oregon, Northern California, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska, WCP Solutions has released a commemorative video “ Proud of our Past, Passionate About our Future ” to celebrate 90 years in business.

Formerly known as West Coast Paper Company, WCP Solutions was founded by RA (Dick) Abrams on March 1, 1930, and sold basic packaging supplies such as brown wrapping paper, tying twine and bags to the merchants in Seattle’s Pike Place and other public markets. He delivered orders out of the back of a Model A Ford to his customers in the Seattle area. Ninety years later, the company is now owned by a third generation of the Abrams family and operates 14 locations throughout the Pacific Northwest as well as in Northern California and Alaska. Today, ninety years after its inception, WCP Solutions is led by Teresa Russell, owner and board chairperson and RA Abrams’ granddaughter, and has been family-owned since 1930. Teresa reflects on the company her grandfather started, “My grandfather, I hope, would be very proud of the company. I think he’d be thrilled we’re taking care of as many families as we are with the people we employ.”

Teresa’s father, Dick Abrams, the second-generation owner of WCP says “My parents started the company roughly 7 years before I was born, so I knew the business from a very young age. For a company to survive in the second generation is somewhat rare, to survive into a third generation is definitely rare. What makes WCP stand out in our line of business, is the way we treat our people and our customers.”

WCP Solutions has released a commemorative video to mark its 90th Anniversary. The video interviews leaders of the company and reflects on both the past 90 years as well as looking to what’s ahead for WCP Solutions.

“Ninety years is certainly a long time for any company to be in business, but for a company to turn ninety, that’s still privately held under the same family ownership means that what we’re doing is working,” says Tom Groves, CEO of WCP Solutions.

WCP Solutions is proud to turn ninety by celebrating its relationships with employees, vendors, and suppliers. With customers at the forefront of their business model, Ed Allen, WCP Solutions President says, “When a WCP employee interacts with a customer, it’s more than just selling a product. We’re providing a solution and developing a long-lasting relationship.”

As the company celebrates ninety years in business, Dick Abrams, second-generation owner of WCP recalls, “We’ll continue to do business tomorrow, the way we did it yesterday and the way we’re proud to do it today. The company was started as a way to make a living to support a family; now it supports many families.”

About WCP Solutions A modern WCP warehouse facility - Portland, OR WCP Solutions is a wholesale provider of paper, envelopes, packaging supplies, janitorial cleaning and facility supplies, foodservice disposables, and equipment solutions. WCP Solutions is dedicated to providing exceptional customer service and product solutions for customers locally in Washington, Oregon, Northern California, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska. Family-owned since 1930.

For more information, visit https://www.wcpsolutions.com

Media Contact

Nicholas Nieto WCP Solutions (877) 398-3030

pr.media@wcpsolutions.com

Brad Perry to Receive 2018 Peyton Shaner Award

Brad Perry, Director of Sales, Merchant & Converting for Boise Paper has been selected as the recipient of the 2018 Peyton Shaner Award. The presentation will be made at the 2018 AIPPM Fall Conference to be held in September 26-29 at the Grand Marriott Resort in Point Clear, AL. The Peyton Shaner Award was established to commemorate the founder of the Association of Independent Printing Paper Merchants.  Past recipients include Doug Adams and Bill Stemmerman of Appvion, Bill Frohlich of the NPTA Alliance, Jeff Kirchmer of National Envelope, Morris Dennis of Dennis Paper Co., Charlie Peth of Wausau Paper, Alain Villemure of LECTA, Bill Koehn of Domtar, and Tom and Ted O’Connor of Mohawk Paper Mills.

A graduate of Linfield College, Brad Perry has spent his entire 28 years in the paper industry with Boise. He began as a sales representative in the merchant channel in 1990.  He was promoted to Midwest Regional Sales Manager and Product Manager. In 1998 he was named facility manager of the Vancouver Specialty converting plant and then became General Manager for the Salem Corrugated plant in 2000.  He returned to Sales and Marketing in 2002 initially as General Sales Manager and later to his current position of Director of Sales, Merchant and Converting.  Brad served on the Board of Directors of the NPTA Alliance from 2013 to 2015.

Throughout his career, Brad has earned the respect of his customers and his peers at Boise Paper. Dan Steinke of WCP Solutions said, “Brad is a positive person, always greets you with a smile, a fantastic listener who truly acts as the advocate of the customer.” Paul LeBlanc of Boise said, “Brad has the most incredible customer focus, but doesn’t lose sight of company deliverables.”  Barbara Clemens of Boise said, “He delivers on his commitments in a collaborative and inclusive manner.  He embraces change and is Boise Paper’s “go to” guy when unexpected challenges arise that need to be resolved.”

Please join the AIPPM in congratulating Brad Perry for earning this worthy recognition that honors its founder.

NPTA Presents Marjorie Pond with 2017 Stanley O. Styles Industry Excellence Award

NPTA, the association for the paper distribution channel, is pleased to present the 2017 Stanley O. Styles Industry Excellence Award to Marjorie Pond. With more than 25 years in the industry, Pond’s tremendous amount of institutional knowledge, creative approach and leadership make her deserving of NPTA’s highest honor.

Pond began her sales career in 1978 while putting herself through graduate school in New York City. She joined the Neenah Paper business sector of Kimberly-Clark in 1991. Based in Manhattan she began in sales covering distribution accounts, Fortune 500 companies, design firms and ad agencies in the NY Metro market area. She received the Sales Person of the Year award in 1993 and 1994.

In 1996, Pond was promoted to National Merchant Accounts Manager and became Director of Sales in 1999. Pond continued with Neenah following their spin-off from K-C in 2004 and was named Vice President of Sales in 2007 following the acquisition of the Fox River Paper Company. Since 2013 she has been VP, Sales – Commercial Print.

Pond has achieved many things during her career in the paper industry, here is just a sampling of the support that she received during the nomination process.

“Marjorie leads by example with the highest integrity, professionalism, transparency, candor and respect.” – Julie Schertell, President, Neenah Paper.

“Marjorie has demonstrated a unique ability to bring people together; be they customers or competitors, and she always manages to execute it with proper consideration for the complexities of the business.” – William C. Meany, President, Lindenmeyr Munroe.

“I have had the good fortune to do business with Marjorie for over 20 years. At that time and in the 15 years prior to our association I have never meet a better communicator. Few if any have accomplished so much with such grace and style.” – David Brown, Senior Vice President, Olmsted-Kirk.

Pond will accept the Stanley O. Styles Industry Excellence Award at Paper2017 in Chicago on March 28 at the Tuesday Luncheon. Donations to honor the Pond can be made to the Paper and Plastics Education Research (PAPER) Foundation 2017 Scholarship Program.