Running a supply business might seem like it is all about logistics.

But for Jordan Sedler, it’s always been about relationships. Founded by his father in 1961, Paper Enterprises began as a small local paper supplier. Today, it stands as one of the East Coast’s most trusted distribution companies, delivering everything from janitorial products and food packaging to safety gear, apparel, and paper goods. With customers stretching from Boston to Washington, D.C., Paper Enterprises operates out of two buildings in the South Bronx, staying grounded in its local roots while serving a growing region.

The company’s story begins with Jordan’s father, who returned from the army in the 1950s and started selling door-to-door. “He was a good salesman, but he knew relationships were the long game,” Jordan recalls. After gaining experience at a paper company in Manhattan, he founded Paper Enterprises in 1961. At that time, the industry revolved around kraft paper and butcher rolls. Takeout containers didn’t exist, and supermarkets were just starting to emerge. Paper Enterprises found its niche serving small grocers, butcher shops, and food vendors, growing alongside the evolving needs of a rapidly changing marketplace. Today, that same spirit of adaptability and partnership remains central to how the company operates.

One of the big turning points came during the 1964 World’s Fair in Queens.

The company’s early growth came from being in the right place and showing up in the right way. Paper Enterprises happened to be the closest paper supplier to the fairgrounds, and every food cart needed supplies. Jordan’s father made daily runs to deliver whatever those vendors needed, often on short notice. Many of those small vendors would later go on to launch the contract foodservice companies that now dominate the industry. Paper Enterprises grew by growing with them, following customers as they expanded into large-scale foodservice, restaurant groups, and other established businesses. “Once again, my dad didn’t just sell product,” Jordan says. “He focused on building relationships.”

Over the next few decades, Paper Enterprises expanded both its product lines and its relationships with larger customers. In the 1990s, it acquired Consolidated Paper and expanded into redistribution, supplying fellow wholesalers who, in turn, served smaller operators.

Today, Paper Enterprises supports a wide range of industries, including hospitals, schools, hotels, franchise groups, real estate management firms, other distributors, and retailers. The company also maintains a dedicated retail division. With more than 4,000 SKUs in circulation, the company is built to meet customers where they are. “A large healthcare system might need centralized pricing and control across multiple locations,” says Jordan. “A regional foodservice chain may be placing weekly restock orders. An independent bakery might just need a few key items and a reliable local distributor who shows up on time. In some cases, we’re the right fit. In others, we’ll connect them with someone who is. The goal is simple: to make sure they get what they need, in the easiest way possible.”

Paper Enterprises is also one of the founding members of Network Services Company, a national organization that brings together independent distributors to serve multi-location clients with shared standards, fulfillment, and accountability. The company continues to play a key role in Network Services, contributing local knowledge, trusted relationships, and reliable fulfillment throughout the region.

Looking ahead, Jordan is focused on helping customers unlock more value from what Paper Enterprises already offers.

“The hardest thing we deal with is just showing people the depth of our catalog,” he says. “Most customers only see a small slice. Maybe 60 or 70 items. But there could be dozens more that are better suited for their industry or how they work. We’re building better ways to bring those products to the surface.”

That mindset, making supply easier and more useful, is what Jordan sees as the company’s future. While many competitors are evolving into national chains or large online marketplaces, Paper Enterprises is choosing a different path.

A major part of that strategy is ongoing investment in technology. The company continues to expand its digital tools, including enhanced resources for online ordering, real-time account data, and easier product discovery. But that doesn’t mean stepping away from the relationships that have always defined the business. “We’re adding tools to make life easier,” Jordan says, “but we’re not giving up the human part. There’s always going to be someone here who knows your business and can help.”

“As companies scale, they often lose that personal connection. They don’t mean to, but it happens,” he says. “We want to be the company where your rep knows you and your business, where your delivery shows up on time, and where you can get fast answers by picking up the phone. That’s our job: to make sure there is always someone on the other end who understands what you need.”

Now in business for over 60 years, Paper Enterprises continues to grow with the same balance of scale and personal service that got them this far. “If we can make our customers’ lives easier,” Jordan says, “they’ll stay with us. That’s how we continue to grow. By helping them succeed.”