Spicers Paper, Member of Central National-Gottesman Inc.

What Spicers Paper, Member of Central National-Gottesman Inc. does

Spicers Paper, operating under the DBA "Kelly Spicers," is a privately held, fifth-generation family-owned distributor of paper, packaging, wide format, digital media, facilities solutions, and graphics supplies products. Founded in 1939 and headquartered in Santa Fe Springs, California, the company serves commercial printers, packaging manufacturers, and facilities management businesses exclusively across the Western United States through 25 retail store locations and 11 regional distribution centers. It operates as a member of Central National-Gottesman Inc., a diversified distribution conglomerate, providing access to purchasing scale and supplier relationships with all major paper and packaging brands.

Kelly Spicers' product portfolio spans six core categories — Paper (coated, uncoated, board, writing, text & cover, envelopes, specialty sheets), Packaging, Wide Format, Digital Media (substrates for toner, liquid, and inkjet printers), Facilities Solutions (janitorial, food service, cleaning equipment), and Graphics Supplies (prepress, pressroom, bindery/finishing) — complemented by two service offerings: Custom Converting and Packaging Services. The underlying technology stack is centered on distribution infrastructure with inventory management across the full product range, plus a proprietary order tracking platform called TruTrak that provides customers real-time visibility into order status and delivery. Ancillary digital resources include The Paper Calculator, templates, and SDS document libraries.

The company generates revenue primarily through the resale and distribution of products from major brands, with value-added services (custom converting, packaging services) layered on top of the core product flow. Its go-to-market combines enterprise field sales through physical retail locations and regional distribution centers with self-serve e-commerce via five dedicated online shopping portals (merchant, stores, packaging, facilities solutions, and public retail). Customers access business accounts through credit applications and account enrollment, with no public pricing disclosed. The business model is fundamentally transactional distribution at scale within a defined regional territory, with growth executed through acquisitions (California Supply in 2021, JC Paper in 2017) and infrastructure build-out rather than new market entry.

Name

Spicers Paper, Member of Central National-Gottesman Inc.

Legal name

Kelly Spicers

Website

https://spicers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1939

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Kelly Spicers (Spicers Paper) is a privately held, fifth-generation family-owned distributor of paper, packaging, wide format, digital media, facilities solutions, and graphics supplies, serving commercial printers, packaging manufacturers, and facilities buyers across the Western United States via 25 retail stores and 11 distribution centers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Paper and Packaging Distribution

SIC

Wholesale-Paper & Paper Products (5110)

akta.pro primary industry

Paper & Printing Grades Distribution (Printing/Writing, Newsprint, Specialty) (IMAMAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Paper, Tissue, Wipers & Dispensers Distribution (CRAOAGAC)

Keywords

• Paper distribution
• Packaging distribution
• Wide format supplies
• Facilities solutions
• Commercial printing supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Fe Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Product Distribution and Resale: Kelly Spicers distributes paper, packaging, wide format, digital media, facilities solutions, and graphics supplies products to businesses across the Western United States. Revenue is generated through the resale of products from major brands along with value-added services including custom converting and packaging services.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Kelly Spicers (operating under Spicers Paper, a member of Central National-Gottesman Inc.) is a Western United States distributor of paper, packaging, wide format, digital media, facilities solutions, and graphics supplies products. The company resells products from major brands and adds value through custom converting and packaging services. Distribution is executed through 25 retail store locations and 11 regional distribution centers complemented by online shopping portals.

Product overview

Kelly Spicers is a paper, packaging, wide format, digital media, and facilities solutions distributor serving the Western United States. The company offers a unified product portfolio spanning six core product categories (Paper, Packaging, Wide Format, Digital Media, Facilities Solutions, Graphics Supplies) complemented by two service offerings (Custom Converting and Packaging Services). The company also provides ancillary resources such as The Paper Calculator tool. Products are available through multiple shopping channels including an online merchant portal, individual store locations, and specialized portals for packaging and facilities solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Paper Distribution of paper products including coated, uncoated, board, writing, text & cover, envelopes, and specialty sheets from major brands, for commercial printers, graphics businesses, and other paper-using organizations.
• Packaging Distribution of a broad range of custom and stock packaging products and solutions driven by industry expertise, for businesses requiring packaging materials.
• Wide Format Distribution of wide format products for printing, protecting, or finishing jobs, fitting applications including printing, protecting, or finishing the job for eye-popping results.
• Digital Media Distribution of digital paper, films, vinyl and synthetic specialty substrates, each engineered specifically for digital printers that use toner, liquid or inkjet.
• Facilities Solutions Distribution of janitorial, food service and paper products, and a range of powerful equipment, including cleaners for carpets, hardwood floors, windows, and other surfaces.
• Graphics Supplies Distribution of print and finishing equipment, prepress, pressroom and bindery/finishing products that round out printing needs.
• Custom Converting Custom converting services for packaging and other product customization needs, providing value-added capabilities beyond simple product resale.
• Packaging Services Packaging services providing a broad range of custom and stock packaging products and solutions, driven by industry expertise.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Sappi North America: Sappi is a global manufacturer of coated and specialty printing papers; comparable as a key upstream paper producer whose product portfolio Spicers distributes to commercial printers in the Western US.
• Uline: Uline is a large North American distributor of shipping, packaging, industrial, and janitorial supplies with a strong regional warehouse network — comparable as a broad incumbent in packaging and facility solutions distribution.
• Antalis (Sequana): Antalis is a European-headquartered global distributor of paper, packaging, and visual communication substrates; comparable as a large-scale incumbent in paper distribution with overlapping product categories and customer use cases.
• Domtar (Paper Excellence): Domtar is a North American pulp and paper manufacturer; comparable as a major upstream supplier of printing and specialty papers that influences Spicers' distribution economics and product availability.

Direct peers

• Imperial Dade: Imperial Dade is a major US distributor of foodservice packaging, janitorial, and facility maintenance products; directly comparable to Spicers' Facilities Solutions and Packaging segments in customer base and distribution model.
• Lindenmeyr Munroe: Lindenmeyr Munroe is one of the largest US paper distributors, offering printing papers, packaging, and supplies to commercial printers and corporate clients in a model closely aligned with Spicers' distribution and value-added service approach.
• Veritiv Corporation: Veritiv is a North American distributor of printing paper, packaging, and facility solutions — directly comparable to Spicers across all six core product categories and serving similar commercial printer and packaging customer segments.
• Midland Paper Packaging + Supplies: Midland is a US-based distributor of printing, packaging, and facility supply products serving commercial printers and corporate accounts — a direct competitor with overlapping product breadth and customer base.

Emerging players

• Brady Corporation: Brady manufactures and distributes identification, safety, and facility maintenance products; comparable as an emerging player in the facility solutions / industrial supplies category where Spicers is expanding its footprint.

Others

• Central National-Gottesman Inc. Central National-Gottesman is Spicers' parent conglomerate and a global pulp and paper distribution group; comparable as the corporate parent that provides purchasing scale, supplier relationships, and capital allocation framework.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Spicers Paper, Member of Central National-Gottesman Inc.