Paper Shortage?

[LabelMaster]

I'm hearing different stories from different vendors of paper shortages. When I ask why I get different answers as to why. I've heard ports are over charging for shipments from overseas. I hear truckers are in short supply. I hear the factories don't have enough workers to keep up. I even heard it was the work of the CIA trying to rule the world. Anyone else hear about this?

 

[PricelineNegotiator]

I heard there is a tree shortage.

 

[kslight]

All of the above, and paper mills converting to corrugated in the middle of it.

 

[LabelMaster]

All of the above, and paper mills converting to corrugated in the middle of it.

I have family in Maine and they said that. The demand for boxes is greater than certain papers.

 

[tngcas]

I heard there is a tree shortage.

Ah, if only I had started that tree farm 20 years ago.

 

[DYP]

All I know is there is nothing that can be believed.

 

[Puch]

There are paper shortages in large and small quantity supply, too. We had to offer alternative materials for some customers, since the original paper is unavailable at the warehouse.

 

[Windward]

Our paper supplier (Kelly Paper) warned us last year that shortages were on the horizon due to the lack of truckers. Also, the industry has been consolidating over several years with fewer paper machines and many paper grades being discontinued. As businesses re-open, paper mills like other manufacturers cannot keep up with demand and supplies are unreliable. I was told last month that 20# bond was out of stock and this delayed a job for several days. In more than 50 years of printing, I've never had this issue with plain office paper. In our area, supplies of coated digital sheets are also unreliable.

 

[warlegs]

We have had issues with getting paper for the past couple of months. Had to switch 100# dull text brands like 3 times so far. Had to switch other brands as well and we are told the mills have no where to put the paper because of storage issues and that's on top of all the other supply chain issues. Don't see this getting resolved anytime soon.

 

[ikim86]

Anybody know of any suppliers that have 100# coated stock in 28x40 available?

 

[tngcas]

Have you tried West Coast Paper? We just got a batch of Titan 11x17 and 12x18 from them and prior to that they were cutting them down from parent sheets for us so they might have it. They're regional only.

 

[Shawnd]

Not just paper, try and get specialty envelopes like remits and #9's, going to be a fun appeal season.

 

[ikim86]

Have you tried West Coast Paper? We just got a batch of Titan 11x17 and 12x18 from them and prior to that they were cutting them down from parent sheets for us so they might have it. They're regional only.

Never heard of them but just left WCP a message. Thanks for the reference.

Seriously wishing you all luck in the upcoming months. It is looking like things are getting worse before they get any better.

 

[AP90]

Our supplier is on pretty strict allotments. I went though 9k sheets of 16pt last month and needing it again this month. dont know if he is gonna be able to come through for me or not. Good thing most of our stuff is run on 20lb

 

[mulo_g]

So far no respite. Prices skyrocketing

 

[KopyBoss]

So far no respite. Prices skyrocketing

Seems like every week get a notice from paper company about increase in pricing.

 

[tngcas]

If the prices increases are because of the backlog of shipping containers then will prices come back down once they resolve the problem? Me thinks not.

 

[Midwestprinter]

If the prices increases are because of the backlog of shipping containers then will prices come back down once they resolve the problem? Me thinks not.

My 40th year in printing and I have never seen paper go down in price. I agree with you…me thinks not either.

I have been buying up as much paper as I have room for. Running out of paper is not an option. These have been crazy times and we are having to do some strange things to stay ahead of it all.

 

[AP90]

Im going to have to send my paper guy a nice Christmas gift because so far he has came through in some clutch situations for me paper wise. Haven't ran out and he's been able to fill some larger orders for us that we dont normally do.

 

[Lorenzo lab guy]

One of may customers manages a plant for a large corrugated carton manufacturer. I asked him there was unusual competition for wood pulp and such. He said " no, we own our own forests."