Up until the late 1980's most paper merchants did not provide printers with broken carton quantities and if they did, the printer would pay a steep penalty. This limitation on purchasing sparked an idea at Paterson Papers, sending the chairman, Alan S. Prell, to California to research the "cash and carry warehouse/store" concept. These cash and carry stores would allow customers to purchase small quantities of a large assortment of papers, the same day at discounted prices.

Thus, in 1987, a new division of Paterson Papers was established as "THE PAPER STORE & more…". By January 1988 the first store was opened inside our Paterson warehouse. As a result, we could fulfill the requirements of local printers and designers who needed to purchase small quantities for their customers' shorter run jobs. In only two years time, we opened our first branch location in East Hanover, New Jersey and by 1992 a third PAPER STORE & more…was opened in Kenilworth, New Jersey. All three stores are open to the public from 8:00AM to 5:00PM daily and are staffed with employees knowledgeable in the paper industry.

Over the past 13 years, the focus of "THE PAPER STORE & more…" has always been CUSTOMERS FIRST! Our purpose was to fill an unmet need in a well-organized, friendly environment where customers could get first-line products, information and excellent service with a cup of coffee and a smile.