Q4 Paper Outlook — Caution in a Moderate Market

Degler says much has remained the same in the paper purchasing business in recent years. One significant change has been in the ability of paper suppliers to respond virtually on-demand to an order.

"The days of large inventories are virtually over," Degler says. "Today, we pick up the phone and order four cartons of two skids, and 90 percent of the time we can get it the next day—suppliers are becoming increasingly competitive in the area of service."