Our Team
Wallace Williams
Business Development
Mark Williams
President
Peggy Umbel
Customer Service
Mike Smith
Production Manager
Tom Zbell
Process Engineer
Steve Newsome
Operations Manager
"Paper Doctor"
Letter from Cauthorne
After the changing of the guard at Cauthorne Paper Company in 2018, we understood that stakeholders in the company would be curious how the leadership transition would play out. Roughly 7 years later, we are proud to show how our hard work has helped to further promote the incredible, well-established brand of Cauthorne Paper. In the last 7 years, we have relied on our core values of Stewardship, Thoughtlessness, and Persistence to further enrich the character of the company.
Our reliance on stewardship has been a byproduct of efforts from our entire team. Peggy, Wallace, and Mark have worked hard to provide timely and quality products to all our customers. Steve and Tom have devoted their energy to operational excellence on the plant floor. Our operators have done a fantastic job of converting orders to customer specifications efficiently and with minimal waste. And with everyone’s contribution we have had a very high on-time delivery percentage. We have added new equipment and made improvements to most of our older machines. In November 2023, we merged with Triangle Converting and Beveridge Paper out of Durham. Our goal was to build upon what we acquired and make it better and it is safe to say we accomplished that.
Systems wise, the company earned ISO 9001 certification in May 2020. We are very proud of the quality management system we established. It has helped us stay focused on continuously improving our business in a variety of ways. Tom Zbell, in his role as Process Improvement Technician, deserves most of the credit for developing our QMS. He has also enhanced our safety program and has maintained our FSC certification which is required for one of our larger customers. The company also implemented PaperSoft software to manage workflow. All these systems help us work smarter and more efficiently as a company.
People wise, we have leveraged the experience of Cauthorne’s senior employees. Unfortunately, we lost Theresa Patrick in November 2021 to cancer. She was an employee of Cauthorne Paper for 45 years. Our former warehouse manager, Dick Doak, retired at the end of 2022. He had worked in the paper industry for over 50 years. Tom captured tribal knowledge from both while they were here and has been doing the same with Steve, the company’s “Paper Doctor” and MVP when it comes to equipment and onverting expertise.
We have added three new employees in the plant, a new truck driver, and a new customer service representative. In July 2023 I joined Cauthorne Paper in Business Development in anticipation of the merger with Triangle Converting/Beveridge Paper. Mark has been wearing a couple of hats since then but has been spending most of his time in the plant helping manage the warehouse, production and shipping.
Looking ahead, I look forward to leading Cauthorne Paper to new heights. Mark is not retiring just yet, but the plan is to slow down over the next few years prior to retiring. We have hired a new production manager who has over 30 years of experience managing a paper converting plant. We look forward to the work skills he brings to the table and the impact he can have on our developing workforce and productivity.
Leadership has an endpoint but with Persistence, organizations keep going. That’s the plan.
Let’s Roll.
Wallace Williams
Cauthorne Paper Company Timeline
1885
Founder R.A. Cauthorn born in Tappahannock, VA.
1912
The R.A Cauthorn Paper Company opens for business at 104 Virginia Street in Richmond, VA. In the next decade the “e” is added on and known as Cauthorne Paper Company.
1926-1927
Cauthorne Paper Company, Inc. won a very large contract with the Government Procurement Office (GPO) in Washington D.C., making carload deliveries of paper product on time.
1937
The company purchased a large, relatively new building on Hull Street in
Richmond from Fisk Tire and Rubber Company at the height of the Great Depression – the structure represented about 95,000 square feet of warehouse storage.
- Shortly thereafter, the company purchased its first paper sheeter from the neighboring Standard Paper Company.
1986
Cauthorne introduces a new precision rewinder and die cutting machine.
2007
After 70 years at 209 Hull Street, Cauthorne Paper moves to its current location at 12124 Washington Highway in Ashland, Va.
2018
After 35 years in the Corrugated industry, Mark Williams purchases Cauthorne Paper Company and becomes President.
2021
Cauthorne introduces a new high-speed slitter rewinder with the purchase of a new Jenner Jahn.
August 2023
Wallace Williams joins his father, Mark, as head of business development.
November 2023
Cauthorne Paper Company merges with Beveridge Paper Company and Triangle Converting. All inventory and machinery are moved up to Ashland, Va after the sale and fully operates from 12124 Washington Highway.
Community Associations
AICC – The Independent Packaging Association – advocates for and supports the business interests of independent companies in the corrugated, folding carton, and rigid box industries.
Founded in 1903, the National Paper Trade Association (NPTA) serves the $50+ billion paper distribution industry. NPTA’s mission is to support the success of its members by providing valuable networking opportunities, education, advocacy, and insights into industry trends—all focused on strengthening the paper distribution channel.
Quality Policy
ISO Certification
Cauthorne Paper Company is committed to:
- Satisfying the requirements of our customers
- Satisfying the requirements of statutes and regulations applicable to our business
- Utilizing our quality management system to improve our business
- Setting and working to achieve quality objectives that support our business strategy
We believe in:
STEWARDSHIP
THOUGHTFULNESS
PERSISTENCE
We take our values seriously at Cauthorne Paper. They define how we have chosen to behave as an organization. We believe in stewardship; the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care.
We believe in thoughtfulness; having thoughts made with heedful anticipation of the needs and wants of others, as well as careful, reasoned thinking. We also believe in persistence; being steady in a course of action, especially, in spite of difficulties or obstacles.
