Our History

City Paper Company was founded on July 23, 1897 and is one of the oldest packaging distributors in the country.

When City Paper Company first opened its doors for business, the City of Birmingham, AL was only 26 years old. The population then was only 66,277 ‘souls’ as listed in the 1897 city directory, a far cry from the 137-year-old Birmingham of today with a metropolitan population of over a million plus people.

1897 was a year that saw the first shipment of Klondike Gold arrive in San Francisco; the year in which the very first motion picture of a boxing match (that between ‘Gentlemen’ Jim Corbett and Bob Fitzsimmons) was ever taken; the year President McKinley was inaugurated; and the year America’s first subway was built in Boston, Massachusetts.

City Paper Company began operating out of offices and warehouse space selling products as varied as blasting paper and oyster pails, paper bags and millinery boxes. Jacob Friedman, great grandfather of current President and CEO Paul Friedman, Jr.; bought the business in 1922. It was taken over by 18 year old, Paul Friedman Sr. in 1940 after his father passed away. Paul Sr. left college at that time and started running the business with dedication and tenacity which saw him through years of growth and prosperity.

Paul Sr. ran City Paper Company for the following 57 years handing over the business to Paul Jr. and his brother Mark  in 1997. 

Paul Jr. is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer. His brother Mark is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. 

City Paper Company is currently working with the fourth generation of Friedman’s with Mark's son, Brad and Paul's daughter,Julie working as part of the City Paper Familyr. As the company continues to grow and prosper, there is one underlying business philosophy that the Friedman family has passed from generation to generation and live by day by day.

"Never misrepresent anything in which you are involved. Never state anything that is untrue, never suggest to a customer that a product or service you offer will be more than what you or the product can deliver and then be sure that the factory never ships any product that in any way is less than what you promised it would be"
Paul Friedman Sr.