Made famous by ‘The Office,’ Penn Paper & Supply celebrates 100th anniversary as Scranton’s real Dunder Mifflin
From a press release:
NBC’s hit sitcom “The Office” opens on the red brick tower of Pennsylvania Paper & Supply Company, a Scranton institution and family business that is celebrating its 100th anniversary on Friday, May 20 with a ribbon cutting ceremony to symbolize the opening of a new century of serving its customers and honor its television legacy.
“My grandfather Jacob Fink and my dad Jerry Fink would be proud to see how their company has grown over the last 100 years and surprised to learn our building is a world-renowned landmark,” said Douglas Fink, president of Pennsylvania Paper & Supply.
“John Krasinski took that shot of our tower in 2004 when he was doing research for ‘The Office’ and for his role as Jim Halpert in the fictional Dunder Mifflin. Almost two decades later, fans still show up looking for the real Dunder Mifflin, but we’re not the colorful oddballs of ‘The Office’ – we’re a team of 300 professionals steeped in 100 years of history.”
Jacob Fink founded PP&S in 1922 on the principles of listening to customers, filling their needs, and doing it better than anyone else. Originally focused on selling paper bags to Scranton grocers, the company continually expanded its product line beyond paper products to include janitorial and sanitation supplies, broadened its territory beyond Pennsylvania into New York and New Jersey, and now services the entire country through e-commerce. And yes, they do sell office and paper products.
As the company grew, it moved several times before opening its Scranton showroom and warehouse under the iconic tower almost 55 years ago. In 2004, Douglas Fink received a phone call from NBC telling him a show about a paper company was in the works.
From its start in 2005 through its ninth and final season in 2013, “The Office’s” opening credits began with a shot of the real building that soon became part of the most recognizable stock footage in television. Tourists are pleased to find that the tower now features a Dunder Mifflin logo alongside the bold “Penn Paper” text.
Kicking off a year-long centennial celebration, Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, Senator Marty Flynn, Rep. Bridget M. Kosierowski, Rep. Thomas Welby, and other elected officials and invited guests are set to attend the ribbon cutting for this third-generation company that currently serves the needs of industry, healthcare, education, food processing, building management, hospitality, and government, particularly in Eastern and Central Pennsylvania, the Southern Tier of New York, and Northwestern New Jersey.
“Since our founding, Pennsylvania Paper & Supply has strived to uphold our core values set by my grandfather Jacob – to serve our community, employees, and marketplace with excellence,” Fink said.
“We look forward to building on this legacy as a way forward for the next 100 years.”
Photo by Rich Howells/NEPA Scene
