Our History

Fleenor Paper Company was established in 1962 by its founder, LeRoy Fleenor, a true entrepreneur. As a young man, LeRoy worked as a typesetter and printer, along side his father and brothers at small local newspaper businesses. With his brothers and their families, LeRoy uprooted his wife and children and left Missouri—traveling through Kansas and Colorado, until eventually settling down in Northern California.

In California, LeRoy sought an opportunity in “waste paper” that was habitually being thrown away into dumpsters at several newspaper companies he worked for. At work, he’d ask if he could take some of this waste paper home—which at the time were considered newsprint rolls (butt rolls). Then from his garage late at night, LeRoy converted this scrap paper into sheeted newsprint by using a homemade sheeter that consisted of his wife’s carving knife attached to it. He’d then bundle up the sheets into a mover’s “put up”, and after about a week, had accumulated enough material to make one pallet of sellable paper. He then loaded this one pallet onto the back of his old beat-up pick-up truck, and went door-to-door trying to sell it to local movers. He would sell his first pallet to Macy’s Movers. This was the start of Fleenor Paper Company.

LeRoy eventually quit his "day job", and began looking for more scrap paper to buy, convert and sell to movers. Over the years he bought numerous used machines and cleverly adapted them to suit the raw materials he was able to get for free or cheaply, or, he simply made the machines he needed from scratch. By the late 1970's, LeRoy had acquired or built several machines to service the moving & storage, printing and packaging industries throughout Northern California.

In the early 1980's, LeRoy sold his business to his son, Dr. Bill Fleenor and his wife, Janine Rochex. Bill's sister, Rebecca Fleenor and Janine's brother, John Rochex came on board a few years later. This second generation team grew the small Oakland-based company by opening distribution warehouses in Hawaii and Alaska. Today these distribution warehouses sell products made by their own manufacturing facilities, as well as products from other manufacturer providing a full range packaging materials.

Since then, the bulk of Fleenor's growth shifted from focusing on distribution, to what it does best: manufacturing. To support this growth trend and the extra manufacturing capacity it required, in 1994, Fleenor acquired a similar converting company in Macon, Georgia. The acquisition gave Fleenor the capacity it needed, and transformed them into a nationwide company. The ability to provide consistent quality products throughout the United States, afforded Fleenor numerous growth opportunities with nationwide distribution companies.

In late 1996, Bill left the company and Janine, John and Rebecca stayed on at Fleenor. Once again in 2003, Fleenor purchased yet another converting company's assets and consolidated it with their Oakland facility by moving both plants and other newly acquired machines into a 130,000 sq. ft. building in Stockton, CA. In the continued entrepreneurial spirit, in 2009, opened a converting facility in Dayton New Jersey, in 2010 Fleenor acquired another paper converter in Southern California and in 2011 acquired yet another paper company in Houston, Texas.

The owners of Fleenor continue to honor and emulate its entrepreneurial roots. They continue to purchase odd-lot scrap paper, as well as adapt and invent machines and processes that better allow the utilization of the dwindling paper supply available in today's changing market.

The second generation management team also prides itself on having created an excellent work environment; not only for the owners, but for everyone who has worked along side them over the years. Most of Fleenor’s managers have been with the company twenty years plus, and have contributed as much to Fleenor’s success and growth, as any other factor.

The goal today is to continue to stay the course with steady growth, and to look forward to the next generation who will follow in Fleenor's entrepreneurial footsteps!