Our History

Kaumeyer Paper was formed in 1929 by the late J. Sheldon Kaumeyer. The principal activities of the company in that era were the servicing of small retail grocery stores throughout the Niagara Region.

A number of sales routes were established to service summer refreshment stands along the Fort Erie to Long Beach corridor. The product lines included such items as confectionery, fireworks, drug sundries, paper disposables, toys, resale giftware and numerous other retail items.

In 1955, the first major expansion of the company occurred when operations were moved from the small original warehouse to a new 3-floor, 20000 square foot facility on Main Street in the village of Chippawa, a suburb of Niagara Falls. This operating facility would be the distribution centre for the company over the next 30 years.

Unfortunately, Mr. Kaumeyer did not live to see his company mature into the vibrant and dominant distribution house that he envisioned. Mr. Kaumeyer passed away suddenly just a few years after the move to the new facility. The firm’s management was assumed by his wife Ruth Kaumeyer. Through Mrs. Kaumeyer’s guidance during the 1960’s, the company developed a reputation for consistent and dedicated service to its varied customer base.

During the mid 70’s, Mrs. Kaumeyer decided that it was time to retire. Not having any direct family who were interested in carrying on with the business, Mrs. Kaumeyer decided to sell the company.

In 1975, the business was acquired by Frank Leslie and John Bosela. Mr. Leslie’s background was in newspaper publishing, having been owner and manager of the Niagara Falls Review. Mr. Bosela was a Chartered Accountant who had spent the previous 10 years in public practice. Subsequent to this change in ownership, the major product emphasis of the company changed from the sale of retail items to the promotion of products to end-use customers falling within three broad sales lines: food service disposables, industrial packaging and sanitation supplies.

In 1976, Kaumeyer Paper became a member of the newly formed Balpex group, which is an association of independent paper merchants across Canada. These companies joined together to provide national distribution to end users across Canada. This association would provide the company with strategic growth and supplier representation in the years ahead. Glen Mumberson, an industrial packaging specialist with C.I.P. Victoria, was hired in 1977 to act as the company’s Sales Manager and became an equity partner in the firm in 1978. In 1982, Mr. Leslie sold his interest in the company and the corporate structure was changed with Mr. Bosela continuing as President of the firm, and Mr. Mumberson as Vice-President.

In 1985, the company’s Head Office and Distribution Centre was moved from Chippawa to Thorold, a small community strategically located in the centre of the Niagara Region. Mr. Mumberson retired from the company in 2001, leaving Mr. Bosela as the sole owner of the firm.

In December 2004, the company moved into a new 22,500 square foot facility on McCleary Drive in Thorold, just a few blocks from the old location on Industrial Drive. An increase in warehouse space has allowed the company to be more flexible with its purchasing while the new office building designed specifically for Kaumeyer has helped provide improved efficiencies throughout the operation.

Kaumeyer Paper has continued to expand into new sales markets with innovative products produced by the country’s largest and most dynamic manufacturers. The firm represents most of the major paper manufacturers in Canada and through its Balpex affiliation is able to satisfy the needs of almost any prospective account.