Company History

Athens Paper is a privately owned company founded in 1952 and headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee.

The two owners of Athens Paper, M. H. (Bud) Chamberlain Jr. and W. Donald Jenkins, Jr., prior to 1968 were executives for Champion Papers International.  Bud was Vice President of Merchandising and Don was Director of Operations.  Their travels and mill connections led them throughout the United States in an area of responsibility which involved 52 paper merchants from coast to coast in the United States.

In 1968, both gentlemen decided to go into business for themselves and purchased Athens Paper, which at the time had only one office/warehouse facility in Nashville.  Both gentlemen started their careers in Nashville, which is the main publishing center for six of the world's largest religious publishers.  Their knowledge of this industry, along with national connections with regards to mill sources and publishing requirements, made entry into their new business an appealing venture.

From this purchase in 1968, the company had sales of a little over two million U.S. dollars.  Today, Athens has sales exceeding $350 million involving 300+ employees with merchant stocking locations in eleven (11) Southeastern cities.  Publishing sales are serviced from five (5) strategic locations in Chicago, Memphis, Nashville, New York, Atlanta.