American Paper competes with big box retailers

A level of service passed down from generation to generation

A wholesale supplier and distributor of janitorial, packaging, disposable food service, safety and office products, American Paper & Twine (APT) prides itself on delivering a level of service that has been faithfully passed down from generation to generation. Nearly a century ago, Nathan Doochin and Milton Lockenbach found opportunity in the expanding Nashville wholesale market with one truck, a big idea and a singular focus on customer service.

Headquartered in Nashville, APT now has over 300 employees and operates seven (7) full-service distribution centers servicing the bulk of the Southeastern United States.

APT attributes their success to satisfied and loyal customers, dedicated employees, a superior work ethic and the highest level of customer service.

To continue satisfying their customers and compete with online “Big Box” retailers, APT needed to deliver a more sophisticated eCommerce experience.

From an ERP storefront to a best-in-class purchasing experience

APT began their eCommerce journey leveraging an ERP storefront. The solution proved to be limiting with outdated functionality. APT needed to offer their customers an online purchasing experience that provided a higher level of B2B functionality including budgeting, order approvals and list management capabilities.

As APT operates a rapidly growing business, Optimizely B2B Commerce Cloud was the perfect platform to bring their business into the future. APT’s website now provides:

• Tools allowing customers to manage their procurement process
• Real-time pricing and inventory
• Detailed product information for more than 80,000 SKUs
• Punchout for improved user experience
• Analytics to optimize underperforming markets
• Improved marketing and promotional capabilities

The new world with Optimizely

Since implementing B2B Commerce Cloud, APT has seen numerous benefits. Customer Service Representatives are taking less calls, which in turn has increased their capacity for more value-add customer assistance. In addition, APT is able to drive lower priced commodity products online so representatives can spend their time on higher value products.

Two years after implementing Optimizely B2B Commerce Cloud, APT saw more than a $2M revenue gain and online year over year revenue growth was two times higher for customers who ordered online.

In Collaboration with 

Nish Tech, Inc. 

About the Collaboration

Nish Tech listened closely to APT customers and implemented a solution that provided a higher level of B2B functionality including budgeting, order approvals and shopping.

About Nish Tech

Nish Tech is an award-winning digital agency specializing in delivering innovative, scalable and secure web and eCommerce solutions for clients. Nish Tech excels in delivering business-critical projects within a very short time frame, working with their customers to achieve the fastest ROI as well as long-term benefits.