Weiss Bros. Paper was started in 1938 by Norman and Rae Weiss as a branch of a family-owned business from Norristown, Pennsylvania. Weiss Bros. sold paper products, novelties, and notions to small corner stores and leather and shoe findings to shoemakers. During World War II, Norman served in the U.S. Army and his wife Rae hired the first two salesmen and ran the business. In 1946, Norman returned and in 1948 Norman’s nephew Bernard Weiss joined the firm as an outside sales rep. During the 50’s the company moved into the food service paper and industrial towel, tissue and wiper business. The Company began to sell janitorial supplies, while still serving the corner stores, butcher shops and supermarkets and of course shoemakers. In the 60’s the company thrived and ended it’s relationship with the family-owned business from Pennsylvania and incorporated under the name Weiss Brothers of Hagerstown, Inc. In the early 70’s Norman’s son Richard Weiss joined the business. In 1979 Norman retired and in the early 80’s the Company moved to a larger facility and hired Ralph Perri from 3M to serve as Sales Manager. The Company stopped selling to shoemakers and corner stores. In 1983 the company opened a party store called Paper Plus in its warehouse. In 1992 Bernard Weiss retired as President of the Company after over 44 years in the business.
Weiss Bros. Paper has changed over the years. In the early 90’s the company again moved it’s wholesale business to a larger and more modern facility and Paper Plus to a retail shopping center. Rae Weiss continued to work in the party store until her death in 2001 after spending over 60 years in the industry. In 2001 Paper Plus was sold to a new owner. In 2004 Steve Johnson succeeded Ralph Perri as Sales Manager. In 2008, Richard’s son, Michael Weiss joined the Company as the third generation of the Weiss family to operate the business. Today, after more than 70 years, Weiss Bros. Paper is the area’s largest locally owned and operated independent distributor of janitorial supplies, safety supplies, food service disposables, industrial packaging and maintenance equipment.
The Weiss Bros. Family looks forward to another 70 years of servicing the Quad State Area with Quality Products and Excellent Service.
