THESIS Supplier Case Study:
NORCOM, INC
About
Norcom, founded in 1978, is a leading U.S. manufacturer and distributor of office- and school-related paper products sold through national retailers in the U.S. and Latin America. Norcom’s mission is to be the low-cost producer in the industry by investing in state-of-the-art equipment and operational efficiency while offering customers strong product selection, sales and procurement excellence and commitment to customer service. Their products include a wide variety of paper-based school and office supplies such as loose-leaf paper, notebooks, pads, folders, computer paper, art & activity products, envelopes, index cards, poster boards, ledger books, and more.
Commitment to Sustainability
Norcom’s sustainability model is based upon the People, Planet and Profit (three-legged stool) model. They incorporate sustainability into their business by examining the impact on each of the three legs and ensuring that a business case can be made for all of their initiatives. Norcom’s environmental mission is to be a responsible custodian of their global natural resources and a valued member of the communities they serve. They measure and establish strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, solid waste and are engaged in a globally recognized program to ensure products are solely manufactured from environmentally sustainable sources. Norcom, Inc. is certified by fellow TSC member, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative ® (SFI ®), a non-profit organization responsible for maintaining, overseeing, and improving a sustainable forestry certification program that is internationally recognized and is the largest single forest standard in the world. They are now also auditing suppliers regarding GHG reporting, water use goals, power use, solid waste goals, conflict metals compliance and more.
2021 THESIS Assessments Results
Notebooks and Pads
Score: 99% Rank: 1/9
THESIS Goals
Norcom initially participated in the stationery and paper supplies THESIS assessment to satisfy a retailer’s request. After the initial completion, they immediately saw several key advantages to participation. One key advantage was that, because of THESIS performance assessments, areas that needed improvement were clear and became focal points for their sustainability programs. Another advantage for Norcom was that the data compared “apples to apples”, which had not been previously available to them. THESIS enabled Norcom to accurately understand their performance compared to others in the industry.Norcom initially participated in the stationery and paper supplies THESIS assessment to satisfy a retailer’s request. After the initial completion, they immediately saw several key advantages to participation. One key advantage was that, because of THESIS performance assessments, areas that needed improvement were clear and became focal points for their sustainability programs. Another advantage for Norcom was that the data compared “apples to apples”, which had not been previously available to them. THESIS enabled Norcom to accurately understand their performance compared to others in the industry.
Using THESIS
- Norcom’s goal is to purchase 100% of their fiber from certified sources annually.
- Based upon their THESIS score, they are researching and investigating alternative fiber that is actually a waste component from an unrelated industry.
- Norcom is looking at ways to incorporate more sustainability components into the planning phases of product development programs.
- Norcom is a paper converter. They do not harvest timber, make pulp or manufacture paper. They use relatively little water or electricity in converting tablet paper and covers into notebook paper, notebooks, legal pads, envelopes, etc.