Commercial Paper • Strategic Sourcing • Print Manufacturing
Turning Paper Purchasing Into a Competitive Advantage
For more than 30 years, I've worked in the commercial printing industry, understanding firsthand how paper decisions affect cost, press performance, productivity, quality, and profitability.
Today, I help high-volume print organizations find opportunities to:
- Reduce paper costs
- Strengthen supply
- Improve print performance
I bring practical print-manufacturing experience to strategic paper sourcing, helping procurement teams make better decisions while helping operations get the performance they need.
With more than three decades of commercial printing experience, I've seen firsthand how paper choices affect the entire production process.
Let's Find Your Opportunity
If your organization purchases significant volumes of commercial printing paper, let's talk about your current program.
What We Do
Paper Sourcing That Looks Beyond Price
Paper is one of the largest variable costs in many print operations. But the lowest quoted price doesn't always produce the lowest manufacturing cost.
A paper that runs poorly, creates excessive waste, causes color variation, or isn't reliably available can cost far more than its purchase price suggests.
Clear Tunnels Strategic Print - Paper & Publishing Solutions evaluates the total value of your paper program.
Strategic Paper Sourcing
Identify qualified mills, suppliers, grades, and sourcing alternatives based on your organization's specific requirements.
Cost Reduction
Evaluate specifications, basis weights, grades, suppliers, and purchasing practices to identify opportunities to reduce total cost.
Supply Security
Develop alternative sourcing strategies to reduce supply risk and improve continuity.
Print Performance
Evaluate paper from the perspective of the pressroom—including runnability, waste, makeready, drying, finishing, and print quality.
Supplier & Mill Relationships
Connect procurement organizations with qualified paper manufacturers and suppliers while helping create competitive sourcing opportunities.
Procurement & Operations Alignment
Bridge the gap between what procurement wants to buy and what manufacturing needs to run efficiently.
Dual Expertise
Experience That Goes Beyond the Purchase Order
Many paper suppliers understand paper.
Many print executives understand manufacturing.
I understand both.
With more than 30 years bridging the gap between procurement and the pressroom floor, Richard understands firsthand how paper choices ripple through production. These decisions directly impact:
Ultimately, paper sourcing decisions must be evaluated based on total operational value and overall manufacturing cost—not simply the initial purchase price.
That's why my approach isn't simply:
"What's the price per ton?"
It's:
"What is the total cost and value to your operation?"
Who We Serve
High-Volume Print Organizations
Our expertise is particularly valuable to organizations where paper purchasing and manufacturing performance have a significant impact on profitability.
High-volume commercial printers seeking competitive paper sourcing and supply alternatives.
Operations where paper cost, consistency, runnability, and supply reliability directly affect production economics.
Publishers and manufacturers managing substantial recurring paper requirements.
High-volume personalized products where print quality, consistency, and reliable supply are critical.
Book printers and manufacturers seeking competitive paper sourcing and dependable supply.
Organizations producing large quantities of catalogs, inserts, promotional materials, and other marketing communications.
Print operations with specialized substrate requirements and demanding production specifications.
Framework
Our Approach
Cost
What are you paying today and where are opportunities for improvement?
Performance
How efficiently does the paper perform across the manufacturing process?
Supply
How resilient is your supply chain? We develop alternative sourcing strategies to reduce single-supplier dependence and ensure long-term stability.
Value
What is the total operational and financial impact on the business?
The Result
A paper sourcing strategy designed around the needs of the entire business, not just one department.
For Procurement Leaders
We help procurement teams identify qualified suppliers, evaluate alternatives, reduce risk, optimize specifications, and uncover cost-saving opportunities.
- Additional qualified suppliers
- Alternative paper grades
- Competitive sourcing opportunities
- Specification optimization
- Supply-risk alternatives
- Mill relationships
- Potential cost reductions
The goal is not to replace your procurement organization.
The goal is to give your team better information and more options.
For Manufacturing Leaders
A paper purchasing decision ultimately reaches the manufacturing floor.
Poor runnability, excessive waste, inconsistent quality, or supply interruptions can quickly erase apparent purchasing savings.
Our print-manufacturing perspective helps ensure that sourcing decisions support:
- Productivity
- Quality
- Waste Reduction
- Press Performance
- Reliable Production
Successful sourcing decisions must support operational efficiency while helping manufacturing teams maintain quality, productivity, and reliable production outcomes.
For Paper Mills & Suppliers
Clear Tunnels Strategic Print - Paper & Publishing Solutions can also help qualified paper manufacturers and suppliers identify opportunities within the commercial printing marketplace.
Our industry experience provides insight into:
- Print-industry requirements
- Paper specifications
- Buyer expectations
- Manufacturing considerations
- Competitive positioning
- Potential customer opportunities
We believe successful relationships begin with understanding the customer's operation, not simply selling a grade of paper.
The Clear Tunnels Difference
Independent
Focused on identifying the right solution for each organization's requirements.
Practical
Recommendations grounded in real-world commercial printing and manufacturing experience.
Relationship-Driven
Long-term supplier and customer relationships create sustainable value.
Results-Focused
Focused on measurable improvements in cost, performance, and supply security.
Leadership
About Richard Waltman
My career has been built around commercial printing and print manufacturing.
I've worked with the realities of production—not just the theory.
That experience has provided a deep understanding of paper, presses, production workflow, creative operations, color, quality, suppliers, procurement, and the economics of running a successful print operation.
Today, I use that experience to help organizations make better paper-sourcing and manufacturing decisions.
My Philosophy
The best paper program isn't necessarily the one with the lowest price.
It's the one that delivers the right combination of:
Price + Performance + Quality + Availability + Reliability
That's where real value is created.
Years of executive experience in commercial printing and procurement.
Evaluating sourcing based on total business value, not just paper price.
Get in Touch
Let's Talk About Your Paper Program
You don't need to change suppliers to start a conversation.
You don't need to commit to a major project.
Start with a conversation about what you're buying today, what challenges you're experiencing, and where you would like to improve.
There may be opportunities worth exploring.
Reach out directly or use the form to schedule a conversation:
Richard Waltman
Commercial Print - Paper & Publishing Solutions Consultant
Strategic Sourcing | Print Manufacturing | Supply Chain | Cost Reduction