Small Business: What made the owner of Carolina Paper Guys decide to become an entrepreneur?

Freddy Trevino had been a sales representative for 15 years when he decided to venture out on his own. Trevino, 47, opened Carolina Paper Guys (CPG), a paper distributor, with the help of a business partner in 2012.

“It started with a seed in my head that at some point I was going to be a good enough sales rep that it didn’t matter what I was selling as long as there was a market for it and the product was decent,” said Trevino. “You’d be surprised how often that is true.”

CPG sells items like register rolls (think receipt paper), toilet paper, napkins, cups, branded cups and to-go cups to restaurants, convenience stores and nationally, regionally and locally owned companies.

In five years, CPG has reached between $500,000 and $1 million in sales per year, Trevino said. Trevino has seen more than an annual 30 percent growth in sales and has added two more partners to the business. CPG sources their products from local and regional manufacturers.

“There’s a cost saving that people undervalue,” Trevino said of using locally sourced products. “I feel like it benefits the region better; it benefits our bottom line. It contributes to the story that we want to present to the world.”

Trevino answered CharlotteFive’s questions for the small business series:

What motivated you to become an entrepreneur?

“I could serve this market better than what was currently in place.

“I knew that the cheapest way to get product was to order it online. I presented a strategy that obliterated that. (It) made buying local a better option than buying it online.”

How do leadership skills play a role in running your business?

“I’m going to take a chance with a metaphor: Imagine a bunch of rowers in a boat. The boat represents the business, how fast it goes means how well you’re doing.

“Each rower has an oar, and that oar is representative of the contribution they make to the business, in whatever aspect – sales, logistics, whatever.

“As the leader, it’s imperative that everyone be rowing in the same direction or at the same tempo. An effective leader gets everyone’s oar going in the same direction.” 

Where do you draw the line on taking risks?

“Can I absorb the loss? Every additional line that we bring on is a risk. There are challenges each time.”

How do you build relationships with your clients?

“It’s having the audacity and the courage to meet them at their place of business first.

“I’m borrowing this from a former employer — a fanatical approach to customer service. And it’s not that the customer is always right, it’s that the customer wants sensible resolution.”

What is your dream vacation?

“Any place that has blue water. It’s impossible to mess that up. If you can get to a place where there’s blue ocean water, you’re going to be all right.”

Photos: Freddy Trevino

Family history and my own fascination with people and their motivations prompted me to begin this series about Charlotte’s small business owners. Industry, situation and questions will vary. Have a suggestion for a small business owner or entrepreneur to interview? Email it to vanessainfanzon@gmail.com with the subject line “Small Business Series.”

This story was originally published September 24, 2017 at 10:00 PM with the headline "Small Business: What made the owner of Carolina Paper Guys decide to become an entrepreneur?."