Business View Magazine | Volume 8, Issue 9

77 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 8, ISSUE 9 any outbreaks in our facilities. We shared our policies and procedures with probably 30 other companies that used them as the basis for theirs as well, everything from masks and shields to social distancing to screening and revised sick policies. All the way to how we sanitize and how we actually manufacture things.” Supply chain issues have been a challenge for RPI during the pandemic as ecommerce has become such a popular way of doing business. Many traditional paper mills have made the switch to packaging in order to meet that need, in turn leaving a shortage of available paper. On the other side, shipping issues have been ongoing, as delivery companies try to manage huge increases in demand. Bellamy explains, “We have tried to increase the pace in which we produce to try to offset that. A vast majority of what we ship is all tracked, so we try to provide transparency to our customers at every step of RP I the process. Yes, it’s been a challenge, and the changes in supply of papers and packaging has resulted in significant cost increases. We expect that those will likely continue throughout the rest of this year.” Major suppliers Veritiv Corporation, and Midland Paper have continued to be crucial partners for RPI, helping to navigate supply needs throughout the current shortages. Unlike traditional publishing models, RPI prints only what is needed, when it is needed, eliminating costly investment, storage, and potential waste for book producers. Bellamy describes, “Our model essentially allows somebody to create the book, place it in the bookstore, and then when it’s ordered, no matter what channel it’s ordered from, we produce it on demand close to the final delivery location. And we deliver it to that final location in just a few days. It eliminates all the waste. There’s