From Metal Brackets to Michael Scott: A Brief History of Dunder Mifflin

Before the documentary crew arrived in Scranton, before the Dundie Awards, and long before “That’s what she said,” Dunder Mifflin was just an idea between two guys named Robert.

The Early Years: It Wasn’t Always Paper

The company was founded in 1949 by Robert Dunder and Robert Mifflin. But here is the surprising twist that most casual fans don’t know: Dunder Mifflin originally started as a supplier of metal brackets for construction.

Somewhere along the line, the Roberts realized the real money—or at least the steadier money—was in office supplies. They pivoted away from heavy construction materials and went all-in on paper, eventually establishing their corporate headquarters in New York City.

The Regional Powerhouse

For decades, Dunder Mifflin thrived as a mid-sized, regional paper distributor focusing on the Northeast. They built their business model on personalized customer service, the kind you just can’t get at the emerging big-box stores like Staples or Office Depot.

They expanded to various branches, including Stamford, Utica, Nashua, and, most famously, Scranton, Pennsylvania.

The Modern Era & Struggles

By the mid-2000s (when The Office picks up), the company was facing an existential crisis. They were trying to sell “limitless paper in a paperless world.” The rise of the internet and aggressive undercutting by larger competitors led to branch closures and severe financial strain.

Sabre and Beyond

The financial woes eventually led to Dunder Mifflin being bought out by Sabre, a Florida-based printer company led by the eccentric Jo Bennett. The merger was rocky (and involved faulty printers that sometimes caught fire).

Ultimately, Sabre liquidated the company, but it was saved at the last minute by former CFO David Wallace. He bought back the intellectual property and restored Dunder Mifflin to its roots as a smaller, more manageable paper supplier.

While it may be fictional, Dunder Mifflin remains the ultimate symbol of the average American workplace—surviving against the odds, usually thanks to the efforts of the Scranton branch.