PaperChain Chats: Nate Nelson, Sales Representative, Athens Paper

Mark Swets, NPTA executive director, connects with Nate Nelson, sales representative at Athens Paper, to reflect on the 2025 Emerging Leaders Summit and the power of staying connected in the paper industry.

Nelson, who covers the metro Atlanta market, shares takeaways from the summit, highlighting the networking, collaboration and problem-solving that propel the next generation of paper professionals. He explains how NPTA’s Emerging Leaders Program has shaped his career and why he lives by a simple mantra: “win every day.”

“It doesn’t matter what size the wins are —small, big, large —help your customers win new business or maintain constant business,” Nelson says.

Swets and Nelson also discuss Athens Paper’s smooth ERP upgrade, strategies for maintaining wellness on the road and why the future of paper distribution looks bright.