Brothers David Golden and Stephen Gould, with Leonard Beckerman, opened their packaging supply store in Manhattan’s Lower East Side at the outbreak of World War II. The three men banded together to build a business on a set of shared values: respect for its workers, integrity in business dealings, loyal customer service and entrepreneurship.

In the early war and post war years, the company bought and resold packing and shipping supplies — corrugated boxes, paper, twine, tape and bags. As customer needs changed, they adapted their offerings. The Principals primarily ran all aspects of the burgeoning company in this first decade out of their lower Manhattan warehouse building.