- For other uses, see Dunder Mifflin (disambiguation)
Dunder Mifflin Paper Company is a fictional paper company in the American TV-series The Office. The regional branch in Scranton, Pennsylvania branch serves as the main setting for the series.
Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, Inc. (NYSE: DMI) was a failed mid-sized paper supplier for small businesses in Northeastern United States that was acquired by office supplier Sabre International, Inc. in 2009.
In 2012, David Wallace, former CEO of the company bought back from Sabre. However, the company was purchased by Enervate in 2019 and moved its headquarters to Toledo, Ohio which lead Dunder Mifflin Scranton to shut down.
About[]
Dunder Mifflin was founded in 1949 by Robert Dunder and Robert Mifflin as a metal bracket supplier for construction. In the 21st century, Dunder Mifflin was a mid-cap paper supplier for small businesses with seven offices set up in: Manhattan, New York (headquarters); Akron, Ohio; Nashua, New Hampshire; Rochester, New York; Scranton, Pennsylvania; Syracuse, New York; and Utica, New York.
History[]
As early as 2005, Dunder Mifflin struggled to compete with major office-supply chains, like Staples and Office Depot, after failing to adapt to an increasingly paperless world ("Business School"). In 2007, newly-appointed CFO David Wallace promoted millennial intern Ryan Howard to Vice President of Northeast Sales in a desperate attempt to lead Dunder Mifflin into the Information Age. During his brief position, the company was restructured under Dunder Mifflin Infinity, which included rebuilding the company website before it was later infiltrated by sexual predators ("Night Out"). These costs ("hundreds of thousands of dollars", "Broke") and losses forced Wallace to maintain high prices during the American subprime mortgage crisis of 2007-2008 ("Job Fair"). Economic challenges and additional financial blows, including an accidental discount to a star client ("Golden Ticket") and a multi-million dollar buyout of the Michael Scott Paper Company ("Broke") caused DMI's value to collapse in 2009 ("Shareholder Meeting"). In December ("Secret Santa"), Dunder Mifflin Inc. filed for bankruptcy and entered buyout negotiations with office supplier Sabre International, Inc. In 2010, the purchase of the Scranton branch concluded the merger and the end of Dunder Mifflin.
Despite numerous direct and implicit references to "Dunder Mifflin" since the merger, there is little definitive evidence of its revival.
List of Dunder Mifflin Regional Offices[]
| Branch | Status | Opened | Closed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scranton, Pennsylvania | Closed | Prior to Pilot | Pilot (The Paper) | The setting of much of the series. Closed after purchased by Enervate and relocating in Toledo , Ohio. |
| Akron, Ohio | Unknown | Sometime between Weight Loss and Company Picnic | - | Mentioned by Michael to be "haunted" in a deleted scene in Branch Wars, but is absent in Weight Loss. Fate unknown after purchased by Enervate. |
| Albany, New York | Unknown | Prior to The Fight | - | Managed by Jeff, previously managed by Craig. It was listed in the weight loss board in Weight Loss. Fate unknown after purchased by Enervate. |
| Binghamton, New York | Closed | Sometime between Company Picnic and Turf War | Turf War | Closed by a drunken, despondent Robert California in Turf War, a few days before the liquidation of Sabre. The Scranton and Syracuse salespeople then fight over Binghamton's clients. |
| Buffalo, New York | Closed | Prior to Valentine's Day | Company Picnic | Managed by Dan Gore. Closed off-screen between Season 5 and Season 6. In Company Picnic, Holly and Michael accidentally reveal that the branch will close due to the economy. |
| Camden, New Jersey | Closed | Prior to Valentine's Day | Between Weight Loss and Company Picnic | Mentioned by Ben Nugent as having a poor reputation, and by Michael to be located in a basement. It was listed in the weight loss board in Weight Loss. Noted by Holly as having recently closed in Company Picnic due to the economy. |
| Nashua, New Hampshire | Unknown | Prior to Local Ad | - | Holly is transferred to Nashua after her relationship with Michael comes to light. Michael and Pam visit the branch in Lecture Circuit. Fact unknown after purchased by Enervate. |
| New York City (Corporate HQ) | Closed | Prior to Pilot | - | In The Job, several Scranton employees interviewed for a promotion to a corporate position in New York; ultimately Ryan was hired as Jan's replacement. Possibly moved to Toledo , Ohio after purchased by Enervate. |
| Northeast branch | Planned, Never opened | N/A | N/A | The proposed renaming of the Stamford branch after the board originally voted to close the Scranton branch and merge the two. This branch never came to fruition as Scranton ultimately absorbed Stamford. |
| Pittsfield, Massachusetts | Closed | - | Prior to Boys and Girls | In Boys and Girls Jan mentions that the branch closed after attempts at unionization. |
| Rochester, New York | Unknown | Sometime between Weight Loss and Lecture Circuit | - | Michael and Pam skip going to Rochester to visit Nashua. Fate unknown after purchased by Enervate. |
| Stamford, Connecticut | Closed | Prior to Pilot | Branch Closing | It was supposed to absorb the Scranton branch, but after manager Josh Porter took a job with Staples, the Stamford branch closed instead. Some of its employees were absorbed by the Scranton branch. |
| Syracuse, New York | Unknown | Sometime between Company Picnic and Turf War | - | Close enough from Scranton to dispute clients after the Binghamton branch was closed. Fate unknown after purchased by Enervate. |
| Utica, New York | Unknown | Prior to Branch Wars | - | Managed by Karen Filippelli, mentioned by Michael to be "snoozeville." Michael and Pam visit the branch in Lecture Circuit. Fate unknown after purchased by Enervate. |
| Yonkers, New York | Closed | Prior to Weight Loss | Between Weight Loss and Company Picnic | Mentioned by Michael to have two attractive employees. It was listed in the weight loss board in Weight Loss Noted by Holly as having recently closed in Company Picnic due to the economy. |
Competitors[]
- Staples ("Branch Closing", "The Return")
- Office Depot ("Take Your Daughter to Work Day", "Casino Night"*, "Dunder Mifflin Infinity")
- PPC ("Job Fair")
- Pendelton ("Job Fair")
- Catalyst Paper ("Business Trip")
- Prince Paper ("Prince Family Paper")
- The Michael Scott Paper Company ("Michael Scott Paper Company")
- Big Red Paper Company ("Turf War")
- Osprey Paper ("The Sting")
Mission Statement[]
Dunder Mifflin's mission statement is posted on the door to the kitchen closet (which later became Ryan's office):
| DUNDER MIFFLIN, Inc. is committed to providing its customers quality office and information technology products, furniture, printing values and the experience required for making informed buyer decisions. |
| We provide our Customers with the highest standard of integrity and quality, to enable them to develop long-term professional relationships with our employees and staff. |
| We crusade to create a stable working environment and corporate spirit and to give unlimited opportunity to women, and to afford ordinary folk the chance to buy the same things as rich people. We are also committed to nurturing and promulgating wholesome American values. |
| We strive to become the company most known for changing the worldwide poor–quality image of Chinese products. |
Recurring jokes[]
Dunder Mifflin is not a well-known company.
- In the episode "The Return", Dwight tells his co-worker Paris that he worked at Dunder Mifflin, one of Staples' top competitors. "I never heard of 'em," she replies.
- In the episode "Money", Michael tells his boss at the telemarketing company that he is the Regional Manager of Dunder Mifflin. "Never heard of it," he responds.
- In the episode "Local Ad", Jim tells the camera crew that his friends believe Dunder Mifflin sells "mufflers or mittens" (which sound more interesting than paper).
Dunder Mifflin is behind the major competitors.
- In the episode "Dunder Mifflin Infinity", Jim reveals that until the DMI website, the Dunder Mifflin website was "under construction" since 2002 (the episode takes place in 2007).
- In a number of episodes, Michael and other staff acknowledge that Dunder Mifflin is not competitive on price, but say it offers unrivalled personal service. This is usually (but not always) met with an underwhelmed expression from a potential client - apparently unexcited by the idea of paying more to have a personal relationship with their paper supplier.
Behind the scenes[]
The Pennsylvania Paper & Supply Company's tower is the first image in the title sequence. It is near the northeast end of Mifflin Avenue. To coincide with the Season 3 premiere, an Office edition of Scranton's entertainment paper contained an interview with the real paper company's president, who said "[Dunder Mifflin is] more of a printing-paper company while we're a personal-service paper company — paper towels, packaging, toilet tissue. ... We have very little resemblance to the Dunder Mifflin paper company."