 At its peak output American Writing Paper produced 75% of all fine papers in the United States, contemporary accounts describe it as the largest producer of fine papers in the world.The company's failings have been described by historical scholars, including Constance McLaughlin Green, as a matter of a lack of technical expertise in management.Rather than forming from within the paper industry, “both the original promoters [of the trust] and the final agents were brokers and not paper manufacturers.