USPS Resends Strong Message to Businesses: Automation Pays, Adopters Save

GREAT NECK, N.Y., March 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The latest round of US Postal Service (USPS) rate hikes is hitting companies harder than many expected, especially during difficult economic times. The newest postage increases deal an even bigger financial blow to companies that have not shifted to automation-friendly packaging. It's a signal to businesses to move toward packages that are automation friendly or face skyrocketing costs for postage. The already large price gap between automated mail, like letters and flats, and non-automated parcels will widen even further.

The bottom line heroes are turning out to be thoughtfully designed mailers, like the Conformer(TM) media mailer which is the first package to pass the rigors of the USPS automation tests. These mailers not only slash postage in half, but can be run on industry-standard fulfillment equipment as well, exactly the kind of operational efficiency the USPS rate case intended to promote.

Smart packaging choices most significantly benefit companies that mail large volumes of lightweight objects, like CDs, DVDs, software and games in their traditional cases. These solid objects packaged in a box or padded mailer do not pass the requirements demanded by the USPS automation processing equipment, and will cost $1.36 to send by standard mail as a parcel as of May 2008. The Conformer media mailer brings postage costs down to $0.52, saving 62%, because the package now passes as an automated flat.

"Getting the first 'green light' from the USPS for our media mailer reinforces our commitment to developing automation-friendly solutions for companies hit hardest by the postal changes," says Marvin Makofsky, president of Conformer Expansion Products, Inc. "Our product saves both postage and assembly costs, and is well tested on both postal and envelope insertion, cold fusion, and poly wrap equipment. And of course, manual insertion works just fine too."

The USPS can't stand in the way of companies that don't switch over to automation-friendly packaging. It will just charge those companies accordingly. Coming in May 2008 is a 9.66% price increase in standard parcels, the largest price increase by far compared to the automated mail categories. That's in addition to the 40% rise in parcel postage that took effect this past year.

About Conformer Expansion Products

Conformer Expansion Products is a leading innovator of envelopes, mailers, presentation folders and portfolios. Founded in 1972, the company's product line uses no more material than is absolutely necessary, dramatically reducing mailing costs under the new USPS rate restructure. By "pushing the envelope," CEP's award-winning products have been credited as among the biggest office product breakthroughs in decades. For more information contact us or visit www.conformerinc.com.