Memo to Mailers
- October 2002 (Text)
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
VOLUME 37 NUMBER 10
OCTOBER 2002

WHAT'S INSIDE
INDUSTRY TASK FORCE
NPF AWARD WINNERS
IDEA FORUM
CLICK-N-SHIP
POSTAL NEWS BRIEFS
KIBBLE AND A GOOD CAUSE

IT'S ABOUT ALL
OF US
Postmaster General (PMG) John E. Potter told the National Postal Forum (NPF)
increased volume from mailers combined with cost reductions by the Postal Service
have improved finances for USPS, which is expected to finish the year with a
loss well below $1 billion.
In his keynote address at the fall forum, held Sept. 22-25 in Boston, MA, Potter
said the lower deficit and projections of net income for FY 2003 - previously
announced at $600 million - reinforce his pledge that there will be no
general rate hike until well into 2004.
"My expectations are high for us, for the nation's economy and for the
entire mailing industry over the next couple of years," he said.
Potter said that in the past year, the Postal Service kept its eye on the core
mission: to provide dependable, universal mail service to every American. He
thanked employees "for their resolve, their flexibility, and for their
hard work. It was a year like we have never seen before."
The PMG told mailers that USPS kept its pledges to them - to improve service
performance and make the Transformation Plan a reality. "Our management
team committed to managing the business like never before," he said.
Potter said it took hard decisions. It took sweeping organizational changes,
reductions in staff and workhours, and major adjustments to processing networks,
among other changes. Employees and managers rose to the challenge. Service performance
reached record levels.
"We concluded the debate on whether we were a delivery company, a communications
company or a logistics company," he said. "We refocused on the core
business: processing and delivering American's mail and doing it affordably
with top-notch service."
Where is USPS headed? It's all in the broad context and detail of the Transformation
Plan, says Potter. The continuing challenge, he says, is to keep customers,
employees and all stakeholders up-to-date on the progress USPS is making.
Potter says there are four objectives for FY 2003:

    continue the 
      commitment to improve service performance, including improvements that reduce 
      risks of bioterrorism
      
    explore with 
      the Postal Rate Commission alternatives to the ratemaking process within current 
      legislation 
      
    use the transformation 
      strategy to grow business by enhancing existing products and services
    continue to 
      manager finances and reduce costs.
      
      

Potter noted that
USPS already is expanding access and making postal services more convenient.
He announced that starting in January, Priority Mail and other postal products
will be available in select Hallmark Gold Crown stores across the country.
"The Transformation Plan is not just about the Postal Service," Potter
told the mailing industry. "It's about all of us. We all have a stake in
securing the future of universal mail service in America."
FY2003 FINANCIAL
PLAN
The Postal Service's integrated financial plan for fiscal year (FY) 2003, which
covers operating, capital investment and financing plans, calls for a net income
of $600 million for the year and the first reduction in outstanding debt since
1997.
For FY 2003, revenue is projected to grow to $70.4 billion, $3.9 billion or
5.9 percent above FY 2002's estimated revenue of $66.5 billion. Mail volume
is projected to grow a modest 1.9 percent to 205.7 billion pieces, but will
still be below FY 2000 volume levels.
Expenses are budgeted at $69.8 billion, a 3.2 percent growth over estimated
expenses for FY 2002 of $67.7 billion. "We plan to reduce workhours by
30 million and reduce complement by another 12,000 employees, while at the same
time adding 1.65 million daily deliveries," says Chief Financial Officer
Richard Strasser. "This will be the fourth year in a row we will have reduced
workhours and complement." Cumulative workhour reductions since FY 2000
will total 141 million and the number of career employees will have been reduced
by 55,000 over the same period.
The FY 2003 budget includes about $1 billion in cost reductions. Total Factor
Productivity, which measures output or workload in comparison to the resources
used to produce the output, is projected to increase by 0.7 percent. The plan
also projects a 1.9 percent increase in Output per Work Hour, which measures
workload (mail volume and deliveries) compared to the resources used to produce
it.
"Seventy-six percent of total expenses are personnel expenses. Within that
amount is $5.1
billion in Civil Service deferred retirement liabilities and annuitant health
benefits costs. No other federal agency is required to pay these costs,"
noted Strasser.
"The FY 2003 capital investment plan totals $2.5 billion and reflects continued
constraints on new capital commitments," said Strasser. "Projects
will be considered on a case-by-case basis to address high-growth areas,
equipment that provides reduced operating costs, and crucial infrastructure
improvements."
"The FY 2003 budget projects the first reduction in debt since 1997,"
Strasser said. "Cash flow from operations will be $2.8 billion based mainly
on net income and depreciation expenses. With capital cash outlays at $2 billion,
we will be able to reduce our outstanding debt by $800 million."
MAILING INDUSTRY
TASK FORCE:
MOVING QUICKLY FROM CONCEPT TO REALITY
The Mailing Industry Task Force is making great strides to meet its objectives
to better respond to customer needs, make mail more competitive and help unify
the industry, according to a progress report issued at the National Postal Forum
in Boston.
"The mailing industry shares the understanding that a vital Postal Service
providing universal communication and delivery service to the American people
is critically important," said Deputy Postmaster General John Nolan, co-chair
of the task force.
Task force recommendations have moved "quickly from concept to reality
because of the remarkable collaboration between industry members and the Postal
Service," said Michael Critelli, CEO of Pitney Bowes, also a task force
co-chair. "These ideas will add quality to postal services and make the
combined industry and Postal Service network more efficient, effective and relevant."
HIGHLIGHTED TASK
FORCE ACHIEVEMENTS
Address Quality
A test sponsored by the task force has led to several recommendations that will
improve how USPS uses its database to successfully forward mail and how address
correction information is captured. Other achievements include the publication
of a Federal Register notice aimed at reducing undeliverable-as-addressed mail
volume, the planned launch of the Postal Automated Redirection System and preprinted
Address Change Service codes.

Intelligent Mail
Several enhanced products and services became available to the public this summer,
or will be unveiled early this fall, including CONFIRM. Together, they form
the first-phase building blocks for intelligent mail. The task force had recommended
the industry promote the development of the "intelligent" mailpiece
by collaborating with USPS to implement standards and systems to make every
mailpiece - including packages - unique and trackable.
Connsumer Gateway
Services
The task force has laid the conceptual groundwork for the development of gateway
services to enhance ease of use, increase access and leverage postal assets.
They include kiosks, a Parcel Select merchandise returns initiative and a carrier
pickup program.

Network Optimization
The task force has supported the Postal Service's Network Integration Alignment
project, which has a charter to create a flexible logistics network that reduces
USPS's and customers' costs, increases operational effectiveness and improves
consistency in service.

Enhanced Payment Systems, Commercial Credit Options
The task force support for PostalOne! - the Web-based technology platform for
an enhanced Postal Service payment system - has helped move it from the conceptual
to its initial deployment.

Competitive Pricing Strategy
The first-phase development of a Postal Service corporate pricing plan was launched
last spring, with the task force conducting workshops and facilitating discussions
on the best practices for a competitive pricing strategy.
CONGRATULATIONS!
National Postal Forum, Boston, MA, Sept. 22-25 - Fall 2002 Award Winners

PARTNERSHIP FOR
PROGRESS
Gary Mulloy
Chairman and CEO
ADVO Inc.
Windsor, CT
Vincent Sombrotto
President
National Association of Letter Carriers, AFL-CIO
Washington, DC

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT
America Online
Dulles, VA
Leonard Bartels
Official Mail Manager
Department of Defense
Alexandria, VA
William T. Carter
President and CEO
USCertifiedLetters
Birmingham, AL
James H. Cole Jr.
Director of Bill Print Operations
Verizon Communications
New York, NY
John Crider
Manager of Postal Affairs
Sprint
Overland Park, KS
Steve Zwieg
Vice President of Development
Parcel Direct
New Berlin, WI
John S. "Jack"
Dearing
Senior Vice President of Safety and Security
ADVO Inc.
Windsor, CT
Office of Governmentwide
Policy
General Services Administration
Washington, DC
Charles H. Howard
Vice President of Postal Affairs and Special Projects
Harte-Hanks
Glen Burnie, MD
James Licano
Mailing Center Manager
California State University-Northridge
Northridge, CA
James R. O'Brien
Director of Distribution and Postal Affairs
Time Inc.
New York, NY
Robert J. O'Brien
Vice President of DM List Services and Postal Distribution Policy
Time Customer Service Inc.
Tampa, FL
Charles L. Pace
President
C.L. Pace Associates
Kirkland, WA

Wanda Senne
Manager of Postal Affairs
ACE Marketing, A World Marketing Company
Smyrna, GA
Wanda Taylor
Manager of Revenue Processing Services
Texas Utilities
Irving, TX

MAIL CENTER MANAGER
Clementine Borders
Manager of Mailing/Diary Controls
Nielsen Media Research
Dunedin, FL
Gloria J. Fisher
Manager of Quality and Mail Administration
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey
Harrison, NJ
Erin Hawkins
Mail Center Coordinator
Speedway/Super America LLC
Enon, OH
Paul Okerson
Assistant Vice President of Office Services
Conseco Services LLC
Carmel, IN
Ronald T. Tanaka
Operations Manager
Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) Company
West Sacramento, CA
Scott Tsopas
Manager of Operational Support Services
Harvard Business School
Boston, MA
William Tucker
Mail Center Manager
Home Interiors and Gifts
Carrollton, TX
Richard "Buzz"
Van Santvoord
Vice President of Fulfillment
Plow & Hearth
Madison, VA
Mary Wells
Team Leader Mail Services
Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa
Des Moines, IA
FALL 2002 NPF IDEA
FORUM
Want to see some innovative uses of the mail? Look no further. These four companies
and five mailing industry professionals were honored at the NPF in Boston with
the Postal Service's Idea Forum award. The award recognizes corporations or
individuals who have successfully implemented technological or mail-related
innovation in their company to enhance the value of mail as a strategy to generate
revenue or reduce costs.
Here are the innovators:
Atlantic Envelope Company, Atlanta, GA
Boomerang hits executive target
Most customers decide quickly which direct mail piece will receive their attention.
Atlantic Envelope Company certainly got noticed when it used a combination of
mail-piece design and an added "premium" to grab the attention of
decision makers and demonstrate the unique qualities of its product - a reusable,
two-way envelope that was originally developed in Australia.
Are you thinking boomerang? Atlantic Envelope Company did. The firm's mailing
list targeted decision makers - chief executive officers, presidents, chief
financial officers, chief marketing officers, and administrative services and
operations vice presidents - to receive an authentic, hand-made Australian boomerang
in a custom wooden box (with emblems and copy branded in the wood). Also included
in the direct mail piece were a customized full-circle envelope, a letter from
the president highlighting the revenue-generating and cost-savings advantages,
and a brochure about the product.
Success was easily measured. Atlantic Envelope Company received executive-level
responses from 17 of the 21 companies that received the mailing, seeking more
information about the product.

Ron Tuttle, Security
Manager, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Tallahassee, FL
The first security mail site in Florida
The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, highlighted the importance of mail
security unlike any other period in U.S. history. As security manager for the
Capitol Mail Center, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Ron Tuttle was responsible
for safeguarding Florida's Governor Jeb Bush, brother of President Bush, along
with security of the Capitol Complex mail and the safety of state employees
while maintaining continuity of state government operations.
Working with the Postal Service, Tuttle developed and implemented a new and
improved security/prevention plan to reduce risks and protect everyone who handled,
sorted and received mail at the state capitol.
Mailroom managers and supervisors say mail service improved with the implementation
of the improved security measures.

John Bradley, President,
Resole America, Chantilly, VA
Don't leave home 'with' them . . . use the mail
Customers crave convenience, so the Marketing Department at Resole America was
committed to developing a way for customers nationwide to send their shoes for
repair without leaving home. Ease of use for the customer, along with efficient
and timely shipping, was a top priority for Resole America.
Working with USPS Account Manager Phyllis Porter, the company discovered that
the solution to its challenge was Priority Mail envelopes, with merchandise
return labels attached, sent out via First-Class Mail service. Packages can
be dropped into a mailbox or left for the carrier to pick up, and Resole America
is able to honor its commitment to deliver repaired shoes within two to four
days of the completion of work. This has helped the company increase its customer
base by 15 percent over last year and overall sales have increased by 22 percent.
Resole America now is able to offer shoe-repair service to literally every household
in the country.
Access Business
Group, Grand Rapids, MI
Three goals are better than one
Taking advantage of Parcel
Select rates through destination delivery unit (DDU) discounts may not be new,
but the approach used by Access Business Group's Jim VanderMeer - manager of
Global Transportation/Carrier Procurement - put a new spin on a great program
by maximizing its greatest strength: dependable local delivery.
By adding the benefits of the Postal Service's "last mile" delivery
expertise to its private-carrier network, Access Business Group created a program
that benefits everyone involved. Teaming with USPS experts in Sales, Marketing,
Operations, and Business Mail Entry, VanderMeer and his team built the framework
for an innovative and profitable shipping solution.
As a result, Access Business Network has exceeded the expectations of its internal
and external customers by implementing one program that accomplished its three
strategic goals: 1) maintaining the private-carrier network, 2) reducing transportation
and delivery costs, and 3) improving service performance.
Destination delivery unit rates, combined with the company's private-carrier
network, have made that possible. Over the past fiscal year, DDU volume has
increased from 2 percent of the total package volume to 30 percent. At the same
time, the Postal Service has surpassed delivery expectations by exceeding the
98.5 percent target for two-day delivery upon receipt at the DDU. VanderMeer
expects the percentage of DDU volume to continue growing as new areas are added
to the private delivery network.

City of Scottsdale,
AZ
NetPost Online postcards - an invitation to success
Community awareness and involvement is one of the biggest challenges facing
municipalities across the country. The City of Scottsdale, AZ, decided the best
way to inform residents of proposed development was in bite-size pieces, and
in a non-threatening, non-bureaucratic format that was easy to read and understand.
And what better format to deliver this information than a postcard?
Historically,
the city's Planning and Development Department mails more than 50,000 notification
letters to property owners informing them of proposed development projects that
are being reviewed in upcoming public hearings. This process was time consuming,
costly and ineffective. The technical nature of public-hearing notices did little
to encourage residents to understand the city's development process or to provide
input.
City officials turned to NetPost Online postcards, because the read rate on
postcard mailings was higher than that for letter mail. By using this postcard
format, and working with USPS representatives on a weekly basis, city officials
were able to fine-tune issues related to billing, turnaround and record keeping.
City officials can see for themselves that it's working - at a recent community
open house, a majority of those attending showed up with their postcards in
hand as a reminder of the meeting.

Elizabeth Schultz,
Manager, Regional Support Service, National Print Mail Center, GEICO Direct,
Fredericksburg, VA
Delivery is CONFIRMED
To help speed up mailings to its West Coast customers from its national mail
operations in Virginia, GEICO turned to USPS National Account Manager Pam Stewart.
GEICO first collected data to help identify how to move some of its mailings
faster, and recognized that its initial proposals looked costlier than the company
had hoped. That's when Stewart stepped in to lend a hand.
Stewart and GEICO Direct officials agreed to use PLANET Codes and CONFIRM on
various seed letters sent to addresses in select three-digit locations. This
process would be transparent to GEICO customers yet provide the necessary data
needed for GEICO Direct and USPS to take remedial action if delays in delivery
were discovered.
Contracting with a CONFIRM vendor to provide PLANET Codes, GEICO Direct and
the Postal Service discovered that delivery of 91.7 percent of the test pieces
actually exceeded published External First Class Measurement scores, and that
more than 97 percent of the mail was delivered within four days. As a result
of the findings, GEICO Direct made the decision not to make major operational
changes but rather to continue to monitor and track those specific delivery
areas that fell outside the four-day delivery window.

Modern Postcard,
Carlsbad, Ca
Building customers - Online
To increase the use of direct mail, Modern Postcard capitalized on technology
and the growing use of the Internet to meet customer needs for a Web-based direct
mail solution using postcards. This was accomplished via Modern Postcard's Build
Online program - a website that walks customers through the process of designing
effective direct mail pieces.
Additionally, customers can upload a proprietary database or purchase a mailing
list from Modern Postcard. The website contains postal regulations, mailpiece
design specifications, a postage calculator and more. Once the design is completed,
the customer gives final approval of the layout and authorizes Modern Postcard
to print and mail the project utilizing its in-house mailing service and detached
mail unit. This is all accomplished over the Internet on Modern Postcard's website,
which caters to all market segments or specific proprietary organizations.
Modern Postcard's postal revenue has increased 154.5 percent over last year
and - in just three years - postal revenue generated by Modern Postcard has
increased from $164,000 to a projected year-end total of $5 million for FY 2002.

Adonay Ramírez,
General Manager, El Día Directo, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
Real Estate . . . real success
Traditionally, real estate developers and marketing companies have relied primarily
on mass
media such as outdoor displays and newspaper advertising to generate awareness
and promote new residential and business developments. Accountability was low
and marketing was more broad-based than targeted.
General Manager Ramírez decided to change this approach by educating
and convincing potential El Día Directo clients to use USPS as the vehicle
to reach their desired target market. Customers were offered alternatives: advertising
mail and/or First-Class Mail service.
To publicize its clients' offerings, El Día Directo decided to use presorted
First-Class Mail Service to ensure fast delivery and high visibility of a full-color
8.5-by-11-inch glossy self-mailing card. Printed on both sides, the card included
a map with directions on how to get to the locations and artistic renderings
on how the completed projects and units would look.
Annual mail volume generated by company clients has increased from some 15,000
pieces to millions of pieces each year in a winning partnership for both El
Día Directo and the Postal Service. Working closely with USPS, company
mailings now are a team effort that includes postal representatives from Sales,
the Business Service Network, Mailpiece Design, the Business Mail Entry Unit,
and Processing and Distribution.

Brian Grimes, Manager,
Warehouse/Mailing, Harte-Hanks, Shawnee, KS
Cost-cutting never goes out of style
The Kansas City area facility of Harte-Hanks mails more than 75 million pieces
per year on behalf of its clients, but of that total some 550,000 pieces are
mailed and generated from small daily data processing files. These files often
generated up to 40 separate daily mailings. This resulted in costly, labor-intensive
mailings that generated more than 10,000 postal mailing certificate forms each
year to support less than 1 percent of the total mail volume handled by the
facility.
The challenge was to find a way to reduce these labor costs for Harte-Hanks
(keeping mailings separate, creating mailing statements, etc.) and save valuable
verification time for both Harte-Hanks and USPS. The solution was to create
a unique manifest system that linked the manifest postal certificate with the
internal tracking system.
Working with a vendor, Harte-Hanks designed and created a system that met all
Postal Service requirements. The result? USPS has only one job to verify, rather
than 30 small jobs, and Harte-Hanks and the Postal Service are saving tens of
thousands of dollars in labor, verification and production costs.
BRINGING THE POST
OFFICE TO YOUR OFFICE
Can't get to the post office? Now the post office can be wherever you and your
PC are. Introducing Click-N-Ship and online shipping at www.usps.com.
From the convenience of your own home or office, you can pay for postage and
print shipping labels - whether it's three o'clock in the afternoon or three
o'clock in the morning. There's no special equipment needed -just a computer,
a printer and an Internet connection. Labels can be printed on regular 8.5 x
11" paper stock and taped or glued securely onto your mailpiece. Or if
you choose, self-adhesive labels can be purchased.
Payment for PC Postage service is easy. All you need is a major credit card
and registration on www.usps.com. You can also print labels without postage.
Simply log on to www.usps.com/shipping/label.htm and in few keystrokes you'll
be printing a shipping label.
To meet your shipping needs, online shipping labels are available for four USPS
expedited domestic and international services: Priority Mail, Express Mail,
Global Express Mail™ and Global Express Guaranteed®.
And get this. Delivery Confirmation service is included - at no additional cost
- with every Priority Mail label you print online. Alternately, you can add
Signature Confirmation service at a savings of 50 cents under retail costs.
This is because online shippers qualify for the electronic rate for Confirmation
Services, making Priority Mail service an even greater value.
Click-N-Ship rolls three popular www.usps.com tools into one. ZIP Code look-up,
Rate Calculator and Address Standardization are part of one simple process.
Another very handy feature is the address book that allows you to save your
frequently used addresses online. You can sort by name, company or address,
and use our quick-print feature. Just Click-N-Ship!
Mailing your Priority Mail and Express Mail pieces with online shipping labels
is as convenient as your neighborhood mailbox - when you use PC Postage service.
Because you registered and paid online with your credit card, these domestic
pieces can be mailed in collection boxes regardless of weight. You can also
hand your pieces to your delivery carrier, schedule for pickup or drop off at
your local post office.
To learn more and try online shipping for yourself, visit the Postal Service
website at www.usps.com and enter Click-N-Ship in the search box.
"Expanding access to postal services by doing business when and where our
customers prefer" is a key Transformation Plan strategy. And now the Postal
Service is providing access online - with shipping that's just a Click-N-Ship
away!
RAVE REVIEWS
A Customer's Guide to Mailing is available for free from local post offices.
It's also available online at www.usps.com.
"I just finished going through the new DMM 100 and wanted you to know how
excellent this publication is. I do not usually contact anyone or comment on
new materials released to the field but this thing is just too good. It is the
best guide I have seen for our employees and the public in 34 years of postal
service…. Thanks for a really great, relevant and clear guide."
- James Jacobs, Postmaster, Sharon Hill, PA
"Congratulations on the new DMM 100. It looks terrific. I can see great
care was put into its design and it is perfect for the consumer. It certainly
is an example of how the Postal Service is making it easier for its customers
to do business on a daily basis."
- Bruce Dobin, Reliable Mail Service, Edison, NY, Mailers'
Technical Advisory Committee member
"This booklet is the best informational source for our customers that I
have seen in the 12 years that I have worked for the Postal Service. Thank you
for making my job easier!"
- Vicki Koltiska, Postmaster, Wyarno, WY
POSTAL NEWS BRIEFS
USPS FILES NEGOTIATED SERVICE AGREEMENT
The Postal Service has filed a case with the Postal Rate Commission seeking
a three-year experimental mail classification based on a negotiated service
agreement (NSA) between USPS and Capital One Services, Inc.
"We are seeking ways to make it easier and more beneficial for postal customers
doing business with us. Many postal customers want access to prices and services
targeted to their specific needs. One way to accommodate these needs, under
current law, is through the pricing flexibility afforded to us with NSAs,"
says USPS Chief Marketing Officer Anita Bizzotto.
NSAs can specify the preparation, presentation, acceptance, processing, transportation
and delivery of mailings under particular rate, classification and service conditions,
and restrictions that go beyond those required of other mailers.
PARCEL PRODUCTIVITY
Get ready for the next generation of package sorting equipment. The USPS Board
of Governors approved purchase of the Automated Package Processing System (APPS)
to improve package sorting and accuracy.
The system will replace mechanized Small Parcel and Bundle Sorting machines
at 70 postal facilities.
The APPS will greatly reduce manual handling by automating the feeding process,
using optical character recognition (OCR) technology to read addresses and utilizing
a transport system that permits online video encoding of pieces that can't be
read by the optical character reader. The APPS also handles larger and heavier
mail.
RISE AND SHINE
The Postal Service will expand and standardize Parcel Select
destination delivery unit (DDU) acceptance hours nationwide by adding "early-bird"
hours.
The first phase is effective Oct. 19. The drop ship times for Parcel Select
DDU products will be standardized nationwide at a minimum of 5 a.m. to 7 a.m.
and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. among the 1,000 largest offices, with limited exceptions.
Headquarters will continue to support current local initiatives to expand Parcel
Select drop ship hours beyond these standardized minimums based on mailers'
requests and current staffing.
The second phase will include modified standardized early morning acceptance
times for an additional 7,800 offices, based on current staffing, scheduling
and facility capacity. While a specific date has yet to be determined, it is
expected to be implemented in the not too distant future.
Parcel Select is directed toward high-volume shippers who serve residential
customers.
SHOW OF TRANSFORMATION
Postmaster General John E. Potter received over 10,000 postcards mailed from
postmasters who support USPS transformation. National Association of Postmasters
of the United States (NAPUS) President Walter Olihovik (left) presented the
postcards to Potter.
The postcards contained this message: "Please know that your NAPUS postmasters
and their families stand with you, shoulder to shoulder, as we work to transform
the Postal Service."
KEEPING POSTED
News from and for Postal Customer Councils www.usps.com/nationalpcc
AT THE MARDI GRAS
If it's Mardi Gras, it must be Indianapolis in November. The Indianapolis Postal
Customer Council (PCC) will hold its fall workshop Nov. 20, complete with a
Mardi Gras theme. The event will feature a vendor area, seminars, prizes and
speakers from both the Postal Service and mailing industry. Seminar topics will
include mailpiece design, CONFIRM/ PLANET Codes for tracking letters and flats,
trends in mail center management, MERLIN automated mail acceptance and mail
security. If you have questions contact Kim Yates at 317-464-6164.
Volume 37 Number
10
Ilze Sella, Editorial Services
Frank Papandrea, Art Director
David Ostroff, Designer
Alan Valsi, Printing Specialist
John E. Potter, Postmaster General and CEO
Deborah K. Willhite, Senior Vice President, Government Relations and Public
Policy
Azeezaly S. Jaffer, Vice President, Public Affairs and Communications
MEMO TO MAILERS is published by U.S. Postal Service Public Affairs and Communications.

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memo to mailers
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KIBBLE AND A GOOD
CAUSE
Pet owners shopping for dog and cat chow and other supplies at PETsMART stores
have the opportunity to pick up some stamps and help raise awareness of pet
overpopulation and the importance of neutering or spaying pets.
Through a joint promotion with the Postal Service, PETsMART, Inc. is selling
the Neuter or Spay commemorative postage stamps in its stores across the country.

USPS distributed more than 21,000 panes of 20 stamps to PETsMART stores. The
$9.99 per-pane purchase price available at PETsMART stores includes a $2.59
donation to PETsMART Charities to fund local neuter and spay programs, and further
educate the public about pet overpopulation. PETsMART Charities is a non-profit
organization dedicated to saving homeless pets' lives.