MCA members invest to survive and grow
MCA members continue to invest in technology, equipment and people to ensure they remain competitive and emerge from the recession as effective, strong companies. Here are some examples of how MCA companies have invested to survive and grow:
MHI, a UK, Swedish & Danish based Global Mail Router, demonstrates exactly the obvious inherent and long term benefits in investing in technology and people with their last 6 months revenue figures showing a 35% growth, when compared to the same period last year. MHI have improved route options and worked closely with clients and mailing houses to ensure they deliver tangible added value to clients. Such an investment led approach ensures MHI can grow in challenging market times.
Air Business have a strategic plan for growth, which is based on investment with growth to ensure the customer experience is as good as always. Their investment ranges from people and back office systems through to investment in new machinery and acquiring new companies, such as their recent acquisition of Jordan & Co International.
IMX has spent close to €500,000 on IT in the past 7 years. In house data capabilities for client self billing, operations reports, volume comparisons, pre-alerts, outgoing postal paperwork and manifests are all operational. Furthermore, they also bar code carrier sheets and scan un-deliverables and return data to clients. The next step is to focus on greater accountability including the development of a template for tracking certain mail pieces.
2009 has seen further developments at Mail Options, towards higher-speed, higher-tech applications for mail production & fulfilment. The installation of 4 ultra-high-speed, Videojet printing lines (running at speeds of up to 60,000 per hour), plus sensitive-inserter “Transactional-Mail Enclosing” lines earlier in the year, has allowed Mail Options to raise the service level bar even higher. This benefits both their existing & prospective clients.
These examples show the range of different investment strategies employed by MCA companies and their ability to react to the economic climate but also keep the customers’ needs at the forefront of their plans.
The MCA is a trade organisation for companies providing international mail consolidation and distribution services ex UK. The MCA is a membership organisation, and it acts as a forum for approved mail consolidators and international mail distributors to share information, develop joint initiatives, and promote best practice, to the mutual benefit of members and their customers.
The international mail consolidation and distribution industry includes international mail operators and many small and medium enterprises throughout the UK.
Consolidated mail services are used by a range of clients from many different industry sectors, such as publishing, direct mail and financial services. Mail services are a vital communication channel for the marketing and promotion of goods and services. Mail order and especially cross-border mail order is one sector of the industry that is rapidly expanding, assisting exporters.
The annual UK international mail market is estimated to be worth in excess of £1bn – this excludes print, fulfilment and ancillary preparation services. Increasing competition, especially in the past few years with foreign postal administrations entering the UK market, has considerably ‘expanded’ the competitiveness of the market and accelerated the introduction of innovative alternative services to the market.
