Tag: North America

Postmaster General John Potter told more than 3,000 people attending the National Postal Forum here today to look beyond the current economic downturn and continue to transition mail into the 21st Century.

“Despite the challenging economy, one thing that hasn’t changed is America’s confidence in the mail,” Potter told the packed room. “We owe it to America, to our clients and to ourselves not to overact to the situation at hand.”

Potter provided the Forum’s keynote address, discussing technology, environmental concerns and changes in federal law that gave the Postal Service greater pricing flexibility. The National Postal Forum is the mailing industry’s premiere trade show and event.

Consumer and business need for speedy and reliable service is growing. For mail to continue to be relevant, the industry must change to continue to provide business solutions.

Potter spoke about new technologies that are providing these solutions — Intelligent Mail Barcode and the Flat Sequencing System (FSS). FSS is new technology that will speed the sorting and delivery of large envelopes, catalogs and magazines, quadrupling productivity. FSS machines also will be able to read the Intelligent Mail Barcode, allowing mailers and the Postal Service to track mail throughout the sortation process, improving service and reducing costs to mailers and consumers.

He also encouraged mailers to respect consumer interest and concerns about the environment when creating and sending mail. Eco-friendly practices, programs and services are key to the future of the industry as more consumers chose to do business with companies that embrace green practices.

Sam Pulcrano was appointed the US Postal Service’s first corporate VP of sustainability today at the National Postal Forum in Anaheim, CA.

In his new position, Pulcrano will be responsible for coordinating all of the agency’s environmental and energy programs. According to the USPS, his first goals will be to create an inventory of greenhouse gas emissions and then to initiate an action plan to reduce those emissions.

During his keynote address at the National Postal Forum, Postmaster General Jack Potter stressed the importance of the USPS “going green,” particularly in light of pending do-not-mail legislation in various states. People are concerned about what’s arriving in their mailboxes and companies need to address those concerns, he added.

At a press breakfast following the keynote address, Pulcrano said that the USPS is looking at all “opportunities to green the mail,” including the expansion of its recycling programs, among other initiatives.

In March, the USPS launched a pilot program that allows its customers to recycle small electronics like cell phones, digital cameras and iPods, as well as inkjet cartridges through the mail free of charge. The USPS has also launched pilot programs in Maine and Boston for recycling pharmaceuticals and compact florescent light bulbs, respectively. The USPS hopes to increase its revenues from its recycling efforts, Pulcrano said.

During his 33 years of service for the USPS, Pulcrano has held various positions. Most recently, he was the director of safety and environmental performance management. Responsible for about 600 employees, he oversaw the USPS’s environmental policies and programs, and its safety compliance and procedures.

At the USPS, Pulcrano also held the positions of safety manager, manager of labor relations, area manager for human resources and manager of contract administration for the American Postal Workers Union and National Postal Mail Handlers Union.