Now Showing Envelopes

“In the next one or two years, we will just be known as EMA,” Hyte said. “Envelopes, letterheads, business cards and other print shop products.”

Ennis’ envelope companies are taking advantage of the economic recession.

“Many companies are placing smaller orders due to the uncertainty of what’s to come,” Pennington said. However, we are taking advantage of this in three areas. First, we are using this time to upgrade some of our equipment to streamline our envelope operations across the country. Secondly, we are finding that smaller envelope orders fit our equipment and capabilities very well. With our equipment base, we can respond quickly to the smaller custom orders. Lastly, we are finding that many resellers are re-discovering the envelope as a profitable product line. We are getting opportunities that some resellers were once overlooking.”

Monahan agreed this a very difficult economic period. Credit card mailings from the country’s largest financial institutions have decreased dramatically, reducing output by hundreds of millions of units, he continued.

“The northeast direct marketing community has been hit extremely hard, with several of the nation’s largest lettershops and print/envelope manufacturers recently closing. It’s like the perfect storm: Too much equipment. Low demand. High costs. We are unfortunately predicting there will continue to be plant closings and layoffs until the demand meets the capacity. However, the good news is that new businesses are starting and our nation has always been resilient. Suppliers that can ‘hang in there’ and react to the shorter runs, the quicker turns and the uncertainty created in the marketplace, will survive and hopefully, in the near future, thrive.”

Monahan went on to say he believes envelopes, printing and direct marketing will continue to play a role in the overall world of marketing.

“Technology has changed the landscape dramatically and perhaps direct mail may be a smaller piece of the pie, but it still drives results.”