Ron Pollock

Envelope manufacturers place focus on service to improve customer and distributor experience. According to Steve Brocker, vice president of sales and marketing at Western States Envelope and Label, Butler, Wis., the envelope industry is evolving from being product-focused to being more service-oriented. "We want to give customers the buying experience they want, as well as be an information resource for distributors," he said. Consistent with the growing emphasis on service, Ron Pollock, associate marketing development manager at Wisco (a Quality Park brand), Tullahoma, Tenn., said that the company's delivery times have been shortened. "A number of our printed items are now available within 48

Envelopes are preferred stock in a technology-driven world. Our futuristic, paperless society really likes paper. While we have all benefited from technology, people haven't begun getting rid of their mailboxes, so envelopes are a long way from being obsolete," said Steve Brocker, vice president of sales and marketing at Western States Envelope and Label, Butler, Wis. Brocker said that a recent report published by the Envelope Manufacturers Association (EMA), Alexandria, Va., indicates that envelope consumption was down 2.4 percent in units in 2002 due to a declining economy and the aftermath of events following Sept. 11, 2001, and the subsequent Anthrax scare.