I’m not sure when my local post office began carrying shipping supplies such as boxes, padded envelopes, etc., but I do know I began using their adhesive packing tape and boxes years ago. The tape dispenser is the right size for the occasional box I need to send.
But one day, while taping up a box, I realized, “Hey, this box was made in the United States.” Then I realized the padded envelopes I was using were as well.
That’s when I realized the display inside my post office had a name, “ReadyPost.”
So I wondered, who makes these supplies? I spent a good hour searching for a ReadyPost company, and then a private label manufacturer — because I knew, despite what some websites were saying, the USPS did not own manufacturing plants that churned out boxes and things.
I asked Gary, the clerk at my PO, “When new supplies come in, what’s the name on the boxes? Who is sending them to you?”
Gary replied, “Oh, they’re not shipped to us. The ReadyPost guy comes in and restocks us.”
Oh, interesting! I went back to the Internet and finally discovered GovTribe, a website that lists Federal contract opportunities and contracts awarded. (All links below.)
The ReadyPost creative, marketing and retail services contract was awarded to Pratt Retail Specialities, LLC, a division of Pratt Industries, a manufacturer based in Georgia.
When I told Gary this information, he said, “Yes, the Post Office is very patriotic and supports American businesses and Veterans.”
Pratt Industries: Invested in sustainability and U.S. manufacturing
Founded 30 years ago, Pratt Industries operates manufacturing facilities in 25 states. It also operates a recycling company that supplies recycled material to “six of the most modern, cost-effective 100% recycled paper mills in the United States.” (All info from the website.)
The company’s infrastructure includes:
- 16 recycling facilites
- 6 paper mills
- 21 corrugating plants
- 27 converting plants
- 17 retail display facilities
- 47 transportation facilities
In 2022, Executive Global Chairman Anthony Pratt pledged to invest “an additional $5 Billion in U.S. recycling and clean energy infrastructure to create an additional 5,000 American manufacturing jobs over the next ten years.”
The Retail Specialities division, which oversees the ReadyPost brand, designs packaging and displays for hundreds of products. It sounds like a great place to work!
ReadyPost shipping supplies are durable and well-made
I’ve come to rely on ReadyPost boxes and envelopes. I particularly like the adhesive tape dispenser as it’s small and easy-to-use. It means I don’t need to buy one of those unwieldy packing tape dispenser guns or six-packs of tape rolls.
I really like the ReadyPost padded envelopes. Instead of being bulky paper-covered bubble wrap, the ReadyPost mailers are slim and come in various sizes.
I use these shipping envelopes to mail my Keep It Made USA shirts (made by Authentically American), along with my branded thank you card (made by Start Imagining), to the people who grant an interview for this blog.
The envelope, shirt, and card are all made in the U.S. The entire package has become another way to emphasize my message — “Support American manufacturing and American workers. Buy Made in USA whenever you can!”
So, the next time you need a box, packing tape, or a padded envelope, stop by your local Post Office first. You might pay a little more per unit than you would at a big box office supply store, but your purchase supports clean air and water, U.S. manufacturing, and most importantly, American workers — including U.S. Veterans.
Links
GovTribe — An AI powered government contract assistant
ReadyPost award to Pratt Retail Specialities — GovTribe listing
Pratt Industries — Retail Speciality Division
Pratt Industries — About Us
A New Iconic Brand: Authentically American Apparel — A Keep It Made USA write up
Start Imagining: Custom Note Cards for Business Made in the USA — A Keep It Made USA write up
The USPS: Our First Communications Network — A Keep It Made USA write up
Full Disclosure
I’m not paid nor asked to write about products or the companies that make them. All links in this piece are FREE — meaning, they’re not sponsored or paid for.
My mission is to keep manufacturing jobs stateside and this blog is my way of giving back. We like to think a “small” choice, such as purchasing something made in the US by American workers, won’t make a difference. It does.
