Nov. 2, 2023 – ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The Envelope Manufacturers Association (EMA) Foundation’s Institute for Postal Studies is releasing its 2023 U.S. Mailing Industry Economic Job Study, which reveals overall industry impact remains strong thanks to growth in e-commerce driven parcel delivery.

In 2022, the industry accounted for approximately 7.9 million jobs and $1.9 trillion in sales revenue. This includes employment at the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), private delivery companies, printers, publishers, packaging manufacturers, and paper manufacturers that rely on the Postal Service as a supply chain partner.

Key U.S. mailing industry findings include:

• 7.9 million jobs represent 5% of the country’s total civilian labor force
• $1.9 trillion in sales revenue accounts for 4.1% of U.S. total output
• Overall jobs increased 8% from 2018 to 2022 due to more packaged products being delivered through the mail stream
• From 2018 to 2022, jobs associated with traditional mail (which continues to provide the majority of USPS volume and revenue) dropped by 7%, totaling a loss of 409,400 jobs, whereas packaging jobs grew by 65% or almost 1 million jobs.
• Private sector delivery (UPS, FedEx, last mile delivery services, etc.) has grown 57% since 2018 due to parcel delivery, which accelerated during the pandemic thanks to online shopping and remote working

“The U.S. mailing industry is a critical component of the modern American economy and a part of every community. We believe postal reforms are needed to ensure the U.S. Postal Service and mailing industry remain viable. While package growth and increasing competition are good news, mail related jobs and revenue are declining and at greater risk. Ensuring predictable and affordable postage rates for mailers is one step that will encourage stability in the mailing industry. Rate stability will encourage consumers and businesses to continue to mail and provide access to the millions of Americans that depend on an affordable and reliable USPS,” said Marie Clarke, EMA President.

“It’s clear that the mailing industry is a key economic driver, which is even more reason to protect the U.S. Postal Service and its ability to keep delivering,” said former Congressman Kevin Yoder (R-Kan.), executive director of Keep US Posted, a nonprofit advocacy group that opposes postage rate increases and efforts to slow the mail. “USPS must do a better job of protecting its traditional mail business, which is its most important asset and a critical service for the American people. Traditional mail still accounts for the majority of volume and revenue for USPS, and its market share for packages is not increasing enough to make up for declines. USPS should work on stabilizing its traditional mail business and retaining customers, instead of continuing to cannibalize it with unprecedented postage hikes that price mail out of the system.”

The study analyzes the most recent data collected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Postal Service, and Department of Commerce Bureau of Economic Affairs. You can access the full report at: https://www.envelope.org/emaf/institute-for-postal-studies/

EMA is the world’s largest association devoted exclusively to the envelope manufacturing and paper-based communications industry. The EMA Foundation for Paper-Based Communications supports the paper-based communications industry by conducting research and education initiatives to inform stakeholders on postal and environmental matters.

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Marie Clarke Appointed President of EMA

Dynamic Association Executive to Advocate for Paper-Based Communications Industry

Alexandria, VA – May 16, 2023 – EMA, the world’s largest association devoted exclusively to the envelope manufacturing and paper-based communications industry, announced today that Marie Clarke has been named President. Clarke is an accomplished association leader who has spent her career representing industry and stakeholder interests in the legislative, regulatory, and judicial process as it relates to consumer products, the environment, and international policy.

In her new role, Clarke will direct all aspects of the Association’s operations, overseeing strategic long-range planning, membership development and engagement, industry advocacy, financial stewardship, and staff development. In addition, she will provide leadership for the Association’s sister organizations: the EMA Foundation and the Global Envelope Alliance (GEA).

“We are confident Marie’s leadership and advocacy skills will support EMA’s continued leadership role in the paper-based communications industry,” observed Derek Waterhouse, Chairman of the EMA Board. “With her years of experience in associations and infectious energy, she will be a great leader who will take EMA to new heights in the future.”

Prior to joining the EMA, she was the Vice President of Policy and Government Affairs with the International Sleep Products Association (ISPA), where she was responsible for advocacy on behalf of mattress manufacturers and suppliers. While at ISPA, Clarke also served as the Vice President of Industry and External Affairs for the Mattress Recycling Council (MRC), an industry supported nonprofit that operates mattress stewardship programs.

Prior to ISPA and MRC, Clarke held a similar role with the American Coatings Association (ACA), the trade association for the paint industry, and PaintCare, the industry product stewardship organization. At ACA, Marie also served as Counsel to the International Paint and Printing Ink Council (IPPIC, now the World Coatings Council), facilitating the exchange of information and cooperation on key issues and priorities facing the paint and printing ink industries worldwide.

In addition to her trade association experience, Clarke has worked in private practice and on several political campaigns. Clarke earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Villanova University and her Juris Doctorate from the Delaware Law School in Wilmington, DE. She is admitted to the practice of law in Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and the District of Columbia.

About EMA

Headquartered in Alexandria, VA, EMA is the unified voice of the envelope and paper-based communications industry. It is the single largest trade resource and recognized representative for envelope manufacturers and printers, forms companies, packaging companies, market intermediaries, and the suppliers that support these companies. Since 1933, the EMA has been promoting the protection, representation, and growth of the industry through state, national, and global advocacy, market research, networking, and specialized education. EMA has 108 member companies and is led by a 12-member Board of Directors. EMA For more information, visit www.envelope.org

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – July 12, 2021
Contact: Rafe Morrissey rafem@morrisseystrategic.com

The EMA and the Greeting Card Association (GCA), whose members depend on the USPS to deliver more than half of greeting cards purchased by Americans to their final recipient, urges that the price increase for the Forever Stamp and other Market Dominant postage rates be delayed until January 2022. Data from a new report by NDP Analytics released today underscores that USPS’s financial performance and other projections in its “Delivering for America” plan are much improved from its original forecast. All participants in the mailing industry, including citizen mailers, continue to recover from the pandemic, and the proposed large and unexpected increases in postage, which few in the industry anticipated or budgeted for, place an unnecessary burden on the USPS’ monopoly customers, further depressing mail volume.

“Simply put, the USPS does not need the revenue from the proposed increase now,” said GCA President, George White. “While there can be a debate over how much rate authority in the future
is appropriate for the USPS but it is clear it has the ability to raise rates as proposed. It is also clear, however, that the USPS can afford to wait until the normal January timeframe for rate
increases which would allow the industry time to stabilize their business coming off the pandemic and prepare for the higher rates.”

The new report, “Review of USPS 10-Year Plan: Achieving Financial Stability Without Excessive Rate Increases” by NDP Analytics demonstrates that USPS financial performance since the release of its “Delivering for America” plan is well ahead of projections. In addition, the economy has recovered to a much greater extent than had been planned and mail volumes are higher than projected. That improved performance, coupled with substantial relief in the form of a $10 billion grant from Congress puts the USPS in a relatively stable financial position. Given ample cash on hand, a delay of 5 months in imposing one of the largest increases in USPS history will make little difference to USPS finances in the short term but will be critical for the mailing industry to prepare and plan for the new rates.

Key takeaways from the report include:

1. The USPS report, “Delivering for America”, outlines a 10-year plan to reach financial stability and improve operational performance. Most of the Plan’s strategic initiatives align with its vision and mission however, the initiative to raise rates above CPI does not.

2. For the long run financial stability, USPS must retain its customer base and protect mail volume. It can achieve this by implementing predictable and low rate increases, which many mailers indicate is the single most important action the Postal Service can take to preserve business. In contrast, above-CPI rate increases will result in steep volume declines, as seen in the case of greeting cards.

3. The USPS 10-year plan is based on outdated assumptions about economic and USPS performance and needs to be revised. To date, the U.S. economy and market-dominant volume and revenue have far exceeded USPS projections. We expect FY2021 market-dominant revenue to outpace USPS projections by nearly $3B.

4. Under more realistic market-dominant volume assumptions and 1.5% annual rate increases, USPS can achieve financial stability by implementing all of its strategic initiatives except above CPI rate increases (and without implementing proposed August 2021 rate increases).

5. In our most conservative scenario, we expect that USPS can generate $1.8B over 10 years. This scenario generates $1.5B more than the USPS projection with above-CPI rate increases and much steeper volume declines.

“There is much in the USPS’s “Delivering for America” plan that GCA supports, “said White. “Our only area of major disagreement is the application of rate increases at a level that unnecessarily drives away customers. The NDP plan shows that USPS can achieve its goal of break-even financial stability while preserving a much greater portion of its customers. A 42% reduction in mail volume at the end of 10 years is not the best outcome for the USPS, its workforce, or the mailing industry, and greeting cards can be a driver of increased mail volume as Millennials enter their prime card-sending life stage. The three consecutive years of mailed greeting card volume growth, which was snapped in 2020 after the last huge rate hike, well demonstrates this opportunity.”
The GCA continues to advocate for the enactment of the legislative provisions in the “Delivering for America” plan and is working with USPS management to identify opportunities to grow the volume of greeting cards in the mail. It remains committed to ensuring that the USPS continues to fulfill its historic mission of binding the nation together through the provision of affordable, reliable universal service for mail and packages at least 6-days per week.

The GCA represents nearly 200 publishers and suppliers to the greeting card industry throughout the country. Its mission includes efforts to ensure a financially stable USPS that can provide
affordable, reliable 6-day universal service to the nation, facilitating the delivery by the USPS of our highly valued greeting cards.

The EMA represents 90 percent of the companies that make envelopes in North America. EMA strives to ensure there remains a level playing field between electronic and paper-based communications and works closely with state, national, and global legislative and regulatory authorities. EMA’s goal is to protect the industry and maintain its ability to compete in an open marketplace.

WHY THE DEEP FREEZE SHUT DOWN TEXAS

WINTER STORM URI CRIPPLED THE POWER GRID

• Texas is the largest producer of energy in the U.S., and it is a mostly deregulated, market-based system.
• It is the only lower-48 state disconnected from the national power grid with the intention of avoiding federal regulations.
• Texas cannot send power to another state; nor can it receive power from others.
• The majority of Texas power is generated by natural gas-fired power plants.
• Many power plants in the southern United States are not enclosed inside a building, with boilers and turbines exposed to the elements. This is by design. Leaving  key power plant infrastructure outside prevents excessive heat build-up during warmer periods but vulnerable in cold weather.
• Feb 13-17, 2021, URI caused the whole state to experience record cold, preceded by ice storms, which were followed by snow.  Central Texas, for example, recorded the coldest temperatures in more than three decades and the most snow – about 6 inches – in more than seven decades.
• Ice storms caused tree limbs to fall onto distribution lines, causing power outages.  Wind turbines were taken offline due to icing of their blades. Distribution of natural gas to power plants was shut-off or curtailed when key components in the gas system froze up.  Even a nuclear plant had a cold-weather-related failure.
• The extreme cold caused a huge spike in demand for heat at the same time the power supply was collapsing.
• The historic storm crippled the state’s power grid, causing widespread rolling blackouts to avoid a total meltdown of the power supply.
• Petrochemical plants were given one hour to shut-down causing hard stops which damaged pipes, fittings, and pumps.
• Trucks were stranded on the highways.  Their cargo, if not freeze thaw stable, froze solid.
• Even 30 days later, some Gulf Coast plants are still assessing the damage and have not started production.
• The petrochemical industry is a complex chain of interconnected chemistries.  Many complexes require a sequential start up.

Courtesy of Henkel Adhesives

July 30, 2020, Alexandria, VA – EMA has launched a redesign of their website, www.envelope.org.  The site now features a cleaner and more contemporary design.  The redesign includes aesthetic enhancements to provide a more engaging user experience and enhanced navigation to help visitors easily find the information needed.

EMA’s online presence includes EMA, GEA and the EMA Foundation.  The site fully integrates with EMA’s membership and event management system, which includes the membership database, the ability to purchase training materials and to register for events.  Members will also have access to a robust database of presentations and reports from the EMA, GEA and Foundation library.  Members will also be able to connect with one another via a link to their online engagement platform, EMA Connect.

In addition, visitors will be able to access membership applications and view listings of manufacturers and suppliers, frequently asked questions, envelope sizes, envelope shipments and sales, and other industry related information.

“I am excited to debut the newly designed website.  I think our members will appreciate the clean, modern design.  Through this relaunch, EMA strives as an industry leader to deliver consistent, relevant news and resources our members can use daily” said Kim Moses, Senior Director of Education, Meetings & Membership.

EMA redesigned the website to provide 24-hour access to information on activities and news around the industry. For more information, please contact Traci Brooks at 703-739-2200 or tbrooks@envelope.org.