The Vantage Advantage

How Mail House Inc. Accelerated Growth with BlueCrest's Vantage Sorting Solution

Overview

Mail House Inc., a family-owned lettershop and presort mail operation, has served the Sioux City community for over 32 years. Pat Shanahan founded Mail House Inc. in 1983 and played a pivotal role in shaping the presort industry. Today, his legacy continues through his son, Chris, and grandson, Brad. When looking to upgrade their aging sorting equipment, Mail House Inc. turned to BlueCrest’s Vantage sorter, which has since brought significant operational efficiencies and opportunities for growth. This case study explores how investing in the latest sorting technology has benefited Mail House Inc., demonstrating the value of advanced equipment for small-to-midsize lettershops and presort mailers.

The Challenge

With older sorting equipment approaching end-of life and the impact of performance and maintenance becoming a concern, Mail House Inc. found it necessary to explore new solutions for handling mail volumes. President Chris Shanahan, having worked in partnership with BlueCrest for years, needed a solution that could support future growth while ensuring reliability and ease of service.

One of the biggest challenges for small-to-midsize mailers is handling the strain of peak seasons. For lettershops—businesses that handle high-volume mailing and printing tasks—"peak seasons" refer to times of the year when mail production and distribution activities surge. These periods typically coincide with increased marketing, sales, and promotional efforts by businesses, often driven by holidays, end-of-year financial deadlines, elections, and major retail events.

The company's primary motivation for purchasing a replacement sorter was the end-of-life timeline of their previous sorter. While this was the main reason, the decision ultimately worked out exceptionally well for them.

Why the Vantage Sorter?

Mail House Inc. chose the Vantage sorter based on its performance capabilities, proximity of available technical support, affordability, and the trusted relationship with BlueCrest. Chris explained, “The Vantage offered a strong reputation, backed by BlueCrest’s commitment to service excellence—something we’ve trusted for decades.”

Implementation and Immediate Benefits

Upon installing the Vantage, Mail House Inc. immediately noticed a significant increase in speed and efficiency. Presort Manager Brad Shanahan commented, “We realized right away how much faster this new equipment was. It allowed us to optimize our mail flow, giving us the capacity to handle more volume with less downtime.”

Key benefits included:

• Increased Speed and Efficiency: The Vantage sorter reduced runtime by 15-20 minutes between batches allowing for additional processing time daily. This extra capacity has been critical for managing peak seasons and expanding our customer base.
  
  
• Improved Read Rates: With our old sorter, we were able to read about 85 percent of our mail. Now, with the Vantage, we are reading upwards of 98 percent and that includes handwritten mail.
  
  
• Reduced Maintenance Complexity: While the Vantage has more advanced technology, with features to help pinpoint issues more quickly. This makes troubleshooting easier and reduces unexpected downtime.
  
  
• Labor Savings: With its four-tier sorting system, the Vantage requires only one operator to manage sorting. This allowed Mail House Inc. to free up additional staff to focus on other tasks and boost overall productivity.
  
  
• Maximizing Floor Space and Resources: The Vantage sorter’s compact, single-sided design freed up valuable floor space, enhancing workflow flexibility. Brad noted, “Not only did it save space, but we also gained more operational flexibility, which supports our ability to take on new business without expanding our physical footprint.”

Results and Looking Forward

Since implementing the Vantage sorter, Mail House Inc. has improved both productivity and potential growth capacity. The added efficiencies, combined with the reliability of BlueCrest’s support, mean they can now handle larger volumes without sacrificing quality or service speed. As Brad summarized, “We were surprised by the affordability. We’re now better positioned for growth and can keep up with our busiest seasons without issue. We’re poised to thrive.”

Conclusion

Mail House Inc.’s success with the Vantage sorter demonstrates how small-to-midsize letter shops can benefit significantly from investing in new technology. By choosing advanced, reliable equipment, businesses like Mail House Inc. can streamline operations, reduce costs, and support growth in a competitive market.