This is a printer friendly version of an article from www.thedailytimes.com
To print this article open the file menu and choose Print.
Article published May 23, 2008 Maryville Goin' Postal: Shipping franchise charts new waters in Blount County
By Robert Norris of The Daily Times Staff
A new business in Maryville is Goin' Postal, but you don't have to worry about wearing personal armor to visit. Just bring what you want to ship, and the husband and wife team of Robert and Inessa Sloan will take care of it.
Their new Goin' Postal franchise, the first in the area, is located at 1776 W. Lamar Alexander Parkway across from the Army National Guard Armory.
It opened two weeks ago and is an authorized shipper for FedEx, DHL and the U.S. Postal Service. It also offers freight shipping for bulky and heavy items.
"Our core business is shipping because we have national accounts with FedEx and DHL," said Robert Sloan, who has more than 20 years experience in the computer industry.
But the local franchise offers something extra because Inessa Sloan is an Ebay Power Seller with more than 20,000 completed auctions and years of professional packing and shipping experience.
"Since she was involved as an Ebay assistant, we are offering an Ebay drop-off service," he said. "People are better off to bring it here than to ship from home or online. We can usually beat everybody's price on shipping costs," Sloan said.
The store can also save time, according to Sloan. "The biggest thing we have over the Postal Service ¬-- no lines."
The Goin' Postal chain has more than 300 stores, including franchises in the Southeast and Middle Tennessee with another to open in Memphis soon.
Other services include faxing, copying, printing services, mailbox rentals, ink cartridge refills, specialty greeting cards, custom photograph gift items, packing materials and more.
The Sloans said they plan to get their business involved in the community. They've already joined the Blount County Chamber of Commerce and are signed up to be a sponsor of the Blount County Humane Society's second annual Critter Fest on June 1 at Pearson Springs Park.
Goin' Postal locations nationwide house drop boxes for the DHL "Thanks for Giving" Food Drive, the National Letter Carriers' Food Drive and Toys for Tots toy drive and distribute materials about the "Back to Sleep" campaign and other safety concerns involving children and promote spay and neuter awareness.
During July each year, Goin' Postal offers a replacement American flag, free of charge, to anyone who brings in a cloth or nylon American flag that is tattered, torn or faded.
During the Christmas holidays, the stores collect books, magazines and music CDs to be shipped free of charge to the troops separated from their families by duty. They also amass donated pillows and toiletries to ship to the soldiers, provide free postage to those sending Valentine's Day cards to military personnel, and often give discounts to military personnel and their families.