Portsmouth — As a result of a study begun in February, the Postal Service has made the decision to transfer mail processing from the Portsmouth, NH Processing and Distribution Facility (P&DF) to the Manchester, NH and the Southern Maine Processing and Distribution Centers (P&DCs). The retail, delivery and Bulk Mail Acceptance Unit will continue in their current location.
Northern New England District Manager Deborah Essler said, “Given the drastic 20 percent decline in mail volume the Postal Service has experienced since 2007, we must take action to reduce the size of our mail processing network. Consolidating operations and placing our people where we need them is necessary if the Postal Service is to remain viable to provide mail service to the nation.”
“I understand our employees’ concern over this move,” Essler added, “and the consolidation makes sense given the fiscal realities. Both the Manchester and the Southern Maine Processing and Distribution Centers have the capacity to handle the additional workload and we can realize significant savings by shifting operations there.”
An exact timetable for this transition has not yet been set but is expected to be completed by January 2012. Affected career employees will be addressed in accordance with applicable collective bargaining agreements.
Essler added, “I am confident the transition will be smooth and transparent to our customers and they will continue to receive excellent service.”
As a result of the consolidation, once the transition is complete, first class mail service between 038 and 039 areas will become a two-day commitment. The 039 area will experience upgraded service to Maine destinations.
“The significant cost savings and productivity gains expected from this consolidation were deciding factors in making this very difficult decision,” said Essler.
Retail service for purchasing stamps and other postal products will continue to be available at their current locations in Portsmouth.
Mailers who drop ship to Destination Sectional Center Facility (DSCF) 038 and 039 can
expect future changes when the transition is complete. They will be kept informed and provided updated information.
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A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 150 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. With 32,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, usps.com, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $65 billion and delivers nearly 40 percent of the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 29th in the 2010 Fortune 500. Black Enterprise and Hispanic Business magazines ranked the Postal Service as a leader in workforce diversity. The Postal Service has been named the Most Trusted Government Agency six consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute.
