Start with Service – Commentary

Watching PMG David Steiner testify before the House Subcommittee on Government Operations last week made some impressions, good and bad, and perpetuated concerns over conditions not being addressed. The hearing was in a large room with the subcommittee leadership sitting on the top row, above many other empty rows, looking at the witnesses some distance below. The more unusual element…

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Regime Change – Commentary

The practice of regime change – one way or another – has gained a certain popularity of late.  Usually the initial change is replacement of the person at the top, followed by a winnowing of those in subordinate positions until holdovers from the prior regime have left – one way or another. Fortunately, the US had an orderly process for…

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Three Nominees Submitted for USPS Board of Governors

On March 2, the White House sent to the US Senate three nominations to fill vacant positions on the Postal Service’s Board of Governors.  No details about the nominees’ education, professional experience, or qualifications were included with the nominations, so any such information had to be gleaned from internet searches. The recent nominees join a fourth whose name was originally…

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Invest in Employees: Train Them

Management training essential for small business success. Management training is a game-changer for small businesses because it strengthens the very backbone of the company – its current and future leadership.  In a small business, every decision, process, and relationship has a direct and often immediate impact on performance, so having skilled managers isn’t just “nice to have,” it’s mission-critical. Despite…

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USPS Wants More Last-Mile Business

In an example of what’s-old-is-new-again, the Postal Service announced on December 17 that it will be taking bids from shippers who want the agency to provide last-mile delivery.  Details of the program will be disclosed “in the coming months,” with winning bidders being selected “in the second calendar quarter” of 2026 and service beginning the quarter after that, i.e., in…

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Amazon May – or May Not – Be Leaving the USPS

Apparently as yet unable to reach a satisfactory deal with the Postal Service, Amazon reportedly is making plans to ditch the agency and instead build out its own rural delivery network.  According to an article by Jacob Bogage in the December 4 Washington Post, “Amazon is preparing to expand its nationwide delivery network and give up its long-standing partnership with…

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Network vs Service – Commentary

There’s an old expression to the effect that “If you’re a hammer, every problem is a nail.”  In other words, people tend to view a problem, and approach its solution, in the context of their own experience. Applying this to the Postal Service, former postmaster general Louis DeJoy was a trucking guy, experienced in moving full trucks of boxes from…

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USPS Announces $9 Billion Loss for FY 2025

Following the November 13-14 meeting of the Postal Service’s Board of Governors, the agency announced a loss of $8.98 billion for Fiscal Year 2025, less than the $9.5 billion loss in FY 2024, but also much less than the $2.1 billion surplus forecast in former PMG Louis DeJoy’s 10-Year Plan. Revenue and volume Total revenue for the year increased 1.15%…

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Understanding the Need for Training: Management and Employee Development

Workshops begin October 14, 2025. Registration is open. Despite the value of such a program, employee development is sometimes well down the to-do list of commercial mail producers.  To help company executives better understand why developing future managers is a wise practice, and a good investment, please consider these points: In short, for small businesses – where resources are tight…

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Nominee to USPS Board of Governors

Though not as yet listed on the White House website, several news outlets have reported that the president has nominated Anthony Lomangino to be a governor of the Postal Service, replacing Roman Martinez IV whose carryover year beyond the expiration of his term ends December 8. The nomination was received by the Senate on June 2 and referred to the…

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