Postal Connections Franchisees Gather to Honor Top Performers

Nov. 5, 2012 - PRLog -- (ORLANDO, FL) (NOVEMBER 5, 2012) – Two Postal Connections of America (http://www.postalconnections.com/) (PCA) store owners, on opposite sides of the country, lead their franchise network in 2011 annual sales at nearly a million dollars each. PCA is a franchise chain of postal, shipping and business services stores that is experiencing exceptional growth with same-store sales up 19.6 percent over 2011, for the first eight months of 2012, on top of a 17.2 percent increase in 2011 over 2010.

PCA franchisees gathered recently at the Hilton Orlando Hotel to honor their own at the 10th Annual PCA Franchisee Conference that included education sessions and awards programming.  The 2011 Top Sales award went to Pete and Sue Pierce of Bend, Oregon.  The 2011 Franchisee of the Year were Jim and Elizabeth Bowe of Lancaster, PA.  This award is given nationally to the PCA franchise owner-operator who demonstrates the highest level of customer care, business development, and contribution to system-wide advancement of the brand’s operating values.

"What elevates our award winners is their community involvement, their contributions to the system, and, for these more experienced operators, their desire to mentor their younger counterparts,” says Fred Morache, franchisor and managing director of PCA.  “Our franchise network is a strong group of collegial business owners who work together and with us to overcome challenges and develop sales opportunities.”  

The Pierce’s have earned the PCA Top Sales award each year since 2002, except for 2010, when the Bend area experienced a major economic downturn.  “Despite tough times, we were able to act quickly to embrace the company’s new product offerings such as the selling of instant refilling of inkjet cartridges and offering Media Trader,” explains Pete Pierce.  “These new product offerings greatly contributed to our increased sales in 2011.” Media Trader is a unique system for selling digital media with music, movies, video games, textbooks and rare books on Amazon.  

The franchise couple opened the first PCA franchise in 1996 and has gone on to serve as Area Franchisee for the company in both Oregon and Washington.

The Bowes, who also serve as Area Franchisee for the eastern half of Pennsylvania, recently acquired a second PCA store in Red Lion, PA.  The couple devote much of their store time to assisting the franchisor in developing new product lines that include ink cartridge refilling, Media Trader and an e-commerce store site.  “The idea of creating a new profit center where each PCA store can sell business services product lines, supporting the strategy of making PCA more than a pack & ship store, has worked very well for us,” explains Jim Bowe.  “The online store opens the future to the business offering products and services to local and worldwide customers.”

“The Bowes are very generous with their time to help other PCA franchisees run successful stores,” says Morache.  “The vast majority of eastern area Postal Connections franchisees, inside and outside of their Area, turn to Jim and Elizabeth for advice and practical solutions to operating issues.”

For more information, visit www.postalconnections.com .