SmartMail Services

About SmartMail Services

SmartMail Services, founded in 1996, established itself as a logistics provider specializing in expedited delivery for lightweight parcels and flat-sized mail in the United States. The company's business model was built on a workshare partnership with the United States Postal Service (USPS), a program that allows private companies to collect, sort, and transport high volumes of mail to local USPS distribution centers for final delivery. This approach allowed SmartMail to offer reduced postage and operational costs to its clients while ensuring expedited delivery commitments.

The company's core service involved aggregating shipments, processing them at one of its nationwide facilities, and then injecting them deep into the postal stream for swift delivery. To support its logistics operations, SmartMail provided a suite of premium services including 100% shipment reconciliation, address verification and cleansing, web-based package tracking, and custom reporting. The firm served a broad client base, including Fortune 1000 companies and e-commerce firms, by providing a single source for domestic shipping needs. Through strategic acquisitions, such as Global Logistics in 2003, SmartMail expanded its capabilities to include parcel packages weighing up to 70 pounds.

In 1999, private equity firm Great Hill Partners acquired the company, providing capital to expand its service offerings. This backing fueled significant growth, with the company reaching over $200 million in revenue and employing 1000 people across 17 locations. The success and strong brand presence of SmartMail ultimately led to its acquisition by Deutsche Post Global Mail USA on May 28, 2004, extending the existing partnership between the two companies.