Once again, The Post Box has achieved national TOP 100 status as a UPS Authorized Shipping Outlet (ASO) for 2023.  This coincides with The Post Box celebrating 40 years of service in Salinas!

The Post Box was started in 1983 by my mother Jane, sister Cindy and myself, as a true entrepreneurial start-up based on filling a need. It was the first of its kind in Salinas.

 What’s with the name?
In England, curbside mailboxes are referred to as Post Boxes.  I just thought “The Post Box” had a nice ring to it. Many years later, my mother discovered our family had links to the Mayflower — so there is a bit of a serendipitous connection.

What was business like in the beginning?
 I’d imagine a lot of businesses are started like we did…a loose combination of daring and caution while maintaining a wonderful facade of confidence. Of course, we planned and kept organized, but as with most start-ups the unforeseen came along now and then.  We learned that overcoming challenges is a matter of persistence, and that the “can do” attitude really does work.

 What is business like now?
We are still maintaining that “can-do” spirit. For example, our most recent addition is Live Scan services. It is a process of scanning and digitizing an individual’s fingerprints for submission to the Department of Justice of California, as part of a background check. It is for certain people who work or volunteer in positions that require such a check. It’s a great fit with the rest of our services.

 What is special about the business?
Customers. We are so fortunate to have the longevity to be able to help generations of customers, and I gotta say, we have some characters. My staff and I have had some great moments at our customer counter, both humorous and emotional. A quick story — I had a young man ship a sixpack of root beer to England by express, which was pretty expensive and made me wonder why. Though I didn’t ask, he explained it was going to his brother who was down and out. They used to have good chats sitting on their back porch while sipping on that particular root beer. Suddenly the added expenses made sense.

 Any final comments?
Yes. I want to thank all my staff, without which I would be a little less sane — April, Vanessa, Claudia, Adam, Eric, and Mari.  I am grateful for all they do and it is a pleasure working with all of them.  Mail Receiving, Packaging and Shipping, Notary, Live Scan, and more, we are glad to be of service.