Call it mail services, or mail operations. But please don’t call it the mailroom.

That’s one of the underlying messages of the Mail Systems Management Association, whose Iowa chapter has grown to 110 members after launching with just seven members two years ago.

“Our whole goal is to show there is professionalism in our industry,” said Mary Wells, president of the Iowa MSMA chapter. “We are getting a lot of recognition from corporations that (our members) operate processing and mail centers that are active and that are contributing to the bottom line.”

Nationally, mail operations represent a $900 billion industry that is constantly evolving due to technological advancements.

The MSMA’s focus, Wells said, is on education and training to enable mail services personnel to provide cost savings for their companies’ mailing and package shipping operations, which can represent a big chunk of a company’s budget.

“Really, the focus that we’re looking at is: How can we equip you with tools and resources to better do your job?” she said.

The MSMA has members ranging from the owners of mom-and-pop shops to mail managers of corporate giants such as Wells’ employer, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. Among other Greater Des Moines companies whose mail operations are represented by the organization are American Republic Insurance Co., EMC Insurance Cos., Allied Insurance, Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc. and Principal Financial Group Inc. It also represents major mail outsourcing companies that have an Iowa presence, among them Allied Document Solutions, IKON Office Solutions Inc. and Pitney Bowes Inc.

Rate changes by the U.S. Postal Service and major shipping companies such as FedEx Corp., United Parcel Service Inc. and DHL International Ltd. are always a key concern for the association, which conducts regular training seminars to educate its members, Wells said. The decision whether to outsource portions of mailing services or handle those functions in-house is also a hot topic, she said.

Next spring, the Postal Service plans to implement a rate hike that will include a shift from weight-based rates to rates based more on package shapes. The Postal Service has also begun implementing a more sophisticated barcoding system that will enable companies to assign a unique identification code to each customer they mail to and allow for more precise tracking of mailings.

“There is a huge benefit in large mailers joining educational programs,” said

Jeanie McReynolds, customer relations coordinator for the Des Moines postmaster. The Postal Service has an organization similar to the MSMA, the Postal Customer Council. “The PCC and the MSMA have, I think, have a lot of the same goals,” McReynolds said. “We want to educate mailers. The difference is we focus on just our products. The MSMA focuses on our competitors’ products as well as the Postal Service.”

On Oct. 5, the Des Moines Postal Customer Council will hold its annual symposium at FBL Financial Group Inc.’s headquarters in West Des Moines.

“It’s a full day of classes,” McReynolds said. “We also have a vendor hall where vendors who partner with the Postal Service will be set up, including an MSMA booth. The purpose is to learn about all the new things coming up in the next year. There will be a class on mail piece design, addressing quality, mailroom security and also the new rates that have been proposed.”

The Des Moines PCC has 280 members, many of whom are also MSMA members, representing just over 100 Greater Des Moines businesses, she said.

“Des Moines is just growing by leaps and bounds, and the mailing industry is growing here as well,” McReynolds said. “I think both of our organizations have experienced growth because of that.”

Besides expanding its membership base, the MSMA’s Iowa chapter also seeks to provide more opportunities for its members to obtain professional designations. Both the U.S. Postal Service and the MSMA offer several specialized professional designations, some of which require members to earn a certain number of points based on their experience before they can sit for the examinations.

“A lot of our members are seeking these designations,” said Wells, who noted that the professional certifications usually lead to career advancement within the mail services industry and higher salaries.

“Our goal is to grow our membership and to continue to educate our members so they can do the best to provide savings for their companies,” she said.

For more information about the Mail Systems Management Association, visit the Iowa chapter Web site at www.msmaiowa.com or the national site, www.msmanational.com.