Bi-County Mailing last month moved its headquarters from Bethpage, NY, to Farmingdale, NY, and in the process expanded its direct mail fulfillment facilities from 12,000 square feet to 15,000 square feet as a result of an increase in the number of orders.
The move comes after the company doubled the size of its Bethpage plant two years ago.
Greg Demetriou, CEO of Bi-County, said his 9-year-old company has picked up more than 200 direct mail customers since 1997.
Eighty percent of Bi-County's new business is from the New York City-Long Island area. Orders have ranged from 5,000 pieces to 700,000 pieces.
Demetriou attributed the company's increase in order volume to the nation's strong economy in recent years and a growing acceptance of direct mail among small and medium-sized businesses.
Demetriou's firm has conducted two “Direct Mail 101” daylong seminars with Long Island-based printers to showcase direct mail's potential. He said the last event drew 15 local marketers, and Bi-County is coordinating another seminar scheduled for March 1. He said area businesses have learned to be more patient with direct mail campaigns and have shifted emphasis from prospect drops to follow-up mailings with repeat customers.
“We used to get a lot of one-timers who would immediately throw their hands up in the air and say it didn't work,” Demetriou said. “There seems to be a lot of education out there — outside of what even we are doing — because the quality of the pieces has improved greatly and the [marketers] seem to be sticking with the program.”
