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Look what was printed about Send Out Cards in the Salt Lake Tribune.

(Scott Sommerdorf:The Salt Lake Tribune) Send Out Cards Building manager Alex Grazier moves a flat of paper from one of the company's trucks. Send Out Cards, based in West Valley City, is one of Utah's fastest-growing companies. Customers can order cards for all occasions via the Internet, that then are designed especially for them (photos/personal messages, etc.) and printed and mailed. They also can choose gifts to go with the cards, all done through the Internet. It will even print in a person's own handwriting, Thursday 12/16/2010.
WVC companies hit fastest-growing list

WVC companies hit fastest-growing list
By John Keahey

The Salt Lake Tribune
Published Dec 27, 2010 12:42PM
Updated Dec 22, 2010 03:43PM

Despite a rough economy falling off the shoulders of the Great Recession, a West Valley City-based greeting-card company is projecting a 20 percent growth in a marketplace in the midst of shifting from retail stores to the Internet.

“We have zero complaints right now,” said Joe Kenemore, chief marketing officer for Send Out Cards, 1825 W. Research Way (2770 South).

The numbers show why. On Dec. 14, just 11 days before Christmas, Kenemore said the company’s website registered 40,000 unique visitors. Out of that one-day tally came orders for 331,000 cards and 15,000 gifts tied to those cards.

These are paper cards, sent through the snail mail of the U.S. Postal Service.

“We don’t do e-cards” — those sent via the Internet through digital pathways. “The post office loves us,” said Kenemore.

The 5-year-old firm, with $50 million in gross revenue a year ago and projected to hit $60 million this year, has been recognized as one of Utah’s 100 fastest-growth companies. It is 11th on the list compiled by Mountain West Capital Network, which describes itself as a “business networking organization devoted to supporting entrepreneurial success.”

Five of the top 100 businesses are based in West Valley City. In addition to Send Out Cards at No. 11, they are Green River Capital (No. 3), Signature Products Group (No. 6), Backcountry.com (No. 47) and Winder Farms (No. 94).

Green River’s growth can be attributed in part to the Great Recession.

“Our company sells real estate for banks that have taken back properties in foreclosure,” said Brent Taggart, vice president of client relations and business development.

With the dramatic jump in foreclosures statewide and nationally, Green River in 2010 expanded its workforce to 210 people from around 85 a year ago. The number of assets it manages has increased 35 percent this year over last, Taggart said.

With the economy on an upswing, he foresees the day when foreclosures will start to fall off.

“None of us want to be out of jobs in three years,” Taggart said. “We’re considering several options, including the possibility of going into regular real estate.”

But Send Out Cards, with 104 permanent employees and 25 seasonal workers, only sees demand for its services growing as the Internet continues to escalate into everyday life.

It works this way:

A customer sets up an account at www.sendoutcards.com, picks a card, uploads a photo or photos to customize it, types a message and provides a mailing list. The customer also can choose from among dozens of gifts that can be mailed with each card or specific cards.

If customers want their own handwriting to be used, the company sends a form via the post office to collect a writing sample and signature line. That is returned and scanned, and the company will print the card with the message in the customer’s handwriting. Different messages for different recipients can be created in that way.

The company prints out the cards — hundreds of thousands each day — puts them in envelopes and stamps them for delivery by the Postal Service. Or the cards can be sent to the customer to do his or her own handwriting and mailing. Depending on volume, Kenemore said, cost isn’t any more than walking into a retail store and buying a box of pre-printed cards. And none are left over to gather dust on the customer’s shelf.

“We only print what people order; we have a lot of friends out there in the ‘green’ world.”

Send Out Cards is following a growing national trend of ordering customized cards online.

“The industry as a whole is enjoying a 30 percent growth rate,” said Marty Reed, a spokesman for Berkeley, Calif.-based Cardstore.com. He said the average cost nationally for a card ordered and customized over the Internet is $2.79 for standard 5-by-7-inch folded card.

“That’s equivalent to that Hallmark card you can get at the drugstore,” he said. “But ours are unique to you.”

Reed is well-aware of Send Out Cards’ success.

“They’ve done very well,” he said. “It’s reflective of their model and the industry as a whole.”

Reed said e-cards just don’t convey what a lot of people want to convey.

“People are looking for more tangible reminders of events and ways to celebrate. There’s something about having a nice printed greeting card.”