New VPO Opens in Monroe County
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe latest in a series of village post offices opening throughout the state is now set for business in a small southern Indiana town. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held this morning for the new VPO in Harrodsburg. July 8, 2013
News Release
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Harrodsburg is a tiny town in Monroe County. Nowadays only about 690 people live in Harrodsburg, but in its past, the town has experienced quite a few happenings since it was founded in 1837.
At one stage, Harrodsburg was the main trading center for southern Monroe County. When it was first laid out it grew rapidly and for a time promised to out rival nearby Bloomington. During the peak years (1837-1920s) Harrodsburg was served by several general stores, a drug store, tavern, livery stable, two hotels, a newspaper, doctors, an undertaker, a slaughter house, distillery, feed mill, washing machine factory, garage, woolen mill and several blacksmiths.
On Tuesday, July 9, 2013, the town of Harrodsburg will witness another happening when the 48th Village Post Office (VPO) in the Greater Indiana District opens at Harrodsburg Food Centre, 9200 S Old Hwy 37, Bloomington, IN, 47403. The official ribbon-cutting will take place at 9 a.m. followed by an open house from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Mihir Patel manages the Harrodsburg store for his uncle, Bobby Patel, who also owns a gas station/convenience store in Smithville. A VPO opened at the Smithville location on June 18.
“When the Postal Service approached us and asked if we would be interested in setting up a VPO in Harrodsburg, we decided it was a good idea. We're always looking for ways to expand our business, and we hoped this would bring in more foot traffic,” Patel said. “Plus, it's going to be very convenient for our customers to pick up a book of stamps or get some of those flat-rate packages at the same time they're in the store to buy their groceries.”
Harrodsburg Food Centre is open from Monday through Fridays 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
The new postal center will be opened by Manager of Post Office Operations Cindy Klaiber. Several USPS and local officials will be present at the event.
In 2011, the Postal Service introduced the VPO model as an alternate retail location for postal products and services, especially in rural communities.
VPOs are operated by local businesses contracting with the Postal Service, and offer a range of popular postal products and services including stamps and flat-rate packaging.
Additional information about the Village Post Office is available at www.uspsvillagepostoffice.com.
The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation: 152 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. With more than 31,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, usps.com, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $65 billion and delivers nearly 40 percent of the world's mail. If it were a private-sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 42nd in the 2012 Fortune 500. The Postal Service has been named the Most Trusted Government Agency for seven years and the fourth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute.
Source: The United States Postal Service