Task force hopes to keep facility in Lima

Published:  Monday, November 16, 2009 (2 months, 3 weeks ago)
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BY STACY TAFF
The Delphos Herald
staff@delphosherald.com

LIMA ­— One of the most crucial issues in our economy is making sure there are enough jobs to go around. When a situation arises where Lima and the surrounding area stands to more than 100 jobs, it is only natural that there would be some community concern.
The Lima Mail Processing Plant, which handles the mail for all the 458 area codes, is currently going through an AMP (Area Mail Processing) Study. An AMP Study evaluates a mail processing facility based on the amount of mail it handles and whether or not it has the capacity to deal with it’s load efficiently. This AMP Study is being conducted to decide whether or not the 458 processing plant should be closed and the area mail sent 78 miles away to the Toledo site.
The possible consolidation of the two processing sites has spurred the formation of a task force by area businesses and community groups. This task force hopes to gain support for keeping the 458 processing plant open.
“We’re sending info out to all of the area Chambers of Commerce so they in turn can go out to the businesses in their area and inform them about the impact this consolidation will have on them,” said Jeff Sprague of the Allen County Economic Development Group and task force member. “They should know about the delays they will experience and the increase of the cost of their bulk mail.”
The Lima plant is ranked third in the nation out of 268 mail processing sites while Toledo is ranked 16th. Sprague and many others are wondering why the United States Postal Service would close down a facility that is so highly rated.
“The Lima plant is known to be extremely efficient and highly productive and that has to be taken into consideration,” he said. “We support what the Post Office is doing as far as taking a deeper look at it’s internal processes, but you have to see the whole picture and not look at everything in a box. You have to take into account the effects of taking all of our mail to Toledo versus keeping open the efficient center we already have here in Lima. Plus, you need to consider the 100-plus jobs that Lima will lose.”
Besides affecting shipping rates and local jobs, consolidating the Lima plant with Toledo’s will take all mail, even in-town mail, through Toledo before it reaches it’s destination. The 458 Regional Postal Task Force says they will continue to hope for support in opposing the consolidation.
“The key piece in all of this is just getting the facts out,” Sprague said. “At some point they’ll make a decision and we want to make sure we have all of our information and support gathered so that we can respond accordingly to whatever they decide.”
The 458 Regional Postal Task Force holds meetings at 9:30 a.m. every Friday at the Allen County Economic Development Group, 144 South Main Street, Suite 200, in Lima. Visit www.458postaltaskforce.com.

2 Reader Responses to “Task force hopes to keep facility in Lima”

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  1. #1 — Added 1 month, 2 weeks ago

    please keep our mail service coming out of Lima Ohio

    Posted on December 24, 2009 at 7:05 am by jerry brussell

  2. #2 — Added 1 month, 2 weeks ago

    Please keep our mail from Lima, Ohio

    Posted on December 24, 2009 at 7:08 am by Deborah Brussell