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West Bloomfield shipping company
celebrates 25 years in business.

Fisher Theatre • ONE WEEK ONLY • Oct. 23-28

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6881 Orchard Lake Rd. on The Boardwalk

28

October 11 • 2012

The UPS Store in West Bloomfield is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

T

wenty-five years ago, Sharon
Sefton had just come off
maternity leave after the birth
of her second daughter when she had
some trouble coming to terms with
her employer on her work schedule.
Looking for something else to do, she
and her husband, Allan, who owns an
insurance agency in Farmington Hills,
learned that a Mailboxes, Etc. store in
West Bloomfield was for sale.
"Five months later,
without any experi-
ence, I bought it:'
says Sefton, who
(three remodels
later) celebrates
25 years of being
in business this
Sharon Sefton month. Eight years
ago, Mailboxes, Etc.
became the UPS Store, still focused
on the core business of packaging
and shipping — with some extras
unthought-of 25 years ago.
"When Mailboxes, Etc. came into
being, it was a brand new concept —
an alternative to the U.S. Post Office,"
says Sefton, who lives in Beverly Hills
and is a member of Congregation
Shaarey Zedek in Southfield.
Over the years, however, her servic-
es have evolved along with the digital
revolution. The UPS Store still pro-
vides a mailbox service, shipping and
packaging, as always, in addition to
things like digital and online printing.
And while yesteryear's average client
was a residential consumer, today's cli-
ent is more likely to be a home-based
or small business owner. "Our store is

their office," Sefton says.
Sefton's UPS Store is in the top 200
of the 6,000 franchises nationwide and
is vying for the top two or three spots
in the state. She credits a good rela-
tionship with the corporate offices for
much of her success. "There are pros
and cons to having a franchise," she
says. "The cons? Royalties that must
be paid. The pros? Resources — lots of
resources provided for hiring, market-
ing, advertising and public relations."
A lot changes over 25 years. Sefton's
daughters are now grown up: Samantha,
28, is a Ph.D. candidate in speech
pathology in Iowa City, who just pre-
sented the Seftons with their first grand-
child, 3-month-old Stella Mei. Second
daughter Jocelyn, 26, is a registered
dietician in Royal Oak who recently got
married. What hasn't changed is Seftoris
commitment to providing the best ser-
vice to her customers.
"I plan to be here for some years to
come," says Sefton, who holds a mas-
ter's degree in community develop-
ment and educational administration
from the University of Michigan. "I
have a great staff, lots of flexibility and
the strong relationships I've built with
my customers over the years."
This month, the store, located at 6689
Orchard Lake Road in West Bloomfield,
is offering a variety of 25 percent-off
specials in celebration of its anniver-
sary. Customers can receive 25 per-
cent off on copies and business cards
through Oct. 12; 25 percent off notary
services and passport photos, Oct.
15-20; and 25 percent off packaging
services and materials, Oct. 22-27. ❑