New owners celebrate Poway Postal Annex anniversary

Kevin and Jana Miller took over the Poway Postal Annex just in time to celebrate its 25th anniversary this year at 13446 Poway Road, in the Vons shopping center.

The Millers, who have lived in Poway for 26 years, purchased the business in July from the previous owner and have been working hard ever since to continue its success, focusing on good customer service and convenience for the customer.

They hadn’t been actually looking to purchase a business, said Kevin. “It just kind of fell into our laps.” The pair had been in the store checking the mail box they rented there when they found out the owner was selling the store after ten years, following the death of his wife. The Millers are the store’s third owners.

Kevin Miller had previously worked as a vendor for 27 years and had recently sold his Pepperidge Farms distribution business. It was Jana Miller who brought the experience of working in similar fields to their new business. “My wife has a lot of experience,” said Kevin. “It’s pretty much new to me. It’s been a learning experience.”

Jana Miller also owns Poway Mobile Notary, and said coming into the business already having her notary was a big help. Kevin has now obtained his as well, so they now have two public notaries available at Postal Annex during the store’s open hours, she said.

After taking over, Jana said they gave the Postal Annex a “whole new look,” freshening up the decor, adding a children’s play section and adding new services like DHL shipping. “Having DHL is a big service,” she said. The Postal Annex continues to also offer FedEx and UPS as well.

“People seem to be excited by the store having new owners, the new services and the whole new vibe going on,” said Jana.

The store topped last year’s holiday numbers by 35 percent, said Kevin. “The Poway community supports local businesses, and it really showed this holiday season. We appreciate our neighbor’s patronage,” he said in a press release.

The Millers are also trying to get more shipping supplies at the store, to make it the go-to shipping place in Poway, said Kevin.

The children’s area is small, but allows kids to color while their parents ship packages or check their mailboxes, which has been a big hit, said Jana.

Their location near Poway’s post office means they keep their prices “very competitive,” said Jana. “UPS and FedEx can beat the post office (for shipping prices), especially on large packages.”

They said they make sure to keep a good rapport with the post office, despite being competition. “(The post office has) such nice people,” said Jana. “They take very good care of us.”

Customers can expect to get great customer service at the Postal Annex, said Kevin. “We pride ourselves on it. If we don’t advertise something, we’ll find a way to make it happen. We go the extra mile, and we’ll always help out and make you feel at home.”

Postal Annex is open from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, closed Sunday. For more information, call 858-486-1880 or visit postalannex.com/location/poway/23.