Boredom in retirement leads to new store

Curtis McCann, owner of Rio Rancho Mail, Print & Ship, works in his new store on Ridgecrest Drive.
photo by Amy Byres / Observer

Rio Rancho Mail, Print & Ship is a new business naming a few of Rio Rancho’s needs.

Owner Curtis McCann says his business is a “one-stop shop.”

He offers:

• P.O. box rentals;

• Packing;

• Copying;

• FedEx and DHL;

• Notary services; and

• Balloons and cards.

He retired from the U.S. Postal Service after working in national sales. He and his wife have been residents of Rio Rancho for about 40 years.

McCann said his dream of opening his own business started to take shape through the boredom of retirement.

“Last year, sitting at home being bored to death, sitting inside during winter, I decided I’ve got to do something. I can’t just sit around. So I started researching again and that’s how I came to decide if I wanted to open this or not,” he said.

McCann worked at the Rio Rancho post office for about 5 years.

“I saw the need back then (for another postal service) and that was in the late 1990s, early 2000s,” he said.

Rio Rancho Mail, Print & Ship has been open for about four weeks.

Customer and Rio Rancho resident Kacy McClelland said he was thrilled to have a mailing service open so close to his house.

“I have no complaints about the post office but this is more welcoming,” McClelland said.

The response to opening a mailing service at 4300 Ridgecrest Drive has been positive, McCann said.

“People love it. They really love it. The biggest response I get is, ‘You actually have parking and it’s easy to get around here,” he said. “They like it because we are not a franchise, so we don’t have to worry about all those other costs. Plus the money stays here in Rio Rancho and Sandoval County.”

Opening a business has given McCann freedom, he said.

“I answer to me. If anything goes wrong, it’s me; if it goes right, it’s me. Just knowing that when you’re walking in, it’s up to you to make it go, and if it doesn’t go, then it’s your own fault. Basically it’s me, it’s all mine,” he said.

McCann’s most popular services are shipping/mailing, printing large-format photos, signs, banners and faxing.

McCann has a Canon large-format printer capable of printing on canvas as well.

McCann says business is slow right now, but every day he is greeting more customers. He said treating customers with respect and dignity is something very important to him while starting this new business.

“Customer service is a big thumbs-up for me, for everybody, and I will do whatever it takes to make things right for them,” he said.