PHOTO COURTESY OF AMANDA LIVINGSTON
Ship Salem officially opened its doors last week. Co-owned by Blaine Elliott and Chad Caldwell, the full-service shipping business has in-house post office boxes for rent, office supplies like copying and scanning capabilities, notary services and U-Haul truck rentals.
“We are thrilled to welcome Ship Salem to our growing contingent of small businesses. The community will benefit from the convenience and service that Ship Salem provides with all things shipping,” Amanda Livingston, executive director of the Salem-Roanoke County Chamber of Commerce, said.
Soon, the business will also serve as a return location for Amazon packages through UPS.
The idea for Ship Salem was born from Elliott’s interest in real estate investing. While listening to a podcast featuring an entrepreneur who owned a mailbox and shipping store, Elliott was drawn to the idea of mailbox rentals. He saw the potential for a similar venture in Salem.
“I discovered that not only was there a need, there was a desire from the community for something like this,” Elliott said.
He reached out to Caldwell, a former colleague from a global third-party logistics company. The timing aligned, and the two logistics professionals joined forces to bring the vision to life.
“Eight months later, Ship Salem, LLC was born,” Elliott said. “Since we both had a logistics background, creating relationships with customers and carriers was in our blood, so this business came naturally to us.”
Located in the heart of downtown Salem, at 115 Roanoke Blvd., Ship Salem offers private mailboxes for individuals and businesses, along with shipping through USPS and FedEx.
“This is the same thing as walking into the US Post Office or FedEx all in the same place,” Elliott explained.
In addition to shipping and mailing services, the store provides notary, printing, scanning, faxing, and shredding services, as well as packaging and office supplies. Customers can also rent U-Haul cargo vans or reserve other types of equipment through the store.
“Ship Salem is different from your average pack and ship store,” Elliott said. “We offer service with a smile with friendly staff to make sure you are pleased with your experience when you walk through our doors.”
Customers are welcome to enjoy complimentary coffee or bottled water during their visit.
The community response has been positive.
“We have heard comments like, ‘this has been needed for some time’ or ‘this is a convenient location,'” Elliott said.
A soft opening was held for friends and family before the official launch. The first customer, Don Halterman, brought in a CD to ship across town to Vinton.
“It took us almost an hour to complete the transaction as we were just getting our operations under control,” Elliott recalled, noting that refreshments helped pass the time.
Their first FedEx customer traveled all the way from Georgia to show support—a childhood friend who wanted to help the business get off the ground.
For Elliott and Caldwell, it’s all about providing peace of mind—one box at a time.