List Broker WS Ponton Marks 130 Years of Serving Direct Marketing Professionals

When WS Ponton opened its doors as one of the first US list brokers, there were 36 states in the union, Mark Twain had just published The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and the Statue of Liberty would soon arrive in New York Harbor from France. The year was 1885, and Wilbur Simpson Ponton saw a business opportunity in the burgeoning field of catalog mail, the earliest form of direct mail advertisements. One of the first in the nation, his list broker business provided address information for direct mail advertisers as well as the machines to physically provide the addresses.

According to the Annual Report of the Postmaster General, in 1885, there were 3.747 billion pieces of mail handled by the U.S. Postal System. By 2014, they were handling 155.4 billion pieces of mail annually…that’s 40% of the world’s mail volume!

Since then, WS Ponton has continually redefined industry standards for list brokers and direct mail advertisers. They have expanded their list broker services to include telemarketing lists and email lists while establishing cutting edge data hygiene practices. However, for all the changes that the industry and the nation have experienced, the basic principles of direct mail advertising have stayed constant. By knowing the consumer market, and by providing only the most reliable consumer contact data, WS Ponton has connected list brokers and advertisers to their most valuable audiences for over a century.

It would be next to impossible to tell the history of mailing lists without mentioning WS Ponton. From its earliest days, WS Ponton has established a legacy as an industry leader for list brokers and direct mail advertisements.

From it’s earliest days as a small New England business with a five digit phone number, WS Ponton has grown into an established industry leader for list brokers and direct mail advertisers throughout the nation.