Envelope Manufacturers Association

What Envelope Manufacturers Association does

The Envelope Manufacturers Association (EMA) is a nonprofit trade association founded in 1933 and headquartered at 700 S. Washington Street, Suite 260, Alexandria, Virginia. It operates as the self-described world's largest association devoted exclusively to the envelope manufacturing and paper-based communications industry, serving hundreds of small and large businesses globally. Its membership comprises envelope manufacturer members (proprietorships, partnerships, and corporations engaged in manufacturing or printing envelopes, forms, and related paper-based packaging) and associate/partner members, including paper manufacturers, components/hardware/software/services suppliers, mail service providers, and allied associations.

EMA's core offerings are organized around three pillars: (1) membership services providing advocacy, training, certifications, statistics, webinars, and networking; (2) the EMA Library, a digital resource hub containing InTouch reports, Management Briefings, Environment and sustainability content, Technical Reports, Government Relations updates, M&T Newsletter, Postal/Government Affairs material, and Trends analysis; and (3) annual meetings and industry conferences, including the EMA Annual Meeting, Fall Meeting, Spring Meeting, FEPE Congress participation, and Printing United Expo. The association operates a member portal at portal.envelope.org and a proprietary industry reporting platform at reporting.envelope.org. Under the EMA Foundation (EMAF), three research institutes—the Institute for Postal Studies, the Institute for Environmental Studies, and the Institute for Consumer Choice—conduct specialized research and advocacy. There is no proprietary technology stack or AI capability; EMA is a service-and-advocacy organization, not a technology product company.

The revenue model is diversified across three streams: recurring annual membership dues from envelope manufacturer and associate members, one-time event registration fees (e.g., $1,475–$1,575 per regular member registrant; $2,300–$2,500 per associate member registrant), and sponsorship revenue from industry partners at annual meetings. The association is governed by a Board of Directors led by President Marie Clarke and Chairman Derek P. Waterhouse (also President of Worcester Envelope Co.), and operates with a small staff of 1–10 employees. No financials, funding rounds, or revenue figures are publicly disclosed.

Name

Envelope Manufacturers Association

Legal name

Envelope Manufacturers Association

Website

https://envelope.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1933

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Envelope Manufacturers Association is a nonprofit trade association founded in 1933 that serves as the leading advocate for the envelope manufacturing and paper-based communications industry, providing membership services, research, advocacy, and annual industry events to hundreds of manufacturers and suppliers globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexandria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from envelope manufacturer members and associate/partner members including paper manufacturers, suppliers, and industry partners.
2. Event Registration Fees: Revenue from annual meetings, conferences, and industry events including optional activities like golf tournaments and excursions.
3. Sponsorship Revenue: Sponsorship opportunities at annual meetings providing industry partners exposure to envelope manufacturers and paper-based communications industry leaders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

EMA is a member-based trade association providing advocacy, market research, training/certifications, industry events, and resource libraries to envelope manufacturers, paper suppliers, and allied companies in the paper-based communications industry. Core deliverables include legislative/regulatory advocacy, proprietary market data, annual conferences, publications (InTouch reports, Management Briefings, Postal Affairs content), and research through three affiliated institutes.

Product overview

Envelope Manufacturers Association (EMA) is a trade association serving the envelope manufacturing and paper-based communications industry. The association operates as a unified service platform offering membership programs with multiple interconnected components: member services with advocacy and training, an EMA Library containing publications and research, organized events and conferences, a member portal for online access, industry reporting with proprietary data, and foundation institutes for specialized research. EMA is not a technology product company but rather provides industry advocacy, networking, education, and research services to its member companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• EMA Membership Services Membership program providing access to industry advocacy, training, certifications, statistics, annual reports, webinars, and networking opportunities for envelope manufacturers and paper-based communications companies.
• EMA Events & Conferences Annual meetings, industry conferences, and networking events including the EMA Annual Meeting, Fall Meeting, Spring Meeting, FEPE Congress, Printing United Expo, and various postal industry events.
• Member Portal Online portal for members to access exclusive resources, event registration, and association services.
• Industry Reporting Proprietary data collection and market research services providing envelope industry statistics and trends analysis for members.
• EMA Foundation Research Institutes Research institutes operated through EMAF including Institute for Postal Studies, Institute for Environmental Studies, and Institute for Consumer Choice, focusing on paper-based communications research and advocacy.

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FEPE (International Envelope Federation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFEPE Congress collaboration - FEPE is the International Envelope Federation representing envelope manufacturers globally. EMA collaborates with FEPE on industry events and advocacy.
• GEA (Graphic Communications Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGEA is part of EMA's organizational structure, holding hybrid board meetings in conjunction with EMA events. GEA focuses on graphic communications industry interests.
• EMAF (Envelope Manufacturers Association Foundation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEMAF is the foundation arm of EMA, housing the Institute for Postal Studies, Institute for Environmental Studies, and Institute for Consumer Choice. Provides research and advocacy for industry advancement.
• WhatTheyThinkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of Amplify Print event along with FSEA. WhatTheyThink is an industry publication providing news and analysis for the printing and envelope industries.
• FSEA (Folding Carton & Specialty Graphics Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of Amplify Print event with WhatTheyThink. FSEA represents folding carton and specialty graphics manufacturers and suppliers.
• KeepUSPostedcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCoalition advocating for affordable and reliable U.S. Postal Service. EMA collaborates with KeepUSPosted on postal policy advocacy efforts in Washington.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• KeepUSPosted: Coalition advocating for an affordable and reliable U.S. Postal Service. Comparable as a paper-based communications advocacy organization with shared postal-policy interests and a coalition partner of EMA.
• WhatTheyThink: Industry media and content platform serving the printing and envelope industries, and a co-organizer of the Amplify Print event with EMA. Comparable as a niche industry information provider serving the same community.

Direct peers

• Printing United Alliance: Largest U.S. trade association serving the printing industry, which directly overlaps with EMA's paper-based communications and printing membership. Both serve print and envelope manufacturers with advocacy, events, and training.
• Paperboard Packaging Council (PPC): Trade association for the North American paperboard packaging industry, representing manufacturers and converters. Comparable as a paper-based packaging industry trade group with similar advocacy and member-service model.
• FEPE — International Envelope Federation: The international federation of envelope manufacturers — the direct global counterpart to EMA. Both represent the same envelope manufacturing industry across different geographies and collaborate on advocacy and events.
• Mailing & Fulfillment Service Association (MFSA): Trade association for mailing, fulfillment, and direct mail service providers. Directly comparable as a paper-and-mailing ecosystem trade group serving mail service provider and intermediary members.
• National Paper Trade Association (NPTA): Trade association for paper merchants, distributors, and suppliers in the U.S. Directly comparable as a paper-industry trade group serving similar member types with advocacy, networking, and educational programming.
• Folding Carton & Specialty Graphics Association (FSEA): U.S. trade association representing folding carton and specialty graphics manufacturers and suppliers. Operates in the same paper-based packaging ecosystem as EMA and co-organizes the Amplify Print event with EMA.

Broad incumbents

• Idealliance: Non-profit industry association serving the printing and graphic communications industry broadly. Overlaps with EMA in print production and standards advocacy, with a broader scope covering multiple print formats.
• Association for PRINT Technologies (APTech): Trade association representing suppliers of printing, publishing, and converting technologies. Comparable as a supplier-side association in the broader print and envelope manufacturing value chain.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/envelopemanufacturers
• Facebookfacebook.com/1Envelope

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Envelope Manufacturers Association