Sun Harvest mails packages, sells stamps, too

Mailing a letter while sampling fresh squeezed juice and citrus is now a possibility in south Fort Myers.

Sun Harvest Citrus recently opened a full service postal station to give customers an easier way to mail letters and packages and buy stamps.

"We may have the only post office in the country where you can sample fresh squeezed juice and citrus," says Jim Deans, director of operations. "We will bag it, tag it and send it out for you."

The retail location, which is known for its Indian River citrus, is far from a strip mall shop that ships packages.

Deans wants people to know that full service includes a good location, open six days a week in the off season, which will receive packages until 6 p.m.

"The United States Postal Service approached us about the idea and we went through the process and won the bid to put in the 150-square-food post office," said Deans, adding that another 600 square feet have been earmarked for the lobby area. "There is not a full-service post office in south Fort Myers and people have been very receptive to us offering this service."

And, part of the experience of sending a letter at the warehouse-type shop is that customers in the lobby will have a full view into the packinghouse.

"They can even have an ice cream cone while they wait ... nowhere else can you get that," said Dave Nicely of Sun Harvest Citrus. "The postal office across the street closed and I'm glad we were able to get this service back up for people in south Fort Myers."

To make way for the post office, the shop was readjusted and construction lasted about a month. Then came a four-day training session for employees.

"It was a process, but it's been fantastic," said Deans about the postal station that will eventually be open seven days a week. "We are so much more than a package ship store. We are a contract postal unit and I think people appreciate that."