CCL Label is no longer printing U.S. stamps

And then there were two.

The United States Postal Service’s business relationship with stamp security printer CCL Label has come to an end barely two years after the Clinton, S.C., firm acquired the stamp division of Avery Denison on July 1, 2013.

The move leaves Sennett Security Products of Browns Summit, N.C., and Ashton Potter of Williamsville, N.Y., as the only two contractors currently responsible for the printing of United States postage stamps.

Contacted by Linn’s Stamp News, USPS spokesman Mark Saunders explained the change.

“The USPS made a business decision to go from three securities printers to two securities printers when the contracts last expired,” Saunders said. “The USPS issued a request for proposals (RFP) and conducted a competitive solicitation process. Sennett Security Printers and Ashton Potter secured contracts as a result of that process.”

USPS Acting Director of Stamp Services Mary-Anne Penner mentioned the change in the printer line-up during a public forum in Grand Rapids, Mich., attended by visitors to the American Philatelic Society’s annual APS Stampshow.

The first stamp product from CCL released by the Postal Service was the set of five nondenominated (10¢) Snowflakes presorted standard coil stamps issued Oct. 1, 2013 (Scott 4808-4812).

The most recent, and perhaps the final CCL issue, was the Forever Hearts set of two nondenominated (49¢) forever stamps issued Jan. 22 (Scott 4955-4956).