Who We Are

Ames Safety Envelope was founded in 1919 by John W. Fitzgerald, a Boston postal worker who was distressed by the fact that envelopes coming through the Registered Mail division were so poorly made that they would tear or disintegrate during processing, often ruining or losing the contents. Feeling protective of postal service customers, Mr. Fitzgerald used $500 of his own savings (a substantial investment back in 1919), to found Ames Safety Envelope Company as the source for quality, durable envelope products. His original manufacturing force was his wife and her two aunts, who folded and glued the envelopes.

Eighty-five years later, Ames Safety Envelope Company is still recognized for its innovative spirit, the highest quality products, and old-fashioned dedication to serving the needs of customers. The company has diversified and grown well beyond its original business, into specialty packaging, on demand printing, and records and information management systems for the healthcare, legal, financial, government and insurance markets.

These are just some of the achievements of the Ames companies:

• Ames is the nation's largest supplier of medical records and space management solutions for hospitals.
• Ames introduced the first color-coded, terminal-digital filing system, developed for Massachusetts General Hospital in 1958; the visionary system today enjoys almost universal acceptance in the healthcare industry.
• Ames was the first to incorporate the use of barcode technology for the tracking of file folders.
• Ames is one of the largest New England-based printing companies, offering customers a range of traditional and state-of-the-art digital printing services.
• Ames is the leading manufacturer of stock and custom filing products.
• Ames is the largest non-government employer in Somerville, Massachusetts, where the company has been headquartered since the 1930s.

To ensure that the Ames products continue to uphold the same quality standards established by John Fitzgerald, the company owns and operates its own 350,000 square foot state-of-the-art manufacturing plant.