MILLEDGEVILLE — The UPS Store in Milledgeville is providing a central location for customers to print invitations and greeting cards, notarize, laminate and bind important documents, get fingerprinted for work and ship and pack items across the globe ranging from a cell phone to a couch, all the while having the convenience to check their personal mailboxes and use postal services.

Owner Andy Patel decided to switch gears from his liquor businesses, Gil’s Package and Northside Package Store, to The UPS Store when “having trouble sending and receiving packages.”

“I really felt like the community needed a store of this sort and something out here midtown,” he said. “We’re not just a shipping store; we offer a lot of services. We provide ample parking and pretty much all postal services, from mailboxes to stamps, and great customer service.”

Located next to Papa John’s in the Kroger shopping center off North Columbia Street, Patel said business has progressively increased since doors opened July 2009. Though many customers are still unaware of the store’s location, he plans to keep grounded even after a new business complex is developed on the corner of Log Cabin Drive and U.S. 441 and the Kroger grocery anchor leaves the shopping center.

“A lot of people don’t know where we are, but I think this is central business, and by that time we should be established,” he said.

From document, mailbox, packing and moving services, the local UPS Store’s employees are certified packing experts who also provide office and mailing supplies, passport photos and delivery confirmation and tracking numbers to all shipped packages, domestic or international.

“Ground shipments are taken by road, and is the most economical way to ship a package, but air mail is a guaranteed service,” Patel said. “We’re trying to expand freight services so we can ship anything over 150 pounds.”

Nine-month employee Marshall Bates added how mailboxes have an actual street address instead of a P.O. box address in which box-holders have 24-hour access.

“I like the challenge of packing things and figuring out what’s going to hold a certain shipment and getting it packed up for customers,” he said. “[The UPS Store offers] an efficient service with tracking numbers for all shipments and definite delivery times established.”

Tammy Walker has been with The UPS Store family for the past three weeks, and she has already found her passion for creating various document services.

“I love making invitations and greeting cards for customers,” she said Thursday while creating a flyer for Bambino Diaper Cakes. “A lot of documents are done in-house so we have a quick turnaround. We can print and cut business cards and invitations. If you come do business cards here, we can give you a small stack to get started with that same day.”

Robert Deak paid a visit to the store Thursday to ship documents, having shipped packages several times before.

“This is a convenient location and employees are always courteous, professional and helpful,” he said.

Mike Flournoy, a 10-year employee with Copaco, stopped by Thursday to deliver packing peanuts and bubble wrap.

“This is the only UPS Store on my route, but every time I come here they’re always nice,” he said as he unloaded the giant rolls from the back of the delivery truck. “Plus, the air is always running.”

As the busy shipping holiday season nears, plans are under way to better prepare for the hectic days after Thanksgiving.

“Last holiday season was overwhelming. We were new at it, but this year we’re having a faster processing transaction time and I’m going to get more help,” Patel said. “We’re gearing up for after Thanksgiving, and we will have a scheduled guarantee time as to when customers need to ship their packages.”

Open 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, all packages are picked up at 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and air shipments are picked up by 1 p.m. Saturday.

“Same-day shipments need to be here by 5:15 to make sure we have enough time to process them before the driver comes,” Bates said.

For more information about The UPS Store’s products and services, call (478) 804-0134 or visit www.theupsstorelocal.com/6121.

“We can pack and ship anything, from a small cell phone and bed mattress to an antique suit of armor,” Patel said. “I encourage people to come check us out. We have great staff here to help you with whatever your needs are.”