A December press release from web-to-print software developer Aleyant caught my attention. Titled, “Aleyant Systems Brings Efficient Workflow to Santa,” it talks about how the company’s Pressero web-to-print solution has been implemented by SantaSentMeALetter.com to streamline workflow and increase throughput. Great, I thought. An imaginative print service provider who has created a cool seasonal application to drive end-of-year volume. I wanted to know more.

Imagine my surprise when I contacted Kelly Easterling, who is not, nor never has been, a printer! Easterling said, “When I am not playing Santa Claus, I am a stagehand. I work on concerts and shows as a production manager in the entertainment industry in New York City.” Easterling’s partner in the Santa business is a concierge at American Airlines’ Admiral’s Club at Newark Airport.

The pair has been writing letters from Santa to children (and adults) since 2007. As their volume grew, they knew they needed to come up with a solution that required less manual intervention on their part. Easterling says, “I woke up one day in 2006 and said to my business partner, ‘We should write letters from Santa Claus!’ It was too late to do it that year, so we spent the next several months investigating the market and determining how to get it done.”