Last time here on the Brandon Industries blog, we talked a bit about how our line of tough, reliable locking mailboxes do more than just prevent mail theft (which is far more common than most homeowners think). Locking mailboxes prevent identity theft, loss of income, missed payments on bills, and loss of irreplaceable items like letters and gifts from friends and family.

Don’t believe that it could happen to you? Let’s take a look at some stats:

• In 2006, police across America made 5,060 arrests for mail theft.
• 4,625 of the thieves were convicted.
• A typical thief can usually get around $1,000 from a mailbox from new or reissued checks.
• Mail theft is a federal offense punishable by $250,000 fines… yet it still happens all the time.

Beyond just the money, one of the scariest things mail theft can lead to is identity theft:

• According to a leading blog about identity theft, more than 15 million people each year in America experience identity theft of some form.
• Identity theft causes, on average, $50 million in losses for families across America.
• This means that nearly 7 percent of all Americans will be victims of identity theft.
• Per case, identity theft results in an average of $3,500 in losses each.
• Close to 100 million Americans are at risk of at mail theft-caused identity theft.

If identity theft isn’t bad enough, check out what types of trouble mail theft attracts: In Arizona, from 90 to 95 percent of mail theft in the Tuscon area comes from meth users.

You get the point. It’s just not worth it.

According to police and the US Postal Service, “deterring mail thieves is as easy as locking outside mailboxes.” So our line of decorative locking mailboxes can make a big, big difference.

We’ve got two models, The Defender and The Reliant — both can secure your mail without sacrificing style and aesthetic purity.

Here at Brandon Industries, we’re proud to provide a full line of tough, attractive custom mailboxes and decorative mailboxes. But now you can add a layer of security to your mailbox with our two new locking mailboxes.

1. The Defender Locking Mailbox – the name speaks for itself. The massive size of this mailbox is perfect for any business wanting to protect large amounts of mail and packages.
2. The Reliant Locking Mailbox – sleek design blends beautifully in any neighborhood. No one will notice the locking mechanism hidden behind the mailbox door except you, your postmaster, and anyone trying to swipe mail out of your mailbox.

Because here’s the thing — it’s virtually impossible to know whether or not mail is getting taken out of your mailbox. Most households get bundles of mail each day. Some of it is junk, but you could probably make a pretty big pile out of all the bills, checks, letters, notices, postcards, small packages, and other important pieces of mail you get each month as well.

Sure, if you’re expecting something like a paycheck or package you’ll eventually notice if it does not arrive — but at what cost? And how likely are you to really notice if something equally private or sensitive that you weren’t expecting gets swiped?

Consider what could be lost without a locking mailbox:

• If your paycheck or another source of income normally arrives by mail, can you afford to wait the extra month or two it might take to get a replacement for the one that was stolen?
• What kind of headache are you willing to put up with while your gas gets cut-off due to non-payment on a monthly utilities bill you never received?
• How willing are you to risk a serious dent in your credit score for non-payment on another bill you never received?
• How many documents arrive in your mailbox each month containing sensitive, personal information that could be used in an identity theft?
• How many irreplaceable items like personal letters or post cards from friends and loved ones do you receive? You can’t put a price on that sort of thing.

If you’re interested in adding the extra security to your mail arriving at your home or business take a look at the multiple models of locking mailboxes we provide.

When it comes to planned communities, the difference between those that bloom and those that just sort of blend into obscurity is in the details: Inviting parks. Safe streets. Excellent schools. A cohesive, community oriented vibe and spirit.

Here at Brandon Industries, we take the same approach, and believe our carefully constructed, intricately designed streetscape products can provide communities with the high-quality “details” needed to thrive.

Take a look at our line of outdoor street lamps. They’re tough, durable, and constructed from high-quality materials like cast-aluminum parts with a polyester powder coat finish, and — like community lighthouses — will keep your community safe and illuminated in even the most blinding storms. But they’re also stately, elegant, and attractive, and full of little details that demonstrate a commitment to excellence. For example, several models of our line of commercial luminaires feature sophisticated gold oval bands. Our line of stately courtyard lamps feature intricate details like bevel glass lenses. And our comprehensive catalog of commercial streetlamp posts include more than six models of posts, each carefully crafted to anchor your community’s outdoor lighting system with class.

Similarly, we’re proud to offer a diverse range of decorative mailboxes that are built from cast-aluminum, blend traditional casting methods with today’s technology, and are eager to be the first thing many folks notice about your home. But they’re also stylish and evoke nostalgic feelings of yesteryear. In fact, cohesively themed mailboxes are a great way for your neighborhood to demonstrate community solidarity.

Our custom signage systems are also exactly the sort of details that stand out to visitors and residents alike. Acting almost as “the handshake” of your neighborhood, these long-lasting signs both provide the details — driving directions, community information, etc. — that make visitors feel at home, and look impressive and classy while doing so.

We provide communities with the choice of seven different decorative mailbox designs. Each stately. Each durable. Each featuring intricate, modern designs that evoke the casting methods of yesteryear.

And each of these designs do far more than collect your mail. They make subtle, but important statements about your community:

“We Care About Community”

Let’s think, for a second, about just what it is that house hunters crave in a community when looking for a new home: Charm. Community. Safety. Stable real estate values.

Obviously, custom mailboxes won’t achieve any of these factors on their own. But they do make up an important part of a neighborhood’s streetscape. And a uniform aesthetic helps bolster a cohesive community atmosphere, and it shows potential homeowners shopping in your area that your community is a robust, tight-knit one that looks out for each other.

Plus, with seven distinct designs available—in addition to a range of corresponding pole widths from 2 3/8 inches to 5 inches—homeowners can still choose which decorative mailbox best fits their home, without deviating too far from the desired neighborhood feel. Many are also offered with dual mounts, which makes it easy to create a unified look with neighbors.

“We Care About the Details”

In any neighborhood, it’s the details that really improve quality of life.

A custom decorative mailbox can give your home and collective streetscape one of the “finishing touches” that tell visitors and home shoppers that the little details matter. Any old box can probably collect your mail without problems, but your community cares about more than just simple utility. It wants to impress, to welcome, to be proud, and to stand out from surrounding neighborhoods.

For an example of the diversity of detail produced by our casts, check out our M1 “The Estate” mailbox model – an elegant, antique reproduction model that, depending on the finials and front mounts your choose, can be both dressed up or kept simple. A good example of our more traditional looks is M9 “The Estate” mailbox model.

“We Care About Quality”

At Brandon Industries, the decorative mailboxes we sell blend the aesthetics of yesteryear with the construction techniques, materials, and quality of today. Specifically, this means construction from either premium steel or heavy-duty cast aluminum (which we love because it’s lightweight, sturdy, and recyclable). A durable powder coat finish is added to prevent rust.

For your community, high-end, long-lasting pieces of your streetscape demonstrate a commitment to quality that goes far beyond streetscapes. Quality matters in home and community center construction, in infrastructure design, and in neighbor-to-neighbor relationships.

Contact our streetscape experts – we’ll help you get the comprehensive streetscape your community needs.

At Brandon Industries, we believe a decorative mailbox can provide one of those “finishing touches” that helps your home or streetscape stand out. A decorative mailbox displays a commitment to detail and class. And when installed as part of a larger streetscape for multiple homes, the mailboxes create a sense of cohesiveness and community “togetherness.”

Basically, our mailboxes succeed in doing this by combining the aesthetics of yesteryear with the construction materials and techniques of today. Here’s how:

Elegant, Classy Design

We offer seven different mailbox designs—seven stately, intricate designs that display a sense of pride and invoke the casting methods of yesteryear. Many are offered with dual mounts (perfect for creating a cohesive look with neighbors), and many models feature interchangeable parts, allowing you to pick the exact look you desire.

For example, check out our ME “The Heritage” mailbox model—a classic antique reproduction model that can be either dressed up or kept simple, depending on the finials and front mounts you choose. For a more traditional look, check out our M9 “The Estate” mailbox model.

Sturdy, Reliable Construction

All of our decorative mailboxes are constructed from either premium steel or heavy-duty cast aluminum. And the designs feature a range of corresponding pole sizes—with widths ranging from 2 3/8 inches to 5 inches—which gives you greater flexibility in choosing a pole size that meets your needs. We add a durable powder coat finish to prevent rust. The aluminum we use is lightweight, strong, and recyclable.

We’re confident in the construction of our mailboxes. In fact, if our decorative mailboxes fail to meet your expectations or if you are unsatisfied for any reason, return the products within 30 days and we’ll either replace the mailbox or issue a full refund.

We’ve been supplying decorative mailboxes to thousands of satisfied builders, developers, and homeowners since 1987. Combined with a commitment to top-notch service, the result is an unmatched availability of comprehensive streetscape solutions. Contact one of our streetscape experts—we’ll help you get exactly what you need.

Mailbox Installation

When selecting the location for your custom decorative mailbox, it is critical that you plan carefully as the letter carrier must be able to access the mailbox from the street without leaving his/her vehicle. Check with your postmaster for current installation requirements. For developers and builders i is important that the distance from the curb be the same on all mailboxes for the sake of uniformity.

Bolt Down Pedestals & Posts

If there is no cement where you wish to install your mailbox:

You will need 3/8″ diameter anchor bolts with nuts and washers.

Mailbox Installation Fig. A

Make a template of the bottom of the pedestal indicating the locations of the four holes in relation to each other. The accuracy of this template is crucial to insure ease of installation. Dig a hole of the desired diameter for your pedestal or post and a minimum of 6′ deep. Construct a frame and place it over the hole before pouring your concrete. Adjust the height if the frame to achieve the desired height above the road surface. Finishing out your concrete above ground level will help prevent lawnmowers and edgers from damaging the bottom of your post. Make sure the frame is level.

Mix the concrete according to its direction and use it to fill the hole. Level the surface of the concrete. Use the template to place the bolts into the wet cement. Take great care that the bolts are in their proper positions. Before the cement is dry, we recommend that you place the pedestal over the bolts to insure that they positioned properly (fig. A). Once the cement is dry, remove the frame. Place the pedestal over the bolts followed by the washers and the nuts. Tighten the nuts with a wrench to hold the pedestal securely in place.

If there is cement where you wish to install your mailbox:

You will need 3/8′ diameter expansion bolts.

Carefully mark the cement with the locations of the holes to be drilled. Using a 3/8″ masonry bit, drill holes in the cement to a depth in accordance with the expansion bolts you have selected.

Mailbox Installation Fig B

Place the expansion bolts into the holed and verify that the holes line up with the holes in your pedestal. Using a hammer, tap the expansion bolts into the holes you have drilled. This will wedge the bolts into the cement. Set the mailbox pedestal over the bolts and fasten it securely by tightening the nuts down with a wrench.

Direct Burial Poles & Posts

The first step is to anchor the direct-burial post into the ground with concrete. Adjust the depth of the post hole to achieve the desired height above the road surface. Finishing out your concrete above ground level will help to prevent lawnmowers and edgers from damaging the bottom of your post (fig B).

Note:  Before the concrete sets completely, make sure that the post is straight and that the mailbox will face the street.

Mailbox Installation Fig C

Mailbox Assembly

Top Mount Mailbox To Pedestal

Set the mailbox on the pedestal. With the door open, align the two holes in the bottom of the mailbox with the two threaded holes on the top of the pedestal. With the bolts provided, fasten the two parts together. (fig. C)

Mailbox Installation Fig D

Top Mount Mailbox To Post

Carefully slide the optional decorative slip-over base over the post. If required, securely attach bracket(s) to the top of the post with the bolts. Next, align the holes in the mailbox with those on the bracket(s) and/or post. Securely fasten the mailbox into place with the nuts and bolts. Then attach the flag to the side of the mailbox as well as any lettering and./or house numbers. (fig D)

Mailbox Installation Fig E

Side Mount Mailbox To Post

Carefully slide the optional decorative slip-over base over the pole. Next, securely attach the bracket(s) to the post with the bolts. Align the holes in the mailbox with those on the bracket and/or post. Securely fasten the mailbox in place with the bolts. Attach the finial to the top of the post using the hex key provided. Then attach the flag to the side of the mailbox as well as lettering and/or house numbers. (fig. E)

Please Note:

Customers are required to contact the local post office before installing the box to ensure its correct placement and height at the street. Generally, mailboxes are installed at a height of 41-45″ from the road surface to the inside floor of the mailbox or point of mail entry and are set back 6-8″ from the front face of curb or road edge to the mailbox door.