MailSouth, a nationwide direct mail provider, last week purchased Saving Source Direct, a direct-mail company that covers North Carolina.

MailSouth president Tom Settle said Saving Source Direct meshed well with his company’s long-term goals.

“They were already in very much the same industry and market space as we are. However, they covered the state of North Carolina, where we did not have a presence, so it really was a perfect fit,” he said. “North Carolina was a hole in our coverage of this part of the country, and they pretty much blanket the state, so it was a really nice match.”

MailSouth will have to let most of Saving Source Direct’s employees go. The sales force will remain part of the company, and MailSouth will add some positions in Helena to absorb the extra work.

Settle said he believes his company is growing because of the added value customers get from direct mail.

“I think it’s because we’re in the business of trying to bring values to homes through special offers and coupons and that sort of thing, so more customers than ever are using the materials that we mail,” he said. “I think for a lot of our customers, that’s really, really important right now.