Photos by IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers AIMING TO PLEASE—Karen Dawson, co-owner of the Santa Susana Station, helps former Major League Baseball pitcher Scott Radinsky of Simi Valley fill out paperwork for an express shipment. Radinsky is one member of the 10-year-old mail center's loyal customer base. In a time when corporate giants are forced to shutter stores, one local mom-and-pop operation is proving that small businesses can survive during an economic crunch.

All it takes, they say, is attention to detail and a commitment to customer service.

Karen and Perry Dawson, Simi residents for 23 years, have been putting these methods into practice at their mail and parcel shop, the Santa Susana Station, for almost a decade.

Located on a stretch of Los Angeles Avenue between Tapo Street and Tapo Canyon Road, the Santa Susana Station would be easy to miss if not for the American flag flying above the store. The nondescript building is marked only with a small wooden sign.

Some residents may remember the Santa Susana Station as one of the city's former post offices.

STAYING BUSY—Employee Tom Bevington goes by "Mr. Tom" o customers and fellow employees. He spends most of his time n the back room, filing letters and filling up postal boxes. In 1999, the post office moved its services to a larger, $7-million facility off of Madera Road. The Dawsons, who at that time were operatingaasmallmailandparcel business on Kuehner Drive, moved as well.

"We heard that the post office was leaving here, and my idea was, if you open the doors, they will come," Karen said. "They left on a Friday; we were open on Monday."

The station offers a number of services, including FedEx, DHL Express and UPS shipping. Customers can also pick up stamps, purchase packaging supplies, send faxes, make copies or rent a private a mailbox.

The outpost also features a consignment shop offering handmade and purchased goods from more than 30 local residents.

Just opposite the shipping counter are shelves brimming with clothes, jewelry, handbags, art, toys and knickknacks. Besides bringing in extra revenue for the station, the mini boutique keeps customers occupied.

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers BEHIND THE SCENES—Karen Dawson slips a letter into a postal box during a lull between customers. Dawson said business at the station has been "nice and steady." "When you go to a post office and you're standing in line, everybody's crossed-armed and grouchy, and they come in here and go, 'Oh, things to look at, it's bright and colorful,'" said Karen, 58.

Another draw for customers is the fact that the station is the only J.C. Penney catalog merchant in Simi.

"We wear lots of hats, which is good because all of them keep us busy," Karen said. "We get new people, and they are always surprised that we have the consignment items and that we can do everything that we do."

Despite the nation's financial crisis, business is good, Karen said.

"We're staying nice and steady," she said. "I can't grouch."

Still, the market is competitive, with about 16 mail and parcel businesses in Simi. In addition, the Internet and online bill pay have also slowed shipping and stamp sales over the years.

Just before Christmas, two mail shops closed their doors due to the economy, Karen said. Knowing that makes her all the more thankful for the station's loyal customer base, which draws from Simi, Moorpark and even Chatsworth.

Simi resident Teri Aungst, who has known the Dawsons since they operated their business on Kuehner Drive, said she goes to the station because of the fast, friendly service.

"It's convenient. It's easy. There's no long lines like over at Galena," Aungst said. "And I like the people. They are very nice."

Because the Dawsons' four children, ages 21 to 29, help run the store, the station has maintained its small-town charm.

Karl Dawson, 23, who works there part time while attending Moorpark College, said the key to the mail and shipping center's success is its focus on customer service.

"We're very warm, and we talk with the customers. We're not just drones behind the counter accepting your packages," Karl said. "The friendly faces behind the counter and the ease of use are probably the reasons people keep coming back."

His mother agreed, adding that customers like the comfortable feeling of a mom-and-pop shop and knowing they'll be taken care of.

"They trust us. That's a huge thing in today's world, that you trust the person who sends your package," she said. "They are sending important things that can't necessarily be replaced."

Carole Bahrman, a customer for five years, described the station as being "as dependable as the morning sun." And while she's always appreciated the store's reasonable prices and friendly atmosphere, it was an experience this holiday season that solidified her as a customer.

The 62-year-old Simi resident said that her husband had attempted to send some last-minute Christmas presents overnight to family in Oregon, but Karen warned him that the gifts might not arrive in time due to inclement weather and said he better hold on to his $100 instead.

Bahrman was impressed.

"They're superhuman people that own this little store," she said. "You will never find such loyalty, such honesty. . . . They're protective of their customers like we're family."

Karen insisted that what she and her family do is not all that special.

"I tell my customers, I treat their packages like they're mine," she said. "I'm old school. I feel that's the way we're supposed to be."

The Santa Susana Station is at 4212 E. Los Angeles Ave., between Buyers Street and Bishop Lane. Doors are open Monday through Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information, call (805) 578-2533.