Peter J. Valcarce is passionate about politics — but he's not a candidate.

Rather, Valcarce's Salt Lake-based company, Arena Communications, provides direct mail services, in the words of the company's Web site, "by Republicans, for Republicans."

A longtime political junkie, Valcarce began his career in political polling and communications and also worked as a campaign consultant, rising to statewide prominence in running Enid Greene's first close, but unsuccessful, campaign for Congress.

Valcarce then entered the field of political advertising, producing print ads for local campaigns.

Along the way, he met James Ohman, who now runs the day-to-day creative operations of Arena Communications, allowing Valcarce to act as the company's ace client representative.

Arena Communications has developed a philosophy of providing direct mail to voters that emphasizes the voters' own concerns and interests, rather than merely repeating a candidate's accomplishments.

The approach has proven popular: Since 1996, the company has produced more than 1,581 different pieces of political mail sent to more than 76 million households for 263 campaigns in 37 states.

To even out its revenue cycles in the "slow" periods between elections, the company also produces the direct mail sent by members of Congress to their constituents, commonly called "franked" mail.

To this field Valcarce's company brings the same quick, personalized and graphically interesting approach that has characterized its campaign work.