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A Daily Dose of the American DreamSample 8 |
"Every day is a new day, with new possibilities and unlimited opportunity."
- Ernest Reeves
Ask people in and around Kansas City what is special about their city, and one of the things they will probably mention is Hallmark Cards. Few companies have such warmth associated with them as this company. Greeting cards as we know them began to appear some 150 years ago, when the Penny Postage Act of 1840 put mailing letters within reach of almost everyone. Hallmark got its start when 18-year-old Joyce Clyde Hall came to Kansas City, Mo. in 1910. He and his brothers had owned a small gift store in Nebraska, and Hall came to Kansas City to seek a better market. His brother Rollie joined soon, and the store was known as Hall Brothers, Inc.
Hall carried postcards in his store and soon recognized the beginnings of the greeting card industry. Hall Brothers, which became Hallmark in 1954, now has the largest art department in the world. Its creative staff of over 600 people produces more than 10 million greeting cards a year. Joyce led the company until 1966, when his son Donald became president. Under their leadership, Hallmark has carefully designed its products with quality, from the best artists to professional writers and printers. It can take up to 3,000 people and 300 controlled steps to produce and market each card. And 18,000 are produced each year. The Hall family has created a company that is proud to be known as one of the best 100 companies to work for in America.
CONSIDER THIS: Do you see the beginning of an infant industry in your midst? If not, look. If so, how are you going to take advantage of it?
This story is adapted from A Daily Dose of the American Dream, by Alan Elliott, published by Rutledge Hill Press. The book contains 366 stories, one for each day of the year.
Grab a copy quickly by purchasing it at your favorite bookstore or on-line: Click here to order A Daily Dose of the American Dream: Stories of Success, Triumph, & Inspiration.