4imprint (originally Nelson Marketing) was founded in the 1960s by Kenneth Nelson. His son, Dick, later joined the company. From their office in Logansport, Indiana, the pair sold a variety of items to financial institutions. These items were used as premiums to encourage prospective customers to open an account. The company also sold a few imprinted promotional products as a service to their clients.

In one fell swoop, bank deregulation virtually eliminated the bank premium side of the business. One night, as Dick was contemplating the future of the business, he saw a commercial for a brokerage that offered services over the phone instead of in person.

The light bulb went on.

What if the company would sell promotional products in this "direct" fashion via a catalog and toll-free number? This more efficient and convenient process would save customers' time. And the absence of a visit by a commissioned sales person would allow 4imprint to pass substantial savings on to their customers.

So, in 1987 the first catalog was mailed out. It was 12 pages long, went to 250,000 businesses and it wasn't much to look at by today's standards — but it was a thing of beauty to us!

Our Hike: A cross-country hike by 4imprint associate Robin Grapa benefiting bone marrow disease research

Critical to our original vision for the company was a belief that in order to offer incredible value, we must provide incredible service — and service is all about people. We strive to create an environment where people are valued and respected. After all, associates who are passionate about their work are naturally inclined to share that enthusiasm with everyone they encounter.

In essence, we run the company by "The Golden Rule" — treat people as you want to be treated.

This philosophy is evident in everything we do. It's in our guarantee to you:

• Lowest prices or double the difference back
• On-time shipment or your order is free
• 100% satisfaction
• Free samples
• Free art
• Free proof of your imprint

And it's evident in the way our associates treat you, each other, and the community. 4imprint associates regularly participate in blood drives, the Salvation Army's Adopt-A-Family program, animal shelter fundraisers, penny wars to raise money for charities, the local holiday parade, and much more.

4imprint Stepping Stones to benefit AA/MDSIF

Because of the hard work of our associates, 4imprint was recently honored with these awards:

• 2008 Top 25 Best Medium Size Companies to Work For in America.
• 2007 Wisconsin Corporate Report Corporate Citizenship Award.
• Lake Winnebago B2B magazine "Best Places to Work" 2002, 2004 and 2007.
• Overall Excellence award from the area Community Blood Center.
• Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce 2004 "International Business of the Year.

Today, 4imprint employs over 400 people and our offices are located in downtown Oshkosh, Wisconsin. We're now part of 4imprint Group, Plc, a publicly traded company on the London Stock Exchange. Kenneth and Dick Nelson have moved on and Kevin, an 18-year company veteran is now President.

The 4imprint Blue Box™

Our 12-page catalog is now 76 pages long and millions are sent each year. We serve over 100,000 businesses throughout the U.S. and Canada. And we work with organizations of all shapes and sizes — from most of the Fortune 500® to small family businesses and from small churches and schools to major universities and hospitals.

4imprint.com was launched in 1996 so you could place orders over the Internet as well as the phone, fax or e-mail. Our website also allows you to view thousands of products — more than we could ever fit in one of our catalogs!

In 2004 we unveiled our Blue Box™ mailings. They're loaded with FREE samples, special offers and information about the newest promotional products. And only our customers get them. That's because we want to help your promotions and events stand out from the crowd.

Even though the times and the tools have changed, our basic philosophy hasn't.

Next time your business or organization needs promotional products, contact one of our friendly representatives and you'll see what I mean. You can reach us toll-free at 1-877-446-7746 or by completing this form.

Thank you for learning more about 4imprint. I hope you enjoyed our story!