Western Associates celebrates 50 years years ago
Staff reporter
A venture that began 50 years ago around a family's kitchen table now is a multimillion dollar enterprise with the third generation in training.
Hard work, perseverance, and creativity have resulted in Western Associates, Inc. of Marion, being one of the most successful promotional products businesses in the nation.
Owned and operated by the Crofoot family, the late family patriarch John Crofoot once said, "We're selling ideas, not merchandise." And are they ever.
In the early years, a great deal of credit for their success goes to Pat McClure, who was the first employee hired.
That was back in the days when everything was done by hand — adding, multiplication, carbon paper, and manual typewriters with no spell check.
The company has experienced steady sales increases during the past half of a century, which included $11 million in sales in 2005.
What is the secret to their success?
Brothers Dave and Jim Crofoot are quick to say their parents, John and Marian, most particularly their mother.
While John served 10 years in the Kansas state senate, Marian was the "spark plug" of the business — keeping it going and paying close attention to details.
"Mom's hard work gave us a good starting point," said Jim, referring to the time in 1987 when John and Marian retired and the two brothers took over operation of the business.
Their success also can be attributed to their dedicated employees.
"We're a family business that supports families," said Dave. A low employee turnover keeps the company efficient and running like a well-oiled machine.
The company employs 30 office employees and 100 full-time and part-time sales associates across the U.S.
"We're flexible with our employees and treat them well," Dave said. Employees are allowed time off to watch their children's activities or attend to family business.
Jim's son Andy agreed.
"The atmosphere here is more like a family than a business," he said.
The businesses
In a nutshell, Western Associates sells customized advertising and promotional merchandise to businesses.
"These products have become a part of everyday business to help them do business," said Dave.
In addition to selling promotional advertising, two other companies were formed by the Crofoots to complement growing advertising sales.
John saw it as an opportunity to provide jobs to local people and knew the area could supply quality workers for his operation — and he was right.
Western Graphics (Hoppy Line) specializes in screen printing on clothing and Flint Hills Embroidery provides embroidery for hats and other articles of clothing sold through the parent company.
Fifty years ago, pens, rain gauges, and calendars with business logos were common place. Today clothing is a large portion of sales for the company. Western Associates provides shirts with custom logos to numerous companies.
Supplying promotional advertising products to restaurants, insurance companies, government agencies, and hospitals, Western Associates is known around the country.
The process is simple. A salesman contacts customers and works with them to create the perfect design. In-house graphic artists take the ideas from the drawing board to the product.
The design is then imprinted on the promotional item and shipped directly to the business.
"Suppliers have changed a lot," said Jim. "There used to be four pen suppliers, four calendar suppliers, etc., and now everybody wants to be everything to everyone."
Eighty percent of their business, said Jim, is with about 100 vendors.
Requests still include traditional products such as pens, mugs, and calendars but also include belt buckles, golf tees, mouse pads, and refrigerator magnets.
More recently, a college promoted itself to prospective students by sending view finders with a disk of photographs depicting college life. The view finder, reminiscent of the children's toy, had the college's name on it.
"If it can be held down, it can be imprinted," said Dave.
The history
I.H. Walter started the advertising company in the early 1950s from his home at Marion County Lake. Walter then sold it to John Crofoot's uncle, Graham Grimwood, of Cedar Point, who named it Western Associates.
John began working part-time selling specialty advertising after the 1951 flood and 1952 drought. Grimwood died a short time after purchasing the company and his family sold the business to John in 1952 for about $1,000. The business came home in two orange crates.
John's full-time job at that time was working at the family's feedlot in Chase County. John worked at the business as he could and Marian took orders and oversaw operations. The couple worked at the business six days a week from the family's kitchen table.
A new logo was designed by a Topeka advertising agency in the 1960s for $100, which was a lot of money at that time for such a service.
"It was $100 well spent," said Marian.
The company has used the logo ever since.
In 1974, the company had its first million dollar year in sales.
As the company grew, it encountered a labor shortage in the small community of Cedar Point. The Crofoot children, Dave, Pam, and Jim were living in Marion, and John felt it was time to move to a more populated area. Longtime employees Louise Shumate, Delores Mann, and Barb Klein commuted from Cedar Point to Marion.
The company purchased a former auto agency building in 1983 at 124 E. Main Street, Marion. The 9,000 square foot building was gutted and became office space. Marian designed the layout, putting carpet on the partitions for noise reduction. She also had the idea to make the partition walls low enough to allow employees to communicate with each other rather than be isolated in cubicles.
Modern technology is probably the most significant change during the past 50 years, said Marian.
"The first computer in 1979 was the size of a refrigerator," she said. The computer age has revolutionized and driven the company.
Orders now can be processed within a matter of hours with turnaround time being days instead of weeks.
Gone are the seven-part carbon order forms completed on manual typewriters and the old ledger book with a huge, black Victor adding machine.
As time passed and the children grew up, one by one they joined their parents.
Dave joined the firm in 1973 after the family's feedlot closed and Jim arrived in 1976, after attending Kansas State University.
John and Marian retired in 1987, and Dave and Jim became the decision-makers.
Pam recalls the business being a part of her childhood.
"Instead of selling lemonade, I sold pen refills door-to-door in Cedar Point," said Pam with a smile.
Pam Bowers joined the company and her brothers in 2000.
"I'm a lot like my mom," said Pam, a stickler for details. She enjoys working with the family and providing customer service.
The next generation is now being positioned. Jim's son Andy, and Dave's son Brian are contributing to the business.
Customer service
Competition is fierce in the advertising game. Many companies are selling the same products at similar prices so Western Associates sticks to the core of their business — customer service.
Mail order and Internet businesses are available but lack customer service.
"When a customer calls us, they get a real person," said Pam.
Customers are treated well — they're called on a regular basis, provided quick turnaround for products, and know the company will stand behind the product.
"Our business is personal contact," said Jim.
The future
Fifty years and successful sales have not slowed down this company.
They continue to operate offices in Topeka, Wichita, Tulsa, Okla., and Charlotte, N.C. Marion serves as corporate headquarters, with all orders and billing processed in that office.
"The other offices serve as showrooms with salespeople," said Jim.
A new office has been built in Charlotte to accommodate the growing business.
"More people wanted to work for us in Charlotte so we expanded," said Dave.
This year, Western Associates will provide polo shirts and other products to 40 Nascar teams, uniforms for Wendy's and Cici's Pizza employees, and continue to influence the world of business promotion.
Andy joined his father, uncle, and aunt three years ago.
"I enjoy it because I get to do a lot of different things," said Andy.
He graduated from Brown-Mackey College in Salina but wanted to work at the family business before going out into the world.
Andy Hansen purchased stock in the company in 2005.
Always looking at a way to diversify and stay ahead of the pack, the company is in the process of purchasing Bear Promotions in Salina and will sell banners and signs. Bear Promotions specializes in screen printing and wide format printing for signs and banners.
Brian works for a Western Associates supplier, and assists with direct-source imported items for customers like the Kansas Lottery and NASCAR teams.
Regardless what the future may bring, businesses always will promote themselves to their customers and Western Associates in Marion, Kansas, will continue to serve them.
"Our salesmen still are our most valuable commodity," said Marian. "John used to say 'Nothing happens until somebody sells something'."
