Customer Service

1900's

What is now known as The AT-A-GLANCE Group has roots dating back to the early 1900s.

On December 17, 1903 the Wright brothers flew the first power-driven, heavier-than-air machine for 12 seconds. Within a year Wilbur and Orville built a craft that could stay aloft, turn and bank.

1908

In 1908 Keith Clark Sr. and John B. Kemp founded Clark Loose Leaf Manufacturing Company in New York City.

In 1908, the Clark Loose Leaf Manufacturing Company was founded by Keith Clark, Sr. and John B. Kemp. The firm produced the first desk calendar in 1914 at 221 Fulton Street on the lower West Side of New York City. The desk calendars were given the trade name "Ever Ready Calendars" and were well received by the public.

In 1908 Henry Ford produced the first Model T Ford. In addition to being an inexpensive product, the cars production on an assembly line revolutionized industrial production.

1917

In 1917 Keith Clark Sr. sold his interest in Clark Loose Leaf Manufacturing to his partner, John B. Kemp.

The Ever Ready Calendar was so successful that the line was expanded to include a 5" x 8" bound desk calendar. This pad-style desk calendar was actually an Advertising Specialty item, created for an insurance company who had requested a scratch pad with dates on it that would carry their advertising.

In 1917 Keith Clark, Sr. sold his interest in Clark Loose Leaf Manufacturing Company to John B. Kemp.

1921

By 1921 Mr. Clark was back in the printing business with another partner, Robert Leonard.

In 1921 Keith Clark, Sr. formed a job printing company with Robert Leonard. The business was located at 65 Duane Street, an area now occupied by 2 Federal Plaza in New York City.

1923

In 1923 Keith Clark, Sr. bought out Mr. Leonard and formed Keith Clark, Incorporated.

In 1923 Keith Clark, Sr. bought out his partner, Robert Leonard, and changed the name of the firm to Keith Clark, Incorporated.

The first Loose Leaf Calendar, a major improvement over bound calendars, was introduced in 1923 by the use of a flat binding plate with two screws fastened to a cardboard base. This would permit the removal of the old page stubs as the plate also served as a cutting edge when one tore off the individual sheets. This avoided the ragged edges left behind on permanently bound calendars.

1924

The firm converted to the manufacture of "Work-A-Day" desk calendars in 1924.

In 1924 the Keith Clark, Inc. converted to the manufacture of "Work-A-Day" desk calendars, which would remain a very popular item for more than five decades.

1936

In 1936, J. K. "Pete" Clark takes over as President of Keith Clark after the death of his father.

Keith Clark, Sr. remained the leader of Keith Clark, Inc. until his death in 1936. His son, John Keith "Pete" Clark succeeded him as President of the company. Sales of Keith Clark products were increasing and J. K. Clark sought a new location for his business.

1946

In 1946 Keith Clark, Inc. moves its operations from New York City upstate to Sidney, NY.

Through a business associate, J. K. Clark learned of the availability of a 65,000 square foot, one-level plant in upstate New York's Delaware County. A visit to Sidney by Mr. Clark and his wife Dorothy ensued, and shortly thereafter the decision to move to Sidney was made. In 1946, 200,000 units were produced, bringing in approximately $100,000 in sales. The clientele were for the most part, New York City office products wholesalers and dealers. The New York City accounts were, supported by several "special accounts" for the 5" x 8" bound desk calendars, produced with special advertising imprints. Those accounts turned out to be the forerunners of today's Advertising Specialty Division business.

1949

In 1949 the Defiance Calendar Company proposed and entered into a cooperative agreement with Keith Clark, Inc. where the two companies purchased a web-fed press.

In 1949, the Defiance Calendar Company, a large competitor in the calendar industry, approached K. C. Clark with an unusual proposal. Defiance was negotiating for the purchase of a web-fed printing press. Their proposal was to enter a cooperative purchase agreement with Keith Clark, Inc. for the press, but physically locate it at Keith Clark, Inc.'s Sidney location. The second part of the agreement was for Keith Clark, Inc. to print Defiance's calendars in exchange for press time to print their own products.

Mr. Clark naturally jumped at this opportunity, and today it stands as one of the decisions that secured Keith Clark, Inc.'s future.

1958

In 1958 Keith Clark, Inc. purchases the Defiance Calendar Company and erects an additional 10,000 square foot building

In 1949, the Defiance Calendar Company, a large competitor in the calendar industry, approached K. C. Clark with an unusual proposal. Defiance was negotiating for the purchase of a web-fed printing press. Their proposal was to enter a cooperative purchase agreement with Keith Clark, Inc. for the press, but physically locate it at Keith Clark, Inc.'s Sidney location. The second part of the agreement was for Keith Clark, Inc. to print Defiance's calendars in exchange for press time to print their own products.

Mr. Clark naturally jumped at this opportunity, and today it stands as one of the decisions that secured Keith Clark, Inc.'s future.

1962

1962, Keith Clark, Inc. purchases the Ever Ready Company adding the Ever Ready brand to the Defiance and Work-A-Day brands.

In 1962 Keith Clark, Inc. bought the Ever Ready Company of Jersey City, New Jersey and began producing Ever Ready calendars. Ironically, Ever Ready calendars were first produced by Clark Loose Leaf, which was founded by Keith Clark, Sr., and John B. Kemp, Sr. back in 1917.

Besides being able to offer three different types of calendars to customers, the purchase of Ever Ready also meant that after fifty years, the sons of the founders were together again. John Keith Clark headed the corporation as president, and John B. Kemp, Jr. was president of the Ever Ready Calendar division.

1967

J. K. "Pete" Clark sold the company in 1967. The new owners decide to take the company public, offering 200,000 shares of Keith Clark Common Stock to the public.

In 1967, after 28 years as President of Keith Clark, Inc. John Keith "Pete" Clark decided to retire and sold the closely-held corporation to four men - James O' Neil, Robert Nevin, Jay Negin and Samuel Negin. These four men decided to turn Keith Clark into a public corporation and offered 200,000 shares of Keith Clark Common Stock to the public for a price of $11.00 per share. James O' Neil assumed the role of President of Keith Clark, Inc. with Jay Negin as Secretary and Financial Vice President; Robert Nevin as Vice-President and Samuel Negin as Treasurer.

1970

1970, the Advertising Specialty Division moves into a 45,000 sq. ft. facility.

To help accommodate the growth of the Advertising Specialty lines in 1970, an all-electric 45,000 square foot facility was constructed between the Sidney Airport and the Delaware & Hudson Railroad. This building housed the offices and manufacturing facilities for most of the Advertising Specialty Division.

The success of our then competitors, Sheaffer-Eaton's "At-A-Glance" products and Baldwin Cooke items was instrumental in inducing Keith Clark, Inc. to introduce an entirely new line of top quality executive planners and appointment books. After much researching and planning, Keith Clark, Inc. introduced an entirely new product line to the Ad. Specialty and Office Products Divisions. This new line of top quality executive planners and appointment books became known as the Guilford line and proved to be an extremely profitable addition.

1972

1972, Keith Clark, Inc. purchases Stark Calendar, Incorporated.

In late 1972, Keith Clark, Inc. bought Stark Calendar, Inc. which was based in Joliet, Illinois. One of the reasons for the purchase was the expectation that Stark Calendars customers would become Keith Clark customers and provide a better "foothold" in the mid-west. The fact that Stark Calendars had a web press and a collator that Keith Clark, Inc. had its eye on was yet another reason for the acquisition.

1975

1975, Keith Clark, Inc. closes its New York City sales office on Broadway.

1975 was the final year that Keith Clark, Inc. operated a sales office in New York City. These offices had been located at 1450 Broadway since the company had been moved to Sidney.

Also in 1974, construction was completed on two storage buildings at the Airport site that added 27,000 square feet of space to this facility. Keith Clark, Inc. also strengthened its distribution system by opening a Midwest office and warehouse in Des Plaines, Illinois and the addition of several new pieces of equipment added to the company's operating goals of increased productivity and manufacturing profitability.

1978

Cullman Ventures, Inc. purchases Keith Clark, Inc. in 1978.

In the summer of 1977, Cullman Ventures Inc. (CVI) purchased approximately 53% of KC, Inc. common stock. This meant that CVI had "control" of the company and proclaimed its intention to purchase all of the equity interest in the company. In a related move in December of 1977 and January of 1978, Keith Clark, Inc. made an offer to purchase all outstanding shares of common stock (except those owned by Cullman Ventures). This action would increase CVI's control of Keith Clark because a reduction in the number of shares held by persons other than Lewis Cullman would increase Cullman's voting power.

Subsequently to the change in ownership, the new officers of Keith Clark became: Lewis B. Cullman, Chairman of the Board; James G. O' Neil, President; Robert L. Nevin, Executive Vice-President; A Steffee Smith, Vice-President. The changeover from public to private company did not diminish the continuing growth of Keith Clark, Inc. as it strove to become even more efficient and more profitable.

The acquisition by CVI also brought Keith Clark the biggest period of growth in the company's history. Our market share had increased to such an extent, that a move to a larger facility became necessary. The 27 acre Airport site at which our Ad.Specialty Division and related production was already located, would be the place.

1979

1979, Lewis B. Cullman, Chairman of the Board, breaks ground on a $5 million, 185,000 sq. ft. facility.

On November 11, 1979, Lewis B. Cullman broke ground on a $5 million, 185,000 square foot facility. This new building was ready for occupancy in July 1981, and enabled KC to increase all manufacturing capabilities.

In an event that coincided with the opening of the new facility, Keith Clark, Inc. celebrated 35 years of continuous growth in Sidney by making a substantial donation to the Village of Sidney. This donation was to improve the facilities at River Street Park in the Village. It was also the company's way of saying "thank you" to the community. To show their appreciation, the officials of Sidney renamed the recreational facility, "Keith Clark Park".

1981 was also the year that James O'Neil retired as President of Keith Clark, Inc. after 32 years of service to the company. In a show of respect, the Village of Sidney renamed the access road to the Keith Clark plant, "O'Neil Road". Thomas F. Burleigh, former Executive Vice President and General Manager was named President of the company.

Over $2 million of capital equipment was added to the existing machinery to help keep KC in the number one position in the calendar-making field. New equipment and over 350 dedicated employees aided in KC's steady growth throughout Mr. Burleigh's tenure.

On January 10, 1983 Thomas Hargrove succeeded Mr. Burleigh as President. It was under the leadership of Tom Hargrove that the Employee Production Bonus Plan was introduced in 1984. The new plan would allow each employee to share in the benefits of increased production. To date, the plan been paid out every year since the Plan's inception.

1984

Keith Clark, Inc. acquires the Standard Diary Line in 1984.

Keith Clark, Inc.'s acquisition of the Standard Diary Line of hardbound and wirebound calendar books from the Wilson Jones Company of New Jersey was completed in 1984. The deal was the purchase of rights to a major product line of hardbound datebooks, appointment and diaries - the "Standard Diary" line. The acquisition of "Standard Diary' not only secured Keith Clark's position as the only full-line supplier of dated office products in America but the additional 1 million units produced would further enhance KC's position and reputation in the office products industry.

Production swelled even more when the company slowly began phasing out its operations in Puerto Rico and absorbed the workload at the Sidney facility. Since the early sixties, the Puerto Rican operation known as the P.R. Publishing Company had printed a variety of calendar products and shipped them to Sidney for assembly and distribution. However, burdensome freight costs involved in moving raw material to the island and finished goods back to the mainland for eventual distribution, led to a decision to close this facility down.

1985

In1985 Keith Clark, Inc. acquires the National Brand of diaries.

In 1985, Keith Clark, Inc. acquired the National Brand of diaries, appointment books and calendars from the Dennison National Corporation. The National brand was similar to the Standard Dairy line in that most of the products were hard cover diaries and date books.

The addition of "Standard Diary" and "National Diary", as well as the consolidation of operations at the Sidney facility, led to yet another expansion. On June 28, 1985, the company held a groundbreaking ceremony launching the 150,000 sq, ft. expansion project for the warehousing and distribution areas.

1986

1986, a 150,000 square foot Distribution Center is completed.

The new Distribution Center opened in 1986 and utilized a state-of-the-art, automated racking system providing over 350,000 cubic feet of much-needed storage capacity.

In 1986, Tom Hargrove was promoted to the position of Chairman of the Board of Keith Clark, Inc. and Douglas Willies, formerly Executive Vice President, was promoted to the position of President of Keith Clark, Inc. At the time, Keith Clark employed about 600 people, with a payroll of about $9 million in its 375,000 square foot facility.

1988

In 1988 Keith Clark, Inc. acquires the At-A-Glance and Eaton Business Papers product lines.

1988 was the year when Keith Clark, Inc. acquired two new product lines - At-A-Glance® and Eaton® Business Papers from Sheaffer Eaton's parent corporation, Gefinor Inc. of Geneva Switzerland. These two acquisitions nearly doubled the number of items in the product line.

This increase in the product offering began an unprecedented round of hiring. Long hours of overtime became the norm for most employees as the company raced to integrate the several hundred new items to an already broad range of products. In total, the At-A-Glance brand of wirebound books added approximately seven million units to Keith Clark, Inc.'s annual sales and distribution efforts.

1989

1989, Keith Clark, Inc. purchases Ready Reference Publishers, Incorporated.

In early 1989 Keith Clark, Inc. announced the purchase of Ready Reference Publishers, Inc. of Woodbridge, NJ. Ready Reference was one of the oldest advertising specialty companies in the business. The impact on sales volume of the acquisition was far less than that of At-A-Glance, as Ready Reference was only about 15% the size.

With the At-A-Glance and Ready Reference acquisitions, the need for another expansion became apparent. The company cast its eyes at the airport land and, at first, were rejected by the Federal Aviation Administration in a deal that would have allowed the purchase of 35 acres of airport land from the village. However, after negotiation, the FAA granted Keith Clark two variances that would include the expansion of the parking lot within the vicinity of the airport. The variances also allowed for the construction of a building that would have the potential of projecting out into the airport's "clear zone".

With approval from the FAA, ground was broken on Thursday, September 21st on a 26,000 square foot office and cafeteria facility. With total employee population at 950, the additional space would be a welcome relief to all - a far cry from the 350 workers the company employed when the first major building project was completed in 1981.

In ten years, the number of employees at Keith Clark, Inc. had nearly tripled, and payroll had risen from $5 million to over $14 million. It was a visible indication of how much the company had grown in a short space of time, and set the stage for the continued growth in the 90's.

1990

1990, a 26,500 sq. ft. Employee Center opens for the company's 350 employees.

On April 27, 1990 all employees were invited to a ribbon-cutting ceremony opening the new 2-story Keith Clark Employee Center. The centerpiece of the new addition was the Cafeteria designed to accommodate more than 300 people. In addition to the new cafeteria, an exercise facility and a training room were also part of this new addition. The second floor provided welcome office space for the growing workforce. Later that year, an Open House was held attracting over 2,000 visitors.

New jobs were added to the Sidney facility when in mid-October, Keith Clark, Inc. announced moves to phase out operations at the Ready Reference facility in Wood Ridge, N.J. The company had purchased Ready Reference Publishers in January of 1990 and operated it as a separate division. By consolidating operations in Sidney, the Ready Reference work was merged with the Sidney-based Advertising Specialty division, adding approximately 100 new items and increasing the total unit volume by about 8%. This not only created a favorable job impact, but expanded the Advertising Specialty products line as well.

1991

An organization-wide recycling program is started.

Keith Clark, Inc. started off 1991 by kicking off an organization-wide recycling program. At that time, the market for recycled paper ranged from 0.02¢ to 0.18¢ a pound, which meant a significant contribution to sales. It also reinforced the drive to become more efficient, and the catch phrase "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" became a battle cry throughout both the office and manufacturing areas.

In June of 1991, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman broke ground on a Child-Development Center to help employees and community residents with accessible childcare. In comments to those assembled at the groundbreaking ceremony, Mr. Cullman said the Center would serve two needs - the needs of the Keith Clark employees and the community, and the needs of he and his wife, Dorothy. He went on to explain that he and his wife had wanted to give something back to the community for all the joy they had derived from the Sidney community and Keith Clark. "How often does one have the opportunity to see something that was a dream become a reality!" he added.

Construction of the 9,000 square foot Child Development Center was completed in December of 1991 and opened in January 1992 to serve children from 6 weeks to 12 years.

The biggest event of 1991 was the Total Quality Management Kick-off in September. On Monday, the 9th, daily operations were halted in order to educate all employees on the Total Quality process. The company was split into 3 teams and moved to separate seminar locations where speakers gave introductions to the various concepts included within the TQM process. This informative, yet fun-filled event was rounded off with lunch accompanied by musical entertainment provided by Keith Clark, Inc. employees.

1992

1992, 110,000 square feet are added to the Distribution Center.

1992 marked the completion of an 115,000 square foot Distribution Center. The expansion provided additional shipping docks and truck staging areas to accommodate truck deliveries and shipments. The project's main focus was to consolidate all shipping/warehouse operations under one roof.

Climate Control, in the form of a new air-conditioning system, became fully operational in June for the entire manufacturing area. Not only was there the obvious personal comfort and improved morale, but also significant improvements to operations. Production levels increased with a reduction in paper jams, misfeeds and paper curls.

1993

1993, Keith Clark, Inc. acquires the dated products line from Ampad Corporation.

In May of 1993 Keith Clark, Inc. purchased the "Dated Products" line from Ampad Corporation of Holyoke, Massachusetts. This new line comprised about 30 items, ranging from dated doodle pads to wirebound 12-month and 16-month academic planners. As Doug Willies, company President noted in a press release, "While the acquisition is small relative to several we have previously made, it marks another significant step in becoming an indispensable supplier to our customers."

This acquisition became a timely demonstration of the continued growth of Keith Clark as it celebrated its 70th Birthday. To mark the occasion, an Open House was held, attracting visitors from as near as Bainbridge, NY and as far away as Arizona.

1994

1993, Keith Clark, Inc. acquires the dated products line from Ampad Corporation.

In 1994 Keith Clark, Inc. merged with Success Business Industries (SBI) of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. SBI, formerly known as Columbian Art Works, was a key supplier of calendars, planners and related products to the office products industry.

Not long after the announcement of the SBI merger, Keith Clark joined forces with Design House of Teaneck, New Jersey. Design House products were sold through three primary channels: office superstores, the gift market and warehouse clubs. Naturally, this merger put Keith Clark, Inc. in good relations with all three channels.

1995

1995, 115,000 square feet are added to the Distribution, Manufacturing and Office areas.

In 1995 Keith Clark, Inc. added 75,000 square feet to the east end warehouse, 33,000 feet to the west-end warehouse and about 5,000 square feet to the office area adjacent to the main offices. The parking area was also expanded to accommodate the approximate 1,000 employees now working at the facility.

1996

1996, Keith Clark, Inc. acquires the calendar division of Southworth Company and Landmark General Corporation and then changes the company name to AT-A-GLANCE.

1996, Keith Clark, Inc.'s 50th year in the Sidney community, became a year long celebration. As the company's customers and competitors continued to change, the one thing that has remained a constant was the support and commitment received from the community.

The celebration kicked off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and featured a variety of community and in-house activities, culminating on June 29th with the Sidney Hometown Days. This very popular local event was dedicated to the 50th Anniversary celebration and included a parade, Open House and a dinner at which Keith Clark, Inc. was recognized as the "Business of the Years" by the Sidney Chamber of Commerce.

Later in the year Keith Clark, Inc. purchased Southworth Company of West Springfield, Massachusetts and Landmark General Corporation of Novato, California - both of which strengthened the company's position as the true "one stop shop" for customer's calendar and related needs.

Also in 1996, Keith Clark, Inc. changed its name to The AT-A-GLANCE® Group. This change was not an easy one to make. Research revealed Keith Clark was a virtually unknown name in the marketplace. The most recognized identity in the company's vast collection was At-A-Glance®, so that is what it became.

1997

1997, AT-A-GLANCE acquires Day Dream, Incorporated.

In 1997 AT-A-GLANCE acquired Day Dream, Incorporated of Indianapolis, IN. Day Dream produced 4-color wall calendars and posters with distribution through retail, music, video and book stores. These added distribution channels and Day Dreams licenses with organizations, including Disney and Nike, helped expand AT-A-GLANCE's already large product offering.

1998

1998 AT-A-GLANCE launches its cross-country Millennium Tour with the History Channel and Sanford.

1999

1999 AT-A-GLANCE is acquired by the MEAD Corporation Headquartered in Dayton, Ohio. Mead is a paper and forest products company with more than 14,000 employees and offices and operations in 32 countries.

2000

2000 Mead/AT-A-GLANCE Merges with the Westvaco Corporation becoming one company "MeadWestvaco". As of March 24th 2008 the company will now be known as MWV.