Don Hall jets in from Kansas City to officially open Hallmark UK’s new HQ
‘We’ve come a long way from a man with empty pockets, two shoeboxes of postcards and a dream’ reads one of the items on the ‘Heritage Wall’ at Hallmark UK’s new headquarters in Bradford that were officially opened today (July 20) by Don Hall jnr, the president and ceo of Hallmark Cards group. (Pictured top right with Steve Wright, ceo at Hallmark UK). That ‘man’ the text refers to is Don Hall’s grandfather, Joyce Hall, the founder of Hallmark Cards.
Just as the company started from humble beginnings back in 1910 and has played a major role in developing the greeting card industry as we know it today, so Hallmark’s new headquarters have been totally transformed from a faceless industrial unit into a creatively inspiring working environment that is fit for purpose for the 500 people working there.
The new set up brings all of Hallmark’s creative, sales, marketing and warehousing functions onto one site at Dawson Lane, Bradford.
“This is a very exciting time for Hallmark. This new building exudes the focus we have on creativity, of providing a good service to our customers – and ultimately to continue our mission of igniting interest and delight in greeting cards for the consumer,” Don Hall told PG Buzz.
Affirming the importance of the UK market as well as the role greeting cards play in modern day society he said:
“Of the UK is vitally important to us. It is here in the UK that greeting cards were born and where the tradition of sending cards are most revered, illustrated by the highest per capita send fuelled by the abundant creativity and progressive retailing trends,” said Don. “The political turmoil in the world, not least in the UK and US, is causing uncertainty which in turn is strengthening the desired need to connect through the sending and receiving of greeting cards,” he added.