Hallmark employs a creative staff that makes up one of the world's largest—and the world's best, if you ask us. We have innovative thinkers developing products, not to mention three Kansas-based manufacturing plants producing them. When it comes to getting these products to market, Hallmark has in-house experts in everything from logistics and sales to marketing and merchandising.

With nearly 20,000 new or redesigned cards and other products created each year, we also know we can't do it all by ourselves. We work with partners in the United States and around the world to extend our capacity, lend us outside perspective and help us get products to stores faster than ever.

These partners, regardless of their location, are expected to comply to the Hallmark Supplier Code of Conduct—the first such code to be implemented in our industry. Factory audits help Hallmark assure compliance, and in 2010, 86 percent of our total product volume went to suppliers fully compliant with the Hallmark standard or enrolled in the ICTI Care Process. Hallmark has a supplier development team that is dedicated to making improvements in factory conditions and labor standards within our supply chain. We partner with leading industry organizations, such as Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), to continually review and improve our program. We also actively seek partnerships with businesses owned by women and minorities, and 5.2 percent of everything we purchased in 2010 came from those businesses.

Whether we accomplish these tasks internally or with the help of a supply partner, the Hallmark purpose is to inspire meaningful connections that enhance relationships and enrich lives—and one way we do that is by getting Hallmark products to the right places at the right times.

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