Product integrity for Hallmark is an inclusive term, meaning not only that its products must be high-quality, reliable and enriching, but also safe and ethically manufactured. To ensure these high standards, there have always been strict manufacturing guidelines in place for Hallmark’s suppliers, whether in the U.S. or in other countries.

Paul Weise, managing director of Asia Pacific procurement for Hallmark, helped organize a summit of key suppliers held in China. The two-day summit brought together over 40 key suppliers who heard 12 presenters discuss a range of issues, such as product quality, logistics, environmental sustainability, plant safety, and ethical business practices. The core principle behind all these concerns, Weise says, is product integrity.

“Product integrity conveys our brand to our consumers and retailers,” he says, “and that means the quality of our products, their safety, and how they’re produced.”

The summit was just one more step in ensuring that high standards are met, he adds. “The goal was to standardize processes for our suppliers so they’re aligned with Hallmark’s expectations on product integrity, no matter if they’re doing work for Hallmark or Crayola.”

Weise, who began with Hallmark at its Topeka Production Center, notes that overseas suppliers are an extension of Hallmark’s supply chain, all of which reflects on Hallmark’s brand and its heritage of social responsibility.

“When I walk into a factory, I immediately ask myself, ‘Would our customers and our retailers be proud of this supplier?’ And that’s the upshot of this summit. We have to have suppliers, whether in the U.S. or Asia, in line with the beliefs and values spelled out under the Hallmark brand.”

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