Dicksons, known as the go-to company for Christian retailers in search of everything from novelty items to wall décor, announced two groundbreaking partnerships midyear that help demonstrate the respect that this 63-year-old company is receiving in all markets. Licensing agreements with The Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation and the United States Postal Service (USPS) broaden the company's retail market beyond the Christian industry.

The foundation's partnership with Dicksons kicks off its "Preserving Your Memory" campaign to raise more than $100 million in the next five years for research with gift products using Forget-Me-Not flowers. The rare USPS agreement allows Dicksons to use more than 4,000 of the postal service's images in the next three years in gift and stationery products.

"While Christian retail continues to be the dominant marketplace for Dicksons, we target our products to impact the lives of people everywhere, regardless of the channel of distribution," said Jim Potts, president of Dicksons.

As the company forges new relationships elsewhere, its role in the Christian industry has almost become one of leadership and mentoring to some of the new gift companies that crop up every year. Company executives often share advice and resources on how to improve efficiency and profitability in the Christian retail chain.

Growth and Gains

Despite several name and location changes, Dicksons emerged as the leading manufacturer and supplier of inspirational gifts and wall décor in the Christian market, but getting there wasn't easy.

Dicksons didn't start in gifts at all, but as the wholesale arm of a church supply store that was opened in 1944 in Detroit by Edmund and Lura Dickson. From the basement of Better Sunday School and Church Supplies, the Dicksons found a market for churches in search of ribbon pins—still part of the company's line today. By 1950 the store became known as the Gospel Souvenir House, but was soon incorporated as Dicksons. In 1954, the company moved to its current location in Seymour, Ind., with 12 employees.

In 1972, the company was sold to Paul Curry and incorporated as Curry Industries, although still using the Dicksons trade name. Curry sold the business to Templeton Coal Company of Terre Haute, Ind., in 1985, and the company reincorporated as Dicksons.

Potts joined Dicksons in February 1981 as national sales manager, becoming president in September 1995. Potts has spent his entire career in gift-related industries, beginning with Hallmark, Lenox china and Boehm porcelain.

Under Potts' leadership, the company has acquired several Christian gift companies in an effort to broaden its product scope: Harbor House Gifts in 1999, Cross Gifts in 2002 and Ton Communications in 2005. With the purchase of Lawson Falle in 2006, Dicksons brought America's second-largest Christian greeting card publisher into its family.

"Our strategic plan has been to develop Dicksons into the inspirational gift company retailers can depend on to (meet) all their gift product need," Potts said. "When a new store opens, they should be able to depend on Dicksons and a book/Bible/music distributor to stock their stores. With this goal in mind, the addition of these companies has allowed us to move toward our goal of a complete inspirational gift product provider. We are always open to discussion regarding company combinations that will benefit our customers."

Dicksons employs nearly 200 employees and sales representatives in its Seymour, Ind., Warren, N.J., and Cambridge, Ontario, locations. There are currently eight buildings on the Indiana campus and single buildings at the other locations.

With a product line that spans wall décor, automotive accessories, jewelry, greeting cards, stationery and Christmas items, Dicksons has more than 10,000 SKUs in its product line.

Overseas Markets

This year, Dicksons showed its forward-looking nature by becoming the first U.S. gift company to partner with a Hong Kong-based distributor to provide biblically based gift products to the more than 100 Christian retail stores in China.

Partnering with Hua Zheng Ltd., Dicksons will supply a variety of products, including wall art, tabletop gifts and "Glass Inspirations" figurines, to the mainland Chinese market.

"I have been traveling to China for almost two decades and am excited to see the changes that allow Dicksons and Hua Zheng to supply our products to Christian stores throughout China," said Dave McNabb, vice president of product development for Dicksons.

People and Products

The majority of Dicksons' 10,000 products go from concept to shipping all under the company's Seymour, Ind., roof.

New product ideas from retailers, consumers and the company's product development team are prepared in initial sketches by the product development team or contract designers for review and refinement. Approved concepts—some 2,000 a year—are communicated to the manufacturing source—in house or overseas—who then develop mock-ups for review and further refinement. After adjustment of design, an approved prototype is provided to manufacturing for production, and then sent to the warehouse where it is packed and shipped.

A selected design may be used on T-shirts, plaques, mugs, matted prints or bookmarks, each requiring a distinctively varied production process. The company makes an effort to develop final products into cross-merchandised collections taking into consideration gender, age, current trends and color schemes.

Retailers who've toured the facilities during open houses offered during recent CBA Advance events in nearby Indianapolis know it's quite a process.

With the goals of speed and accuracy, the company's distribution center uses Pick To Light technology that allows employees to handle 300 to 700 products per hour, per person—more than double older technology. Through the first half of 2007, Dicksons processed approximately 1.5 million picks, which translates to an estimated 76,000 orders.

"Our distribution system was acquired with capacity for growth," said plant manager Bill Rinehart. "Our current operations are at an approximate 50% capacity."

Potts believes the key factors in Dicksons' positioning as a gift industry leader have been quality and caring.

"Quality products and design with quality service before, during and following the sale, supported by quality management," he said. "Caring for our employees, customers and consumers through service and leadership and adhering to our mission of designing, producing and marketing biblically based gift products."

The company maintains that having scripture on products is as important to customers and retailers today as it was to Edmund Dickson more than six decades ago.

"Consumers, through their retailers, communicate that they have a preference for gift and greeting card products that contain scriptural references," Potts said. Some of the company's most successful product is biblically based—"What Would Jesus Do (WWJD)?," "Fully Rely on God (FROG)," "Serenity Prayer," "Footprints" and "God Bless This Home."

While framed pictures have been the best-selling category, church supplies—including buttons, banners, pencils, certificates and badges—remain an important part of the line.

Pushing the Borders

Dicksons is constantly scanning the marketplace for up-to-date design. Company employees attend trade shows worldwide looking for product ideas. They also visit different types of retailers and use in-house and contract designers to provide a variety of themes.

Their work has not gone unrecognized. Dicksons has been honored in the CBA industry with Supplier of the Year, design awards, product quality awards and numerous sales representative awards.

"The marketplace for biblically-based inspirational gifts continues to grow, even while distribution channels change and consolidate," Potts said. "With a U.S. population that professes to be more than 80% Christian, the potential for continued growth of inspirational product exists. Awareness of the great product available is the issue."