Shelli Gardner and sister LaVonne Crosby were mothers raising young children in their hometown of Kanab when they became interested in the craft of decorative rubber stamping.
They looked for a rubber stamp company they could become demonstrators for while expanding their crafting interests but could not find one that met all of their expectations.So instead of using the family's savings to build their first home as planned, Gardner invested the funds in 1988 to start her own rubber stamp business, Stampin' Up!. The initial product line was included in a 64-page single-color catalog. Gardner filled orders out of her living room.
By 1992, the company had opened facilities in Kanab for the manufacturing, distribution and customer service of its products. By 1998, Stampin' Up! was the largest private employer in Kane County with a product catalog of 224 color pages. Stampin' Up! has added facilities in Salt Lake City and today employs more than 270 people.
Gardner graduated from Kanab High School, married at 18 and had virtually no business experience when she launched Stampin' Up! She is now chief executive officer and sole owner of the privately held company. The company took its first steps toward opening management to a wider team by hiring Spencer Clawson, a former partner with Price Waterhouse, as president and chief operating officer.
Stamps are sold in coordinated sets with marketing emphasis given to particular uses for stamp lines, like home decorating and scrapbooks, as well as greeting cards and crafts.
Products are sold exclusively through approved demonstrators, and about 200 new products are introduced each year. The company also uses a Web site at http://www.stampinup.com to advertise the company, attract new demonstrators or connect interested customers with a demonstrator. There are plans to create online ordering capabilities at the Web site.