DaySpring Cards was founded in 1971 in Covina, California, by four Christian men, Dean Kerns, Don Leetch, Russ Flint, and Roy Lessin.  Their first printing endeavor was done on a printing press in Don Leetch’s garage!  The first card carried this simple Christmas message:  “When you get right down to it…the only thing that really matters is Jesus.”

They had a common vision to use printed messages to make Christ and the Word more widely known.  They took the company name from the King James Version of the Bible of Luke 1:78-79, which says:  “Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the Dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”  (Dayspring is another name for Jesus.)

During their first eight years in California the company experienced great growth, and in            1979 the company was moved to Siloam Springs, Arkansas.  Here the DaySpring plant was built in a lovely country setting along the Illinois River.  Shortly after the move, DaySpring became a full-service greeting card company with distributions in Christian bookstores.  This resulted in tremendous growth and success, and they became the largest publisher and distributer of Christian greeting cards in the world.  

Further acquisitions and success continued, and they became partners with David C. Cook Publishing Company in 1987, followed by an acquisition by Hallmark Cards from Cook Communications in 1999. 

In 2006 DaySpring founded another company. It was a company called Blessings Unlimited, which is a home party company offering Christian and inspirational products for sale by independent consultants.  Entrepreneurs from across the USA sell these products and operate their own ministry-based business.

The DaySpring mission statement is as follows:

“To KNOW GOD, to demonstrate His Kingdom, and to HELP PEOPLE throughout the world know and share HIS LOVE by providing Christians with TOOLS of communication that express GOD’S HEART in fresh, new ways.”

DaySpring strives to make community involvement and charitable giving a crucial part of their corporate mission.  A local, national and international ministry is supported each year.  The ministries to be served are chosen by a team of employees.  The company then matches the donations made by the employees.  Additionally, DaySpring gives employees two paid days per year as recognition of the time they spend as volunteers to local ministries. 

DaySpring donates greeting cards to ARM (American Rehabilitation Ministries).  Through this endeavor over fifty million greeting cards have been distributed to prisons and jails across the nation.  This is just another way of making Christ known in the lives of people who need to know the Lord.

You can find out more about the company at www.DaySpring.com.