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2021 Siloam Springs community guide | 21 D aySpring Cards was born in a small commercial print shop in Covina, California, in 1971. e company was founded by four Christian men — Dean Kerns, Don Leetch, Russ Flint, and Roy Lessin. Kerns and Leetch were pastors with no business background, Flint was an artist specializing in fruits and flowers, and Lessin was a missionary wondering where the next meal might come from. ese men started DaySpring with a common vision; to make Christ known through the printed message. e first greeting card was created in the winter of that year. It was a Christmas card with a very simple but direct message: "…the only thing that really matters is Jesus." e first Christmas card showed the need for development of Christian greeting cards for additional occasions. e company remained in California for eight years, and experienced great growth and acceptance within the Christian publishing industry. In 1979, DaySpring moved to Siloam Springs. e company purchased land and built its plant in a beautiful country setting near the Illinois River. Only 30 employees made the move from California to Arkansas to begin this new adventure. Shortly aer the move, DaySpring made a major directional change, becoming a full-service greeting card company to Christian bookstores. Selling footage, instead of individual cards, launched the company into a new phase of growth and expansion. Within a few years, the staff multiplied tenfold. New buildings were constructed, and DaySpring was on its way to becoming the largest publisher and distributor of Christian greeting cards in the world. In 1999, Hallmark Cards acquired the company and today, DaySpring has a staff of around 200 employees. DaySpring offers more than 7,000 products each year and touches more than 1 billion people annually. e community of Siloam Springs is a perfect fit for DaySpring. "e people are friendly, have respect for one another, and the cultural climate is very receptive to a faith- based company," said James Barnett, DaySpring president. "e cultural and financial opportunities are wide, and the hard work of the Siloam Springs Chamber of Commerce to stay appealing to businesses looking for a place to locate is a definite plus. Job applicants are highly educated and the availability of John Brown University and the University of Arkansas graduates is another positive attribute." DaySpring seeks to live the company's vision: to see every person experience and express DaySpring Cards' mission is at the heart of all they do | By Randy Rice