History of Klasek Letter Company

A timeline

1917 – Charles W. Klasek Sr. purchases equipment and forms the Circular Letter Advertising Company.  First offices are on the 21st floor of the Railway Exchange Building in downtown St. Louis. 

    Services the company offers include:
        Setting type for multigraph
        Addressing envelopes
        Filling in (personalizing) multigraph letters
        Folding, endorsing and mailing

1924 – The company moves to 4th floor of the Commercial Building on Olive Street.  It now has 20+ employees, and new equipment includes the mailometer.  The location is on the route of the Veiled Prophet Parade, and employees and their families are invited to watch the parade from the company’s offices.

    During this time, Florence Haveland joins the company and will remain an employee until her retirement in 1975.

1933 – Even after the stock market crash of 1929, the company continues to grow, with a large part of its business working for brokerage houses selling stocks and bonds.  The Securities Act of 1933, however, changes how securities can be sold, and the company begins to struggle to survive.

1935 – The company moves to offices on the 4th floor of the Granite Building at 4th and Market streets.

1936 – Associated Letter Producers is formed through a partnership with the Better Letter Company, which has offices in the same building.

1937 – The partnership is dissolved, and Klasek Letter Company is formed.

New equipment added in this time period includes addressograph and mimeograph.

1940s – The early 1940s are a very lean time for the company, which shrinks to a 2-room office and two employees – Charles Klasek and Florence Haveland.

1947 – Charles W. Klasek Jr. joins Klasek Letter Company.  In the post-war boom, the company starts to grow again, adding offset (multilith) printing and related equipment.  Among new clients added in this time period was Brown Shoe Co., a relationship that would last nearly 60 years.

1954 – The company moves again, this time to 3432 Lindell. The Granite Building stands in the redevelopment area that will eventually include the Gateway Arch.  Klasek Letter Company also needs more space and a more efficient layout to handle materials and mail sacks.

1959 – In the path of progress once again, the company relocates to 3115 Locust St.  The Lindell location is in an area slated for highway construction and commercial redevelopment.

1959 – Klasek Letter Company is incorporated on Feb. 16.  In the years following, the company changes to adapt to the industry, adding larger presses, a power cutter, automatic typing equipment, typesetting, Cheshire labelers and mechanical inserting, among other equipment.

1966 – Charles W. Klasek Sr. dies.

1967 – Edward Coe joins Klasek Letter Company.  Coe eventually becomes company president.

1984 – Charles G. Klasek joins the company.  One of his first responsibilities is overseeing KL Quick Print, with offices on North Brentwood in Clayton.  He is also responsible for purchasing the first computerized data processing system for the company.

1985 – The company moves to larger space at 901 S. Grand.  As the industry changes, the company upgrades data processing and printing capabilities and adds laser printers.

1993 – Klasek Letter Company acquires Cliff Kelly Inc., a larger mailing company, and moves most operations to 2850 S. Jefferson Ave., while maintaining the building on South Grand for its printing operations.  The acquisition expands the company’s mailing capacity, web printing and laser printing production.  The company adds polywrapping capabilities.

1997 – Charles W. Klasek Jr. is recognized for 50 years in business with a special proclamation by St. Louis Mayor Clarence Harmon.

199? – Charles G. Klasek purchases Automated Information, Inc., to increase the data processing capabilities of Klasek Letter Company.

2004 – Charles G. Klasek purchases The Bindery Inc., which will eventually move to Klasek Letter Company’s South Jefferson location.  Charles G. Klasek also becomes chairman of the board of the national Mailing and Fulfillment Service Association.

2005 – Charles G. Klasek purchases DataMarq to add a teleprospecting call center to Klasek Letter Company’s operations.

2005 – Charles W. Klasek Jr. retires on Dec. 31.

2007 – Klasek Letter Company celebrates 90 years in the mailing industry.