The first patent for the automobile was not yet 10 years old when the company that would become Top 40 promotional products distributor Kaeser & Blair (asi/238600) formed in 1894.

You might say a bit has changed since then.

But one thing that’s been a constant over a timeframe touching three centuries, is that K&B has persisted and, despite challenges, ultimately adapted and thrived, executives say.

Kaeser & Blair celebrated its 130^th anniversary this week.

Kaeser & Blair, a 2024 Counselor Best Places to Work in promo business, commemorated that history this week with a celebration of the Batavia, OH-headquartered firm’s 130^th anniversary. There was food, fun, laughs and, spread among employees in attendance, a combined 986 years of experience at the celebratory shindig.

“What’s made this company so special and successful over the years is the people,” said Chairman Kurt Kaeser, a member of Counselor’s Power 50 list of promo’s most influential people.

Employees return the positive sentiment. K&B ranked among the top 30 on Counselor’s 2024 Best Places to Work list, with employees saying the words that best describe the business are “family,” “stability,” and “transformative.”

Kaeser & Blair, Counselor’s 2010 Distributor Family Business of the Year, has been in continuous operation since 1894.

Kaeser family leadership was all smiles at the celebration.

The firm began life as the Cincinnati Printing and Paper Products Co., in Cincinnati, OH. In 1923, Dutch Kaeser and Bill Blair purchased Cincinnati Printing and Paper Products Co. and incorporated the business into what is now known as Kaeser & Blair Inc.

Liza Sachs, a Power 50 member and K&B’s chief revenue officer, shared some highlights from the company’s history. K&B is credited with making pioneering advancements in the promo world related to everything from advertising matchbooks to bumper signs. In 1947, she shared, K&B became the original licensee of Disney calendars, featuring iconic characters like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck; the company even photographed Marilyn Monroe for a calendar sold in promo.

Mitch and Brad Kaeser, co-CEOs of K&B and the fourth generation of family leadership at the Top 40 distributor, discussed the company’s future and more in this Promo Insiders podcast recorded in August 2023.

There was a time when K&B manufactured product, but by the early 1980s, the business model transitioned to focus largely on what it does today: Supporting Kaeser & Blair’s independent network of sales dealers.

Kaeser family leadership has been a constant for 101 years now. Kurt Kaeser started working full-time at K&B in 1983. He became the third generation of family leadership in 1996 when he rose to the role of CEO/president. His sons Brad and Mitch grew up in the business and were named co-CEOs in the summer of 2023.

The brothers are committed to keeping K&B in the family and helping the firm’s sales network excel. “We like to say,” said Mitch Kaeser, “that we’re honoring the past, while reinventing the future.”

Based on reported 2022 North American promotional product revenue of $98 million, Kaeser & Blair ranked 25^th on Counselor’s most recent list of the largest distributors in the industry.