One of Bill Clay’s earliest memories of the family business, Walker-Clay (asi/354530), is sitting around the dining room table with his two older brothers and neighborhood friends fulfilling an order for his father, Lou Clay. The job entailed threading string into a plastic ball and cup. “I think we were paid half a cent for each one,” recalls Bill. Another fond memory is the neighborhood excitement when his dad cleaned out the samples in his garage for all to enjoy.

The promotional products business has been in the Clay family for generations. During the Depression, Bill’s grandfather, Max Clay, was a salesman for Brown & Bigelow (asi/148500). Max’s son, Lou, was a sales rep for Shedd-Brown early in his career, before he and Ned Walker established Walker-Clay in 1956. Two decades later in 1977, Bill Clay left his teaching position (he originally joined the Peace Corps, then became a teacher/head basketball coach at a Maine high school) and joined the company, becoming president in 1996. At the end of 2022, Bill retired and two of his daughters, Amanda Clay and Heather O’Neill, took ownership of the company, though he still has a large presence at the firm and continues to mentor and guide its current leaders.

From left: Vice President Heather (Clay) O’Neill, William L. Clay and President Amanda H. Clay.

In the early days, Walker-Clay focused on full-color print promotions for banks and credit unions, a lucrative market for the distributorship. Hot sellers for the firm included desk and wallet calendars, paid-up loan cards, statement stuffers, folders, flyers and quarter-saver books. “What a great niche,” says Bill. “We never had a collection problem. There were over 25,000 home office financial institutions across the country.”

But then that lesson about putting all your eggs in one basket was learned. “In the late ’70s and early ’80s the entire banking industry had a downturn, and banks were failing on a weekly basis,” Bill says. More challenges sprung up over the decades. “With the advent of cellphones, who needs a calendar in their wallet?” Bill asks. Other stock items that became victims of the digital age were the once-popular statement stuffers and thank-you cards that companies would send to new customers. However, like all successful family businesses that stand the test of time, Walker-Clay was able to adjust and became more of a business-to-business company. Its diverse client base currently spans markets such as healthcare, military, education and the robotics industry. It also branched out geographically, though Boston is still a profitable area for the Massachusetts-based firm.

“Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you. Create a support network. Be ready for change.” – Bill Clay, Walker-Clay

Bill says the family has always worked well together, and felt it was important that he be present for his family rather than being away on business. “I’ve been truly blessed with great parents, three siblings, my wife Diana and three wonderful daughters,” he says. “All of us worked at the company at one time or other. Some went off to other careers, but this is where they all got their start. Also, many of their friends worked here seasonally.” He also lauds his daughters for “taking the company to a new level,” as well as for their involvement with NEPPA (New England Promotional Products Association).

President Amanda Clay, representing Walker-Clay’s third generation, has big shoes to fill – and says she’s learned from the best. “The time I’ve spent working with my dad has been a privilege, and I’m honored to take on the responsibility of running the business,” she says. “I know that his values and commitment to excellence will always be a part of our company’s DNA.”

Walker-Clay, which currently has 20 employees, has been on the Counselor Best Places to Work list an impressive 11 times. Loren Cayer, outside sales rep for Top 40 supplier SnugZ USA (asi/88060), calls Walker-Clay “an amazing organization and certainly worthy of the recognition.”

The Walker-Clay team at a Boston Red Sox group experience.

Charity Gibson, national accounts rep at Peerless (asi/76730), says: “Walker-Clay continually exceeds its goals, mentors individuals in the industry and takes incredibly good care of its suppliers – even hosting a yearly appreciation event for all of us. It’s a shining example of how a family-run organization should operate – they’re a group of true professionals!”

To run a successful family business, Bill offers these tips: “Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you. Create a support network. Be ready for change. In the past you could pivot over a two- or three-year period; now you don’t have the luxury. Lastly, be profitable and have fun. That’s what it’s all about.”