To say the history of Success Express is unique, would be an understatement. Formed in 1978, Success Express started as a small-scale meeting planning company to assist consultants and Directors with Mary Kay Cosmetics, Inc. have a better experience at their annual convention. The brainchild of J.S. “Kirk” Kirkpatrick it started that first year with only 50 participants and over the next 15 years grew to more than 1500 attendees. In 1993 “Kirk’s” son, Kirby took over the operation of the business as a way to earn money while in college. After graduation, married with a young family, and starting his career as a Secondary Social Studies teacher, Kirby continued building the business during the summer to supplement his teaching income. After several years it became clear that the growth of Success Express was incompatible with being a full-time teacher, husband, and father. Something had to give. In 1998 it was decided Kirby would leave teaching to build Success Express into a full-time meeting planning company. Within a few years the calendar was maxed out with meetings and events. Ever the entrepreneurs, Kirby and Kirk began looking for ways to expand the revenue streams with current and future clients, so they added promotional products to their services.
Soon after Kirk decided to retire, leaving Kirby as the sole owner of a new and ever-changing business. Kirby, in response to requests from clients and seeing a lack of quality local options decided to add trophies to his business resulting in the opening of a retail location offering awards and promotional products to the public clients beyond meeting planning in 2001.
In 2005 Success Express, now with 5 employees and a booming awards business, again responded to client requests and started offering screen printing and embroidery services to their customers, marking the final addition to their line.
After 5 years with a retail location in Avon, Indiana, the store was relocated to the adjacent town of Plainfield in their historic town center. Unfortunately, just when the retail side of the business was at full speed the economic downturn of 2008 happened. At the same time, a yearlong construction project was begun on the road in front of the store. These two items combined with a lot of little issues to force another restructuring of the business. In 2010, the retail location of the store was shuttered and instead Success Express changed its business focus to meet its clients where they work. By offering custom consultations on-site and virtually they can get to know their customers goals, needs, and projects at a more intimate level, resulting in a much higher level of personalized service. The shift to a virtual environment with a focus on keeping best business practices that customers appreciate from a local, brick and mortar store allows them to deliver the best of all worlds. Success is now operated out of its Rockville, Indiana Headquarters servicing clients across Central Indiana, the Midwest and beyond with competitive prices, excellent customer service, and quality products sourced from the leaders in the awards, promotional products, and textile industries.
