HISTORY
Founded by Clifford E. Swanson in 1935, Swanson, Inc. has expanded its family-owned business in many ways. Beginning in a small store room above a country grocery store in Pennsylvania, Swanson grew into a thriving, multi-faceted business comprising three million square feet of warehouse, manufacturing and office space.
The business began with Clifford Swanson selling printed mottos, gifts and wooden altarware, some of which remains in our line. He and his wife Lucille worked together to run the family business while rearing six children. As the business prospered, they made several moves to larger headquarters and in 1951 they left Pennsylvania, settling in St. Petersburg, Florida. All of the children helped with the business from the time they were three years of age, when they were able to tie rayon tassels onto bookmarks and mottos.
In 1963 the youngest son, Joseph, purchased the business from his father, after having managed it during his college years. In the winter of 1963, Joe and his wife Flo moved the company to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, in the heart of the “Bible Belt.” An old church building was their home and business headquarters in Murfreesboro until 1968, when Joe Swanson built a new 43,000 square foot building on Park Avenue for Christian and craft supplies. By this time, Joe and Flo had four children, who also learned to help with the family business. Still larger facilities were needed for the growing company, and in 1986 Swanson, Inc. moved to a larger warehouse and office space in another building purchased on Park Avenue.
Today, Adam and Carmel continue to believe in and work for the mission from the start: to make the name of God known through gifts and products for every person, church, and child! Gifts with a message of Eternal Value!
OUR PURPOSE
“In all that you do bring glory to God.” At Swanson our purpose is to provide product that will glorify and point to God in daily living. Clifford believed in the verse that reminds us to “Tie them [God’s truths] as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:5-9
Through imprinting scripture themes and symbols of faith, our products serve as a reminder and declaration of our faith to all.
Our products will influence the spiritual maturing of children as daily they see God’s word and principles. Many of our items can be used to support truth taught in church, home and Sunday School. They simply reinforce that God is in every aspect of life, adult or child. Keeping Jesus and God before their eyes will help give honor to God in their hearts, thereby changing lives. The Holy Spirit has many opportunities to inspire, teach and mold the minds and hearts of children and adults into the image of Christ. Imprinted product is one such opportunity.
It is also the purpose of Swanson to serve the church with functional supplies. Therefore, we have badges, signs and other items used in the church’s daily ministry. As a ministry, we must remain profitable to continue our services and support God’s vision of missions around the world.
We sincerely hope you enjoy our service and find our products an effective means to tell the gospel to the world and to give encouragement to the church.
“Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”
Deuteronomy 6:5-9
OUR CUSTOMERS
We wouldn’t be here without the support of our incredible customers over these last 90 years. We have been blessed to work with and hear so many incredible stories of how the products we have sold have impacted the lives of people around them.
From a message on a pen that encourages a young girl to keep her life to kids in Columbia hearing about the name of Jesus through ‘Glory to God’ hats, we are so grateful for the opportunity to serve God together and hear the impact each can have.
Thank you for partnering with us in our mission to Make His Name Known!
