Carlson Letter service began in William Carlson's home in Mankato on March 1, 1948, as a part-time venture. By September of that year Bill resigned his bookkeeping job to work fulltime. Within a few months, personalized napkins were added, and in October 1948, the first wedding invitation was printed. The company's continued growth has caused it to move and expand several times. On January 1, 1957, the company changed its name to Carlson Wedding Service. In 1962, the company was incorporated, built a new building in lower North Mankato, and adopted the trade name of Carlson Craft. 1973 saw continued growth and expansion that led to the construction of a new building in upper North Mankato. In 1989, in order to allow for further expansion and to better serve its dealers, Carlson Craft split its operations into two divisions: Carlson Craft Social and Carlson Craft Commercial.

First Delivery Truck

Since that time four more divisions have evolved with the growth of the business. Label Works was formed in 1991, Catalog in 1994, Specialty Products in 1995 and Folders in 2001.

In 2004, the Carlson Craft Business Solutions Group was formed to provide products and services for the commercial printing marketplace through one point of contact. Carlson Craft Commercial, Folders, and Specialty Products are now represented within this one entity.

First Wedding Invitation

Carlson Craft continues to be the nation's leading wholesale printing company marketing our products through a nationwide network of dealers. Our high-quality product combined with fast turnaround and industry-leading customer service continues to keep us a leader in the printing industry. We will continue to expand our product lines, enter new markets and leave impressions with our dealers and their customers.