mission gift shops, and religious societies. Frank Bliss Jr. prides himself on the longstanding relationships he has with his customers. Hess admits with a laugh that many long-time customers remember her as a little girl in pigtails. More than one Bliss employee has made a point of visiting customers while on vacation to put a face with a familiar name.

Just as the Bliss family's employees-many of them with the company for decades depend on them, so do hundreds of retailers. "We have developed a unique and caring relationship with all of them," says Hess.

A Flair for Meeting Customer Needs

Frank Bliss Jr. and six other salesmen travel year-round throughout the United States calling on new and longtime retailers. The relationships they develop powerfully link the public with the plant, which develops new products based on that feedback. Over the past year, Bliss Manufacturing has added more than 100 new pieces to its inventory, including patron saints, two-tone crucifixes, charms, and several new styles of rosaries and rosary bracelets.

"We feel responsible to educate our customers about the product line," says Frank Bliss. "Bliss has thousands of products to choose from. Each display is customized according to their needs, based on their region in the country. If needed, we'll swap out items that don't sell for newer pieces."

From the tools and die to the custom-made point-of-purchase displays, virtually all of the company's products are made in-house. "That's how we can maintain a high level of quality control," Bliss says. "The ability to supply customers with custom-made products on demand sets our company apart."

The company's determination to please makes it easy for them to maintain strong relationships with customers. "We know the owners well, and have a good business relationship with them," says Michael Becker. His company - Kansas City, Missouri-based I. Donnelly Co., Inc.-is 98 years old, and has been buying from Bliss for over 50 years.

"We've been around a long time, and they've been around a long time," says Becker, "and we've gotten along all these many years."

Los Angeles-based Cotter Church Supplies, Inc., began buying from Bliss in the 1950s, too. Company president Tim Cotter explains that Bliss manufactures a diverse product line and offers both good quality and good prices. "They're quite willing to make just about anything they can, and they're flexible in shipping if you have a favor to ask," he adds.

Frank Bliss believes that's one of the secrets to the company's success. "We react very quickly. If a person has a problem, we handle it immediately. An order can be filled in just a few hours. The secret to our business is 'just-in-time' inventory."

While the salesmen, through their partnership with the retailers, help guide Bliss Manufacturing into new product lines, traditional religious jewelry continues to be the mainstay of the business that offers die-struck sterling silver, gold-filled, and 14karat gold medals, crosses, crucifixes and neck chains. Bliss also manufactures visor clips, key chains, wall crosses, rosaries, and rosary bracelets.

Retailers can custom order rosaries and rosary bracelets, selecting from countless combinations of beads, crosses, centers and finishes. Currently, Bliss carries over 300 different patron saint medals in 14-karat gold, sterling silver, and gold-filled in four different sizes ranging from charms to key chains.

That variety allows the company to create products to meet a customer's price point needs. "You can have an inexpensive rosary or a 14karat gold rosary with 14-karat gold beads," says Alan Hess. "There is a range of price points that we are able to meet."

Miraculous medals and traditional saints-particularly St. Jude, St. Joseph, St. Michael and St. Christopher-are perennially popular. Four-way, five-way, and scapular medals are also in high demand. Many of the patron saint medals in the Bliss line were added after a retailer requested a particular name for a customer. Recently, Scott Haines fielded a call requesting a medal featuring the patron saint of anesthesiologists.

Prior to adding any piece to the line, particularly a patron saint, staff at Bliss research the proper name and representation. "Only if the named saint is canonized as a Catholic saint will we consider adding it to the line," Says Jane Bliss.

From Blanks to Saints

Die-struck medals start as sheets of metal from which blanks are stamped into particular sizes and shapes. Each blank is struck with a die, much like a coin, and then trimmed. Each medal is then hand polished, hand engraved with "bright-cuts," and then lacquer-sprayed for durability.