Hallmark to close Kansas City, Mo., plant

Jobs to be relocated to Lawrence, Topeka and Leavenworth

? Hallmark Cards Inc. will close its manufacturing plant at its Kansas City headquarters and send 340 jobs to factories in Lawrence, Topeka and Leavenworth.

When the manufacturing plant is closed, it will be the first time since Joyce Hall founded Hallmark in 1910 that the company has not made cards in downtown Kansas City.

All employees affected by the shutdown will be asked to move to jobs at one of the three Kansas plants, Hallmark spokeswoman Julie O’Dell said.

O’Dell said the manufacturing changes are being made for several reasons, including to more fully use the Kansas plants. The company hasn’t decided how it will use the 295,000 square feet of manufacturing space at its headquarters, but it could be converted into offices for employees.

The Kansas City plant produces the Shoebox line of cards and albums, and does book manufacturing and packaging, laser processes and some printing.

All three Kansas plants make greeting cards. Hallmark will begin moving equipment and employees in June, and expects to complete the process in a year.