• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

MarionMade

People, Places, Products, Programs

Visit Us On FacebookVisit Us On TwitterVisit Us On YoutubeCheck Our FeedVisit Us On Instagram
We Are Presidential!We Are Having Fun!We Are Generous!
  • Get Involved
  • About
  • Events
    • MarionMade! 5k Sign Up
  • People
  • Places
  • Products
  • Programs
  • Links
  • Contact

Fulfillment Corporation of America

By MarionMade! on July 25, 2018

GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN.

Have you heard of Fulfillment Corporation of America (FCA), later known as Kable Fulfillment Services? Many today have not.

The company was founded in Marion in 1948 by two forward thinking businessmen—Wendell Ward and Edwin (Jack) Kinter, who worked together in Chicago for Time Inc., developing a unique database management system before the word “database” was known.

They first came to Marion, renting a building at 382 W. Center Street to form their own company, because of the rail service. The company grew serving the publishing industry in managing subscriber data information. Through the years, they had part of their operations at various Marion locations, including 136 South Prospect Street, 126 Blaine Avenue, numerous downtown locations along West Center Street, 173 Oak Street, and an office for their Defense Division in Dayton to serve the Wright Patterson base. By the late 1950s, they grew to open an outbound mailing operation, as well as clerical operations. They even formed another division, INELECTRON, to try to build a commercial computer in the 1950s but, unfortunately, that division ran out of money.

The fulfillment business prospered and, by 1960, there was a mainframe computer on their third floor at the Center Street location–the first in Marion. Fulfillment soon expanded and installed additional mainframes to handle the expanding customer data. By the 1960s, they were running 24/7 and FCA rented time from other companies. By then, they maintained databases totaling over 25,000,000 households. At its peak, the staff on the payroll, which averaged 200 to 300, in the 50s and 60s and grew to 500 to 700 in the 90s.

This staff of quality people supported all facets of Marion, from being the highest per capita donors to United Way to being active with many others. It was a sad day when Kable closed, after 60 years of operation. But, for those 60 years, FCA was the gold standard of community support and the MarionMade! spirit and needs to be remembered in Marion’s business history.

#MarionMade #WeAreMarionHistory

Recent MarionMade! Stories

  • Marion Municipal Airport

    If you haven’t visited the Marion Municipal Airport, it is a great time to discover or revisit this gem in our community.  On September 1, the airport will be celebrating the 70th anniversary of the official public opening in 1950.  But the planning of the original over six hundred acres airport started back in 1943.  […]Read More »
  • The Guild

     ART IN THE MAKING After years of traveling in search of beautiful art pieces and talented artists, Marion native and downtown resident, Carol Nelson decided Marion needed an art gallery. In 2008, her vision was realized when she opened The Guild. Soon after opening, their first artist, William Obenour, was introduced. William, also a Marion […]Read More »
  • George Lawrence

    THE APPLE DOESN’T FALL FAR FROM THE TREE.  . With Lawrence Orchard’s first apple trees planted by his Great Uncle Dale in 1923, George Lawrence continues to advance the family business almost a century later. After graduating from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and Horticulture in 1980, George partnered […]Read More »
  • Music in Marion

    Music has a long history in Marion–from the drum and bugle corps days of the Marion Cadets to school bands and show choirs to performers on the Palace stage and beyond. Most recently, the Harding High School band was welcomed home with much fanfare after coming in first place to perform at this year’s Outback […]Read More »

Share Your MarionMade! Story

Click Here to share your story about MarionMade! people, places, products, and programs!
  • Get Involved
  • About
  • Events
  • People
  • Places
  • Products
  • Programs
  • Links
  • Contact

Marion Area Convention & Visitors Bureau Downtown Marion Love INC Marion Public Library Marion Area Chamber of Commerce Marion CANDO! Marion Community Foundation United Way of Marion County Marion Technical College

© 2025 · MarionMade! is a community initiative led by Marion Technical College · Website is powered by Neighborhood Image