In 1962, John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth, The Beatles released their first single “Love Me Do,” and Advertising Premium Sales (APS) (asi/111800) opened its doors.

Sixty years later, the St. Louis-based distributor is still going strong – a feat the company celebrated last weekend to mark the momentous anniversary.

Matt Shucart and his mother Sheila celebrated the 60^th anniversary of APS, their family-owned distributorship.

APS was started by Harold (Buddy) Shucart in the summer of 1962, selling sports guides, buttons, matchbooks and other items to companies in the St. Louis area. Current third-generation owner Matt Shucart said taking care of clients was the highest priority for his grandfather. “One story that still stands out,” Shucart recalled, “is of Grandpa Buddy taking off his tie and helping one of my dad’s customers unload their holiday gifts as he was dropping something off to them. He was truly people helping people and he stood for kindness, honesty and integrity.”

Buddy’s son Jay joined APS after college and eventually took over, growing the company through determined relationship building and tight partnerships with his vendors. His wife Sheila started part-time in 1976 and today is the CFO. Matt came on 10 years ago “after years of wanting nothing to do with pens and coffee mugs,” he said. “Prior to this, I spent a lot of time working in the restaurant industry and finally realized this is where I was supposed to be.” He learned the ins and outs of the business and took over after Jay passed away in May 2021.

Shucart cites the longevity of several employees who have been with the company for 10, 20, 30 and even 40 years. “Our employees and the relationships they have built are what has made Advertising Premium Sales so successful and able to stand the test of time,” said Shucart, whose company joined Facilisgroup last year and is currently adding more salespeople and support staff. Lori Brown, who’s been with the company for 27 years as the office manager, said Jay and Sheila “fostered a partnership of ideas and openness, and valued my contribution to the company.”

APS employees celebrated the anniversary on Friday at Bristol Seafood Grill in Creve Coeur, MO, and were joined by family, friends, clients and vendors. “We were all overwhelmed,” said Shucart, “by the turnout and kind words that everyone had to say.”