This past weekend, PAR staff celebrated the 45^th anniversary of the founding of this company. In honor of our anniversary, we thought we would share some fun facts about PAR.

• It all started on a table—Bob and Cathy Smith began PAR on wooden table in their home in 1978. That table now holds a special place of honor in the PAR offices.
• PAR employees are active in supporting our community organizations. We currently donate time and financial support to more than 70 charitable organizations each year.
• Our Distribution Center ships orders with an incredible 99.99% accuracy rate—and it’s even more unbelievable because orders are shipped the day they are placed.
• PAR is proud to have a staff that is 60% women.
• Each year, PAR participates in a companywide fundraiser for United Way. We had 100% staff participation this year and raised $113,278 in staff contributions for this worthy organization.
• Each week, a rotating group of PAR employees take part in a Meals on Wheels route, delivering fresh, nutritious meals to homebound individuals in our community.
• We always say, “Customer service is our most important product,” and that’s not just an empty slogan. Our Customer Support team has more than 130 years of combined PAR experience and go through intensive training so they can be sure you are completely satisfied when you call. Also, all calls are answered by a live person—no automated messages!

These are just a few of the things we are proudest of as we look back on our 45-year history. As we look to the future, we hope to continue creating connections and changing lives with the work we do here at PAR.

Forty years ago this week, Bob Smith started PAR on his kitchen table. There was just one product—scoring keys for the MMPI. Today, PAR carries approximately 500 print and digital products to help psychologists and other mental health professionals in their assessment process. Along the way, PAR has succeeded in more than just publishing quality assessment products to serve our Customers; PAR has created a culture of caring that extends to staff, our community, and the world at large. This weekend, in celebration of this milestone anniversary, PAR staff presented this video to thank Bob and Cathy Smith for everything they have done to make this a truly special place to work. We invite you to share our open letter to our founders.

This Friday, we will be closed in celebration of our 40^th anniversary. In honor of four decades in the test publishing business, we present a list of things you may not know about PAR. Check back next week for a recap of our festivities!

1.      PAR released its first product in 1978—scoring keys for the MMPI.

2.      PAR was started on Bob and Cathy Smith’s kitchen table. That kitchen table is now in the break room of our South Building.

3.      Our Customer Support team has a combined 120 years of experience, making them exceptionally well versed on all of our products.

4.      PAR’s Distribution Center has a 99.99% accuracy rate, meaning you get exactly what you need, delivered when you need it.

5.      We love to give back. We participate in about 50 events annually to benefit community organizations and donate time and financial support to more than 70 organizations per year.

As we celebrate, we do so knowing that our Customers have made the last 40 years possible. Thank you for your loyal support and patronage.