History

  • '71

    Tricia Kaman founded Kaman's Art Shoppes by opening her first Pastel Portrait stand at Geauga Lake in Aurora, OH.

    Number of contracts: 1

    KAS employee total: 5

  • '75

    Kaman's Art Shoppes began a long and positive relationship with Idlewild Park in Ligonier, PA.

    Number of Contracts: 2

    KAS Employee Total: : 16

  • '76

    Kaman's Art Shoppes tested their entrepreneurial spirit by opening their first non-art operation, 'Fun Photo' at Geauga Lake in Aurora, OH.

    Number of contracts: 2

    KAS Employee Total: 15

  • '77

    Kaman's Art Shoppes continued developing their expertise in photo products by adding Antique Photo at Geauga Lake in Aurora, OH.

    Number of Contracts: 2

    KAS Employee Total: 20

  • '79

    Kaman's Art Shoppes expanded into Kennywood Park in Pittsburgh, PA.

    Number of contracts: 3

    KAS Employee Total:  39

  • '80

    Requiring a large investment of time and energy, Kaman's expanded into Darien Lake in Darien Center, NY with multiple operations requiring the construction of permanent buildings for Portraits and Antique Photo.

    Number of contracts: 4

    KAS Employee Total:  60

  • '83

    Kaman's Art Shoppes first began developing their "5 minute caricature."


  • '84

    Kaman's expanded to SeaWorld in Aurora, OH beginning our relationship with the Anheuser-Busch Co. which grew in subsequent years to include the 2 Busch Gardens in FL and VA, 3 other SeaWorld properties in TX, CA and FL and Sesame Place in Langhorne, PA.

    Number of contracts: 5

  • '86

    Rich Kaman joined the company full time as Vice President of Operations. KAS opened our first Front Gate Photo operation at Geauga Lake in Aurora, OH. Kaman's expands to Cedar Point in Sandusky, OH.

    Number of contracts: 6

    KAS employee total: 106

  • '87

    Kaman's Art Shoppes continued expanding into new products and services. Our first fudge/candy shop opens at SeaWorld OH and our first Face Paint shop opened at Cedar Point.

    Number of Contracts: 6

    KAS Employee Total:  150

  • '88

    The corporate office moved out of the Kaman's family home into a building in Chagrin Falls, OH. Kaman's began working with Paramount Parks by expanding into Kings Dominion in Doswell, VA.

    Number of contracts: 7

    KAS employee total: 170

  • '89

    Kaman's expanded into our first year-round park with the addition of Busch Gardens in Tampa, FL.

    Number of contracts: 8

    KAS Employee Total:  180

  • '92

    Kaman's Art Shoppes expanded our product expertise by opening our first Retail Leather Shop, Airbrush T-shirt Shop and Temporary Tattoos. We also began operations at Fiesta Texas in San Antonio.

    Number of contracts: 11

    KAS Employee Total:  250

  • '94

    Kaman's Art Shoppes first Ride Photo operation opened at Elitch Gardens, CO.

    Number of contracts: 14

    KAS Employee Total:  452

  • '96

    Kaman's doubled our seasonal employee base by acquiring contracts with Worlds of Fun, MO, Sesame Place, PA and Six Flags America, MD.

    Number of Contracts:  17

    KAS Employee Total:  977

  • '98

    Kaman's continued expanding our skill set, opening Rice Jewelry, Ring Carving, and Hair Wrapping locations. Kaman's began our partnership with Paramount's Kings Island near Cincinnati, OH.

    Number of Contracts:  20

    KAS Employee Total:  1169

  • '99

    Kaman's added Henna Tattoos to our portfolio of products as well as new locations at Disneyland CA, Universal Studios Islands of Adventure FL, and LEGOLAND CA.

    Number of Contracts:  25

    KAS Employee Total:  1421

  • '00

    Kaman's restructured to include District Managers and Regional Managers to provide additional support to our clients and Contract Managers. Kaman's began our partnership with Hershey Park in Hershey, PA.

    Number of Contracts:  23

    KAS Employee Total:  1545

  • '01

    Kaman's started international operations in Germany with Warner Brother's Movieworld and in Canada with Paramount's Canada's Wonderland.

    Number of Employees:  28

    KAS Employee Total:  1774

  • '03

    Kaman's expanded our services to include Letter Brush Art, Sky Flyer Video, and Routed Wood Signs.

    Number of Contracts:  29

    KAS Employee Total:  2263

  • '04

    Kaman's opened operations in Six Flags AstroWorld in Houston,TX and Six Flags Great America near Chicago, IL.

    Number of Contracts:  31

    KAS Employee Total:  2433

  • '05

    Kaman's added Event Services and opened operations at both the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park.

    Number of Contracts:  34

    KAS Employee Total:  2409

  • '06

    Kaman's began Front Gate Photo Operations at Cincinnati Zoo and added Mining Rock Shop at Cedar Point in Sandusky, OH.

    Number of Contracts:  34

    KAS Employee Total:  2448

  • '08

    Kaman's began and developed Handimals™ at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park Zoo.

    Number of Contracts:  36

    KAS Employee Total:  2600

  • '10

    Rich and Tricia Kaman were awarded the North East Ohio 2010 Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in the Retail Category.

    Number of Contracts:  32

    KAS Employee Total:  1648

  • '11

    Kaman's Art Shoppes celebrated 40 years of business.

  • '15

    As part of the company's long-term succession plan, Ben Kaman was promoted to CEO and assumed the responsibilities of running the day to day operations of the company.

  • '17

    Kaman's continued to grow within our current contracts as well as adding multiple new clients including Miami Seaquarium in FL, Minnesota Zoo in MN and Kansas City Zoo in MO.

    Number of contracts:  55

    KAS Employee Total:  2500

  • '20

    Ben Kaman becomes 2nd generation owner of KAS

  • '21

    KAS celebrates 50 years in business!