Rollie Hall joined his brother in business, and the company was named Hall Brothers. On January 11, 1915, a fire destroyed their office and inventory. They took the only salvageable item – their safe – and set up shop again. With $17,000 in debt, they decided to press onward. As postcard sales declined, they recognized the public's desire for more privacy in their communication, so they started offering high-quality valentines and Christmas cards mailed in envelopes. The fateful fire resulted in the decision to buy printing presses and begin producing their own greeting cards in 1915.
Armed with the success of the Hall Brothers greeting cards, J.C. and his brother continued to innovate. Their first foray into other product lines came in 1917 when the Hall brothers "invented" modern gift wrap. During the peak Christmas season, the Hall Brothers ran out of solid-colored gift dressing, and improvised by selling fancy decorated French envelope linings. Those sold out so quickly that the brothers decided to begin printing their own gift wrap.
