Twenty-five years is a longtime. Back in 2001, when GPS first opened its doors in Las Vegas, iTunes didn't exist yet. Neither did Wikipedia. The Xbox had just launched. Harry Potter andthe Sorcerer's Stone was packing theaters, and Janet Jackson's "All For You" was playing on every radio in America.

And a loaf of bread cost $1.82. (We miss those days.)

In the middle of all that, founder Steve Raucher had an idea: what if a company could genuinely change the way businesses give gifts to their customers? Not promotional tchotchkes, thoughtful gifts that make people feel valued? That idea became GPS.

What Does GPS Do?

Great question. If you've landed on this site, you probably know the basics: GPS is a gifting and loyalty solutions company. But that description doesn't quite capture it.

Think about the last time a company really made you feel appreciated - maybe it was a beautifully packaged gift at a casino event, or a surprise reward that felt personal. There's a team behind moments like that. GPS is that team. We work with clients (primarily in the casino and hospitality world) to design, source, and deliver gifts and experiences that make guests feel valued.

Early on, Steve had a client tell him something that stuck: "We're not giving promotional items. We're giving gifts." That distinction between something forgettable and something meaningful became GPS's north star.

A Few Highlights From 25 Years

A lot happens in 25 years. Here are some of the moments that defined GPS along the way:

2001 — Steve Raucher starts GPS in Las Vegas. The whole operation runs on banker boxes, catalogs, and sheer determination.

2001 — Pat Kidneigh joins the GPS team as the third team member. 25 years later, she's still on the GPS team.

2003 — Lorrie Buck and Barry Goldsmith join the team — and they're still here today. That kind of loyalty says something.

2009 — FireKeepers Casino opens with GPS providing all the gifts. It's one of the company's early defining wins.

2013 — Donna Raucher joins as CEO, making GPS a Women-Owned business.

2014 — GPS runs its first in-casino shopping event at Sycuan Casino alongside Movado. A whole new format is born.

2018 — GPS lands a major contract with a national casino group. Game-changer.

2020 — COVID-19hits. Casinos shut down. GPS adapts, launching club-ready packaging and new digital tools to keep serving clients.

2021 — ezGIFT, GPS's online gifting platform, launches. So does Passport, a proprietary product database built in-house.

2024 — GPS partners with fashion brand Badgley Mischka. The gift game gets a whole lot more stylish.

2025 — The team surpasses 25 members. The company that started as one person's vision is now a full crew.

GPS Survived... A Lot

Most small businesses don't make it. Many fold within five years. Fewer than a fraction survive twenty-five. GPS survived 9/11 (just months after opening), the 2008 housing crisis, COVID-19, shifting markets, and massive disruptions in technology and global supply chains.

Each time, our team adapted. Each time, we came out the other side. Steve credits it to a simple philosophy his mentor once shared: "Business is about people. If you take care of your people, they take care of your customers, and the business takes care of itself."

It shows. There are GPS team members who have been here for over 20 years. That kind of tenure isn't an accident.

What's Next

According to Steve, the 25th anniversary isn't a victory lap, it's a starting line. The goal isn't to get bigger just to be bigger. It's to get smarter, more innovative, and more intentional. To scale without losing the soul of what makes GPS, GPS.

Our team has grown, the tools have evolved, and the client relationships have deepened. But the core hasn't changed: solve real problems, deliver real value, and treat people - clients, partners, and teammates alike… like they matter. Because they do.

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