Armadillo Advertising was founded by W.C. Schaefer in 1980 in Cuero, Texas. He selected the Armadillo as the company mascot because he felt the mammal, indigenous to Texas, reflected the tenaciousness and spirit of the state.

For the next 20 years, W.C. would serve the people of south and central Texas, driving from one town to the next building his business. When he started Armadillo Advertising, websites and online ordering were more than 15 years away. In those days, ordering products was a one-on-one face-to-face process with a handshake confirming the order. Artwork was more often than not drawn on a piece of paper and mailed to the supplier.

In the mid-1990s when the industry began to capitalize on the opportunities of the internet, W.C. was one of the first distributors to embrace the new technology, seeing it as a natural progression into the future. However, he knew that while the technological boom would make it easier and quicker to get product information, it would never replace the importance of the personal relationships he established with his customers.

In the late 1990s, W.C. moved the business to Austin, Texas to be closer to his daughters. One of his daughters, Carla Jo Schaefer, began working with her father part-time to learn the business. In February of 2004, upon the death of W.C., Carla Jo, took over Armadillo Advertising.

W.C. left a legacy of customer service, commitment to quality, and tenaciousness that the staff of Armadillo Advertising is continuing today.