Fostering Teamwork through Awards as Prizes

The ideal employee would show up to work every day, right on time, do all of his or her work (and then some), and never need anything as an incentive to work extra hard.  It would just be in their very nature.  Although this may sound appealing, we don’t live in a perfect world, and we have to make do with the best of the imperfect world that we are given. Providing a little extra something as an incentive to your employees to work harder may sound unnecessary to the employer, but it has been proven time and time again to be an incredibly effective way to get a little bit more productivity out of your employees and to even create better teamwork in collective projects.  Teamwork can either strengthen organizational goals or it can cripple it.  Teamwork has to be a part of the culture and it has to be rewarded when it is done properly.

Many people would argue that teamwork is the cornerstone of a successful business. Even the most productive and useful of employees wouldn’t be able to get much done if everyone was only working independently.  With globalization occurring in most firms and increased use of teleconferences and working from home, employees are working with others that they may have never even met before. Awarding teamwork and accomplishments is an ideal way to further strengthen the team’s commitment to the mission of the company; especially in these situations.  Collaboration on work assignments and projects is normally strongly advised because of how quickly things can get accomplished, and in a lot of cases it is actually necessary to get done what you’re trying to do.

Teamwork Often Enhances Individual Group Members Efforts

With that said, it shouldn’t be much of a surprise to say that you should want to foster a sense of teamwork whenever and however possible; it’s critical to organizational success. Not only would it make your business operations run much smoother and more efficiently, but it also would give your employees appreciation, goal setting and greater work relationships with both coworkers and management.  A lot of these areas are almost completely absent when working separately and not being able to share ideas or approach management.

Using prizes and awards as an incentive for working together is an excellent way to build both a sense of teamwork and community, as well as streamlining the operations of your business.  Good inter-company competition when handled properly can also stimulate the efforts of each project. If you’re envisioning some large award that will just take up office space, this doesn’t have to be the case either; awards and trophies come in all shapes and sizes.

Recognizing team efforts in the corporate setting with a personalized award is in many cases, more than enough to show that you are grateful for them working as a team and providing more output than individually. It’s often time consuming to schedule out presentations and sit each and every team member down to provide feedback on a regular basis other than say, annually.  With an award you are accomplishing the physical connection of ownership as well as subconsciously instilling the words of praise and encouragement without ever having to say them.

Awards and Friendly In-House Competition

Employers will frequently try to get more performance out of their employees by creating some sort of competition. This approach can have several drawbacks however if it is not managed properly.  Firstly, not everyone is a particularly competitive person, which means it may not be effective on them. Secondly, since there is a winner of a competition, you will inevitably have a loser too, and those that have lost the competition may begin resenting your way of creating more productivity.  How the competition is setup, what will be awarded and how it is managed is very important.

This is the beauty of using an award to foster a sense of teamwork for your employee however - nobody feels as though they have been cheated out of anything and those that didn’t get an award will feel inspired and motivated to work harder so that their efforts are noticed too.  If they don’t they are either a low performing employee, or there is not enough value tied to the incentives being offered.  You can also pair a nonmonetary gift (e.g. acrylic awards) with a monetary gift as well such as a gift certificate.

Another benefit of using awards over any other type of incentive for teamwork is the amount of money you’ll invest in it, or rather, the lack of it. Buying acrylic awards in jade, clear or black for example, will be a very low investment and has the potential to create better teamwork and performance than a monetary award by itself can.  Teamwork is a foundation of almost every organization today, collaborative efforts are needed and the relationships and productivity of these groups depends on how well it is managed and rewarded.  The fact that an award can be personalized shows more effort is being placed in the recognition and feedback versus just handing a gift card to an employee that is quickly forgotten about after being used.  There is more value and meaning behind an award, even if it costs less, as the price threshold of appreciation on a gift card is much higher.

EDCO expands custom acrylic awards lineup

EDCO has expanded its lineup of custom acrylic awards with five new designs that incorporate customers’ own designs or corporate logos.

• The Perpetual Recognition Trophy, standing 18 inches tall, features up to 24 individual laser-engraved, brushed silver plates, enabling companies to recognize the achievements of top employees for up to 24 years.
• The Grand Custom Acrylic Cut Trophy combines a company’s logo or award design with an ebony base.
• The new Mina Line Custom Acrylic Award, built with the customer’s design and assembled with a piano-finish base in rosewood or black, can be decorated with full color printing or laser etching.
• The Laser Smith Acrylic Award, custom-produced to your exact specifications, uses EDCO’s premium .5" thick acrylic for profiling the top of the award. The base is produced from .75" thick material and offers a wide slanted front which lends itself really well to personalizing each award.
• The Outer Lines Logo-Cut Acrylic Award offers a clean all-acrylic look without breaking the bank. Combining materials such as a .375" thick acrylic top and a .5" thick base, it will bring the WOW! factor and some heft when being presented.

We have a lot of customers who want to design their own awards or have input in the design.   They bring us their design or logo and our skilled designers create a virtual sample before we start production on the actual award. 

With full in-house capabilities, from award design to laser cutting, edging, beveling, engraving and color printing, EDCO can turn around orders in short order, often in as little as three days.

Delivering high-quality, memorable custom awards is where we really excel.

View our complete lineup of acrylic awards.   Most of our standard acrylic awards can be ordered online.  For custom awards or for assistance with your award, call 800-377-8646 to speak with one of our product advisers.

Employee Retention Through Recognition

One of the most basic human needs is a deep-seated need to be recognized in our actions. This is universally true; those that have put in significant effort enjoy getting recognition for their hard work.  Take an especially talented basketball player; many times he or she will tell you that the best part of sinking a shot is hearing the crowd go wild immediately afterwards.  The need to feel recognition is one that affects us all in ways that a lot of us might not realize, and this form of feedback is often absent or scarce in the corporate world.  Greater use of corporate awards can enhance organizational success and its mission.

All too often employees feel that they are nothing more than an anonymous cog in a giant machine, and that their unique set of skills and talent goes without being appreciated by those that are in charge of the workplace. We know that this couldn’t be further from the truth, but even the slightest feeling of being unappreciated has a tendency to plague even the most competent of all employees and it can also become contagious, affecting workplace culture, the image of the company and even its performance levels.

Showing Appreciation with Corporate Awards

What can be done about employees who are feeling unappreciated? Sitting down and letting them know how much they mean to the company sounds nice, but it’s often unrealistic considering the amount of time and effort that would be invested doing so, especially in large organizations. An effective way to go about rewarding the loyal employees would be honoring certain behaviors or milestones with an award.  Recognizing extra effort through employee awards via employee of month awards in one example.It’s a perfect solution for a number of reasons. First, it is a great way to show your employees that they are a critical and important component in the company, and secondly, personalized acrylic awards for example proves to the employee that they are in fact appreciated and that is evidenced in the presentation of the award and its underlying meaning and possession.

There are, however, real benefits that can be enjoyed when it comes to giving employees beautiful glass and crystal awards for their hard work and loyalty; other than just making them feel good about themselves. From a business viewpoint, it makes a lot of sense to maintain your workforce at its full potential at all times. Retention of needed talent is a growing concern for many companies, especially those in certain industries making it even more important to implement retention efforts. If one of your employees leaves the company, you will have to spend precious time and resources to make sure that their vacancy is filled.  And while you’re looking for replacements, your company is only operating at a fraction of its potential, something that most everyone in a management role is going to want to avoid.

Presenting Awards for Years of Service

A simple award (clear, jade or economy) is something that can not only help make someone feel better about their contribution to the company, but also it can have serious benefits to the company as well.  Although you could give awards and trophies for just about anything (exceeding sales quotas, attendance, enhancing efficiency), frequently employers prefer to reward their employees with an award when they hit a milestone with the company, and that can be done too. Some people liken their relationship with their company to that of a marriage. When you hit a milestone (say 5, 10 or 20 years), then you certainly have a case for a celebration and the right to be recognized for service.

Those that have worked at your company for 10 years or more prove to be an enormously valuable asset that cannot simply be replaced by someone else if they were to quit.  This is evident in most baby boomers which hold valuable knowledge and information that will likely cause a lot of “brain drain” when they begin retiring in large numbers.  They have extensive knowledge of the inner-workings of your company and it is almost always in your best interest to keep them onboard whenever and for as long as possible.  Their ability to train and transition their knowledge to fresh new employees is crucial to future success. 

Awards Help Organizational Culture and Retention Efforts

This is also important for those who are in the middle of their careers and may begin wondering what else is out there.  Although there are other ways of enticing them to stay with the company (specifically financial rewards), giving them a personalized award can still be an incredibly effective way to keep them working at your company and not moving to another place that could potentially offer higher pay rates. Not all employee satisfaction is derived from money; the culture of the company can override that, especially if it focuses on reinforcement and feedback which is often absent.

Employers often write off the effects of giving an employee a medal or award that could potentially have such a profound effect on the business. Employee loyalty is extremely important to those in management and HR positions, and if you want to get the most out of your workforce, then perhaps it is time to look into some awards to showcase your appreciation for your hard-working employees.  You’ll recoup the ROI quickly as employee motivation and performance often increase extremely quickly with the right recognition plan and awards.

EDCO Awards & Specialties has unveiled 15 new corporate award designs in its Metal and Glass Awards and Art Glass Awards categories.

The traditional thinking in our industry is that customers will buy whatever you are showing.  We challenge that thinking by continuing to expand the product lineup by filling out our corporate awards categories with more creative choices.

The new corporate award designs combine materials like brass with glass, crystal and new shapes and color combinations, some using hand-blown glass.

 In the Metal and Glass Awards category, EDCO released five new corporate awards, including:

• Neo Classic Metal & Glass Award:  Measuring 8 inches high, this award combines an etched glass award with a silver-plated base that reflects light throughout the glass inlay;
• Guiding Star Award:  This limited edition sculpture features a unique metal star frame with a glass inlay;
• Glass Diamond with Brushed Metal Base:  Combines brushed aluminum with clear and blue glass for a designer look;
• Gemstone Brass and Glass Award:   Available in two sizes, this corporate award features a base  finished with brushed gold metal.  The glass inlay is beveled and deep engraved with your custom text and logo;
• Glass Circle with Brass Base:  This simple yet elegant award choice, features EDCO’s premium jade glass circle, slightly beveled and cradled on a brushed brass base elevated by a glass platform.

In the Art Glass Awards category, EDCO unveiled 10 new corporate awards, including:

• Teamwork Art Glass Award:  Measuring 13.5 inches high, this hand-blown color glass sculpture is elevated on a black base with a laser-etched plate;
• Years of Service Art Glass Award:  Measuring 15.25 inches high and artistically constructed from hand blown glass, this corporate award features a laser-etched plate on the base that can accommodate company logos or special art;
• Inspiration Art Glass Award:   This carefully selected art glass sculpture represents inspired success and will make a nice statement at your next awards presentation. Elevated on a black base with your custom inscription and logo laser etched onto a black brass plate;
• Celestial Art Glass Award:  Measuring an impressive 13 inches high, this corporate award is the perfect choice to make a really big splash!
• Vision Art Glass Award:   Standing 16.25 inches tall, this magical art glass sculpture is elevated on a handsome black base with a brass plate, laser etched with your custom inscription and company logo;
• Deco Glass Mosaic Peak:  This corporate award features a beautifully stained glass accent panel and a wide beveled edge.   The sculpture is set off by the black rod iron metal riser that cradles the glass award;
• Excellence Art Glass Award:  This 17-inch black glass sculpture with blue accents is elevated on a piano-finished base. This is the ideal choice for awarding the highest level of achievement;
• Blue Bubbles Art Glass Award:  This fury of rolling patterns is elevated on a glass finished base that features a custom printed plate for your company logo and personalized text;
• Intrigue Glass Award:  This 9.5-inch beautiful art glass sculpture features a black laser etched plate with your personalized congratulatory message;
• Glass Mythic Award:  This hand-blown art glass features rich blue hues suspended in clear glass. Clearly stunning, this recognition award is elevated on a black base that incorporates a black steel plate with laser engraved copy.

The art glass category has grown tremendously.  Three years ago, we didn’t offer any. Now we have 19.  The more unique the piece, the better the response has been by customers who like seeing a theme like “Teamwork” or “Progress” carried through the design.

EDCO offers more than 300 corporate award designs in five product segments:  crystal awards, glass awards, acrylic awards, custom awards and plaques.

View the full lineup of EDCO Awards’ glass awards.  For personalized assistance in selecting your corporate awards, contact the company at 800-377-8646.

EDCO unveils new corporate awards in glass

EDCO Awards & Specialties has unveiled 15 new corporate award designs in its Metal and Glass Awards and Art Glass Awards categories.

The traditional thinking in our industry is that customers will buy whatever you are showing.  We challenge that thinking by continuing to expand the product lineup by filling out our corporate awards categories with more creative choices.

The new corporate award designs combine materials like brass with glass, crystal and new shapes and color combinations, some using hand-blown glass.

 In the Metal and Glass Awards category, EDCO released five new corporate awards, including:

• Neo Classic Metal & Glass Award:  Measuring 8 inches high, this award combines an etched glass award with a silver-plated base that reflects light throughout the glass inlay;
• Guiding Star Award:  This limited edition sculpture features a unique metal star frame with a glass inlay;
• Glass Diamond with Brushed Metal Base:  Combines brushed aluminum with clear and blue glass for a designer look;
• Gemstone Brass and Glass Award:   Available in two sizes, this corporate award features a base  finished with brushed gold metal.  The glass inlay is beveled and deep engraved with your custom text and logo;
• Glass Circle with Brass Base:  This simple yet elegant award choice, features EDCO’s premium jade glass circle, slightly beveled and cradled on a brushed brass base elevated by a glass platform.

In the Art Glass Awards category, EDCO unveiled 10 new corporate awards, including:

• Teamwork Art Glass Award:  Measuring 13.5 inches high, this hand-blown color glass sculpture is elevated on a black base with a laser-etched plate;
• Years of Service Art Glass Award:  Measuring 15.25 inches high and artistically constructed from hand blown glass, this corporate award features a laser-etched plate on the base that can accommodate company logos or special art;
• Inspiration Art Glass Award:   This carefully selected art glass sculpture represents inspired success and will make a nice statement at your next awards presentation. Elevated on a black base with your custom inscription and logo laser etched onto a black brass plate;
• Celestial Art Glass Award:  Measuring an impressive 13 inches high, this corporate award is the perfect choice to make a really big splash!
• Vision Art Glass Award:   Standing 16.25 inches tall, this magical art glass sculpture is elevated on a handsome black base with a brass plate, laser etched with your custom inscription and company logo;
• Deco Glass Mosaic Peak:  This corporate award features a beautifully stained glass accent panel and a wide beveled edge.   The sculpture is set off by the black rod iron metal riser that cradles the glass award;
• Excellence Art Glass Award:  This 17-inch black glass sculpture with blue accents is elevated on a piano-finished base. This is the ideal choice for awarding the highest level of achievement;
• Blue Bubbles Art Glass Award:  This fury of rolling patterns is elevated on a glass finished base that features a custom printed plate for your company logo and personalized text;
• Intrigue Glass Award:  This 9.5-inch beautiful art glass sculpture features a black laser etched plate with your personalized congratulatory message;
• Glass Mythic Award:  This hand-blown art glass features rich blue hues suspended in clear glass. Clearly stunning, this recognition award is elevated on a black base that incorporates a black steel plate with laser engraved copy.

The art glass category has grown tremendously.  Three years ago, we didn’t offer any. Now we have 19.  The more unique the piece, the better the response has been by customers who like seeing a theme like “Teamwork” or “Progress” carried through the design.

EDCO offers more than 300 corporate award designs in five product segments:  crystal awards, glass awards, acrylic awards, custom awards and plaques.

View the full lineup of EDCO Awards’ glass awards.  For personalized assistance in selecting your corporate awards, contact the company at 800-377-8646.

EDCO Awards & Specialties has introduced 24 new crystal awards for 2013 as it continues to update and expand its line of corporate awards.

The new awards represent every price point, from $30 to $350, and feature dynamic designs and added color.  We’ve filled out our product lines with new crystal awards that feature interesting new shapes or movement as well several optic awards that combine optical glass, crystal, black glass and colored glass.

Here’s a lineup of the new awards now available among EDCO’s Contemporary Crystal, Optical Crystal, World Crystal Globe and Specialty Crystal Award lines:

New Contemporary Crystal Awards:

• Crystal Distinction Award:  All optic crystal with two colored crystals in blue and jade, and high-quality engraving using sand blasting – an amazing value.
• Atlantis Ellipse Crystal Award:  A geometrically simple yet a stunning combination of clear and blue crystal. Perfect for achievers from all walks of life.
• Ambient Clear and Red Crystal Award:  An original design that will engage your senses with soothing colors and sophisticated looks.   Also available in blue.
• Crystal Recognition Award:  This stylish corporate design engraved with your personalized message is sure to impress its achievers.
• Blocks of Success Crystal Award:  Light penetrating the colorful crystals will reflect beautifully on your engraved congratulatory message.
• Art Deco Crystal Award:  Inspired by the Historic Art Deco district in Miami.

New Optical Crystal Awards

• Rising Diamond Crystal Award:  Black obelisk stand cradles a clear diamond-shaped optic crystal.  The stand engraving is deeply etched and filled with a silver paint.
• Blue Diamond Crystal Award:  Produced from pure optic crystal.
• Crystal Triumph Award:  Handsome sculpture carved from flawless optical crystal.
• Nobility Clear and Black Crystal Award:  The fusion of clear and black crystals, pure in composition and optically perfect.
• Northern Lights Crystal Award:  Produced from optical crystal with sweeping curve lines and a series of crystal cubes embedded in the center of the award.

New World Globe Awards

• Omni Globe Award:  One of the most magnificent awards in our entire collection and so heavy it requires both hands for lifting.  It features a solid crystal globe, with detailed etching, that spins freely in a antique finished metal axis.
• Grande Planet Crystal Award:  Mouth blown and cut by hand from crystal. The crystal globe is perched atop a round base with custom engraving.

Specialty Crystal Awards

• Crystal Maltese Cross Award:  Produced from flawless optical crystal and deep engraved. This is the perfect award to honor distinguished service and bravery of our firefighters!
• Crystal Book Award:  Perfect way to show appreciation to that special teacher.
• Red Crystal Apple on Base:  Perfect award for teachers who made a difference.
• Faceted Gavel on Black Crystal Base:  A fantastic choice for a retiring chairperson.
• Crystal 18 Wheeler Truck Award:  A great award for a truck driver or freight company.
• Beveled Crystal Cross Award:  A beautiful remembrance for service in Christian organizations, churches and private schools.
• Faceted Crystal Football:  Produced from optical crystal and custom engraved to your specifications.
• Large Faceted Crystal Football Trophy:  The ultimate football award.
• Crystal Sailboat:  Produced from pure optic crystal.
• Faceted Crystal Sailboat on Blue Base:  Features a multi-faceted finish as well as a beautiful blue crystal base.

For help choosing the right crystal award for your corporate awards program, call 800-377-8646.   

Tips for Buying Corporate Awards

EDCO Awards & Specialties has prepared a list of 7 tips to help any business develop a successful corporate recognition awards program:

1.        Look for quality:   Above all, it’s important to consider the quality of the product.   Pricing will give you a good idea when you’re comparing one vendor to another.   A $35 corporate award, while perfectly suitable in a lot of situations, will not be of the same quality as an award that costs $135.
2.        Buy like you’re shopping for a diamond:   Clarity, color, finish and weight all have meaning when shopping for your corporate awards.   The difference between a glass award and crystal award is the clarity of the material.   Glass awards will typically fall into a lower price range as a result.  The weight of the award is important as well.  You want a good quality glass or crystal, one-half to three-quarters inch thick so it’ll have good weight.
3.        Go for the sizzle:   You can buy a nice crystal award that is very traditional, but don’t do that till you’ve checked out the newer selections that combine colors and materials.  We have several new optic crystal awards that combine optical glass, crystal, black glass or colored glass.   EDCO’s line of Contemporary Crystal Awards features several new styles that offer traditional glass designs with vibrant colors like blue and red.
4.        Appreciate good engraving:  The impact of a nice award can fall flat if it’s not engraved in a way most suitable for the material.  Many local trophy shops will laser engrave crystal, which is inferior to the more state-of-the-art sandblasting process.  Sand engraving or carving uses aluminum oxide as the blasting medium, which is a very fine material that does a very good job on detailed artwork and which delivers a precise, deep etch.  Laser engraving doesn’t cut deep, so it doesn’t look as crisp and can really compromise the intricate details of a company logo.  Depending on the material, color and design, EDCO uses one of five different engraving methods:  sand carving, laser etching, UV printing, sublimation or deep edge and color fill.  (View video of sand carving process for crystal engraving. )     
5.        Ask for help:  It’s important to work with a trophy or awards vendor whose customer service department has in-depth knowledge of its product line.  Time is of the essence.  Most companies will order their awards 3-5 days before they need them, and we sometimes are asked about 24-hour turnaround.   As a result, you want to make sure the person you’re talking to understands how much time each step takes, what’s involved in the art design process and so forth, to meet their time schedule.
6.        Buy from a manufacturer:  Most local trophy shops lack expertise in the area of corporate awards.   Working directly with a manufacturer, like EDCO of Fort Lauderdale, enables companies to ensure they’re getting the highest quality product for their budget in a timely manner.  Knowing the time constraints, it’s important to work with an awards vendor that has the product in-stock, offers quick service and turnaround and can work with the customer on art design. 
7.        Talk to a person:  The Internet has made it easy for businesses to purchase most of their office and production supplies without ever having to talk to another person.  But, when it comes to your corporate awards program, the outcome is too important to rely on a faceless, cheap Internet site.  Economy sites don’t offer the quality craftsmanship, selection or customer service of a traditional manufacturer.  We’re able to do a lot more for our clients that make their corporate awards programs very meaningful.  Because we stock all our items and do our art design and engraving in-house, we can create custom pieces for our clients, meet short turnaround times and tight budget constraints.

For help with your corporate award program, call 800-377-8646.

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. --

Edco Awards & Specialties new website showcases more than 300 trophy designs

With eye-popping colors, distinct shapes and spinnable features, trophies and awards for sports recognition and academic achievement have come a long way from the ones you might remember collecting dust in grandma’s attic.

We have launched a new website to showcase more than 300 available trophy styles, including new, customizable designs that are sure to be stars on anyone’s desk or bookcase. Our new trophy awards section is divided into six groupings that highlight various trophy styles, includin single-post trophies, double-post, triple-post, four-post, participation an achievement trophies.

Among our offerings are several new lines for 2012. In the category of Participation Trophies, we have added the Sport Motion line of sports trophies, which includes Sport Motion figures for football, baseball, basketball, cheerleading, hockey, soccer, softball, volleyball, cheerleading and karate. The 13” customizable sports trophies feature a star burst riser with a 2” epoxy domed insert that can be used to include a club or school logo. The trophies also are available in various colors and textures.

Also new in athletic awards are sport ball trophies, including Squeezable Spinner Trophies, with squeezable balls that spin and can be removed from the trophy. The new star-themed Superstar Spinner Trophies also incorporate balls that spin.

Included among the Participation Trophies are Scholastic Series, which include multiple colorful star-themed awards with customizable inserts for recognition of any scholastic achievement.

Founded in 1963, we pride ourselves in personalized customer service. From corporate awards to sports trophies, our staff provides expert advice on trophy and award selection and customization options.

For more information or to obtain a 2012-13 catalog, contact Edco at 800-377-8646.

Custom awards build brand equity. They are great for corporate retreats and special events.

Custom awards are a great way to build logo and brand equity. Our customers love this option because it's easy, fast and ultimately an amazing value! OK, so basically we start with your idea or company logo and build the award around it. We have the facilities and tools that allow us to create custom shapes from acrylics which are later engraved or printed in full color to create impressive one-of-a-kind custom trophies. All of our awards are crafted in-house which gives us control over the entire production process and enables us to provide our customers with innovative, premium quality awards for a great value.

Take a look at our latest creation, a Custom Surfboard Award fabricated from .5" thick clear acrylic. These beachy awards will be presented to the winners of the Surftown Half Marathon. The printing was done in reverse on the back side of the acrylic to give this trophy a really cool dimensional look. The surfboard topper is elevated on a clear acrylic base with a gold plate with personalized engraving.

We can produce just about anything, so don't set limits just on awards!

Use Corporate Gifts To Show Employee Recognition

Corporate gifts don’t have to be expensive, although they certainly can be if you want. It can just be something that says the company has noticed their hard work and want to say thanks for it. Such a small gesture as this will produce such happiness among your employees that you it might amaze you.

Following the receipt of corporate gifts, don’t be surprised to see your employees working even harder than they were before. When employees are singled out and recognized in this way for what they bring to the company, you can bet they’ll continue to be top notch employees. Sometimes recognition in this way means more than a paycheck ever could.

Offer your employees gifts that are custom printed. Awards like these can have the person’s name along with their achievement engraved beside the company logo. Anything from simple engraved plaques to obelisk structures in the form of crystal awards are great ways to show employee achievement. Companies also have been known to host entire dinners where these awards are presented to the employees.

However you choose to present your corporate gifts to your employees most likely doesn’t matter. In this instance, it’s more the gesture and what that means. When you single out each employee to present the award, you’re also giving her, or him, a moment of glory to bask in.

Awards make a difference on the bottom line. 

How? 

It's simple, by rewarding your team for good performance, you are reinforcing productive behavior.  Award and Recognition Programs build employee loyalty while helping to achieve goals more efficiently.   They also create a competitive environment with a positive spin.  People are just more likely to repeat the behaviors being rewarded.  As Florida's largest manufacturer of Corporate Awards we hear our customers say time and time again how impactful their awards presentations are on staff members.  Awards people receive become cherished heirlooms and have a lasting effect.  This leads to satisfied employees which leads to satisfied customers and ultimately better financial performance for the company.

EDCO Awards & Specialties is here to offer solutions through recognition, to help your company, or organization improve performance, the bottom line and to boost morale & employee loyalty.  Crystal Awards and Art Glass Awards are used frequently to reward top performers.  We also offer Custom Awards programs where we fabricate completely custom awards designed around your company logo, slogan or special art.  Let us know if you have any questions. 

We are here to help you!

Rick Shapiro who has been with Edco since 2003 announced his retirement as of September 23, 2011.  Rick has been a leader in custom signage, awards, wearables and ad specialty sales.  There will be a retirement lunch for Rick on September 23, 2011.  Space is limited if you want to attend, please respond to Rick Cordary (rickc@edco.com) soon.

We welcome you to leave blog posts here for Rick.  Simply click on the green "comments" at the bottom of this post.

Congratulations Rick! You have won the race.  Now it's time to relax and enjoy life.

Special T-Shirt Promotion is a HUGE SUCCESS!

Yesterday we emailed our contact list and we have sold thousands of T-Shirts (not Shrits as per the typo we made).
 
 
The T-Shirts are only $3.75 each with a LOW ONE-TIME SET-UP CHARGE OF $15.00!

 
 
These imprinted shirts are a real RECOGNITION BUILDER
 
If ever there was a time to promote your business, school, church or club, that time is now.  Edco is making it affordable for you with our T-Shirt Promotion.
 
You can make your staff, students or club members look more professional and feel more like a team!  Look at the great exposure you get too! 
 
These are  white, 100% cotton shirts with a one color, one location imprint, 48 piece minimum with sizes S-XL.  Additional charge for larger than XL.
 
Quick turn-around!  Take advantage of the T-Shirt season!
 
 
 
Of course Edco has all types of imprinted wearables, shirts, hats, jackets and much more.  Call your Edco Rep TODAY!  Offer expires August 26, 2011.

Now with 4
locations
in Broward
 
800-377-8646
www.edco.com

Hollywood -
5634 Johnson Street
954-964-2466
brenda@edco.com

Fort Lauderdale -
3702 Davie Blvd.
954-587-0137
info1@edco.com
 
Pompano Beach -
1216 E. Atlantic Blvd.
954-943-0128
lisa@edco.com
 
Coral Springs -
9815 W. Sample Road
954-510-0511
alison@edco.com

Edco has completed installation of our newest laser, a Trotec SP 1500.  This laser is 400 watts and has a bed size of 59" x 49".  Previously the biggest laser cutter / engraver Edco had was 100 watts with a table size of 32" x 18".  The new laser enables us to cut through up to 1" acrylic leaving a polished looking edge.  Previously to obtain this edge on a piece of acrylic would require sanding and buffing.  This process CNC Cut/sand/buff) does not allow polishing on tight inside radiuses or corners.

Examine the photos below.  The thumb image was laser cut.  In the second image you will see what a traditional CNC router edge looks like and the third image will show how beautiful a laser cut and UV printed piece of clear acrylic can be.  The laser easily cuts many other materials including foam, paper, leather, wood and much, much more.  An interesting Youtube video of the SP 1500 cutting MDF board is shown here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wq3dKDf5pN0

Let us quote on your next requirement for custom cut material.

This machine is 10 feet wide, 7 feet deep and 5 feet high!

This is 1" thick laser cut acrylic.  Notice the clear edges.

Notice the rough edge on this CNC router cut edge.  This will require sanding and buffing to be acceptable.

Notice how good this finished laser cut, UV printed awards looks!

Edco now offers team and individual photography for groups of all sizes. Whether it be a single team, or a league with dozens of teams, we have the staff to meet your needs.  Now you can count on Edco Photo for photography as you have for awards, wearables, signage and ad specialties  for over 40 years!

Consider Edco Photo when you have a need for team photography.  We can make your job easy by being a one stop shop for awards, banners, wearables, promotional products and now photography!
 
Some of the products we can imprint with your action or posed shots include, trading cards, photo magnets, game day tickets, photo balls, pennants, calendars, key tags, bag tags, license plates, mugs, dog tags, magazine photo covers and even photo flip flops!

One of Edco's longtime customers, Seth Levit at the Jason Taylor Foundation emailed Edco on Thursday morning at 7:12 AM.  It seemed that one of his associates needed 135 awards by 11:00 AM that same day and he knew Edco could do it!  Apparently a basketball and cheerleading camp was coming to a close and there were no awards for the children.  Edco quickly produced all the custom awards, delivered them, and was even offered the opportunity to help the famous Dwyane Wade present the awards.

Below you see Edco's own Sammi Somers and Melissa Combs helping Dwyane Wade hand out the awards.  Other famous people at the event included Katina and Jason Taylor.

Edco has many, many success stories like this.  The #3 is in honor of the great  Dwyane Wade!

Every year, around the end of the school year, for a period of about 4-5 weeks, Edco does 3-4 times normal sales volume.  Much of the work is centered around school awards.  Awards for teachers, awards for students, awards for athletics and awards for academic achievement.  Each year it gets tougher.  School budgets go down, yet they all need just as many trophies and plaques.  To save money many organizations have turned to medal with neck ribbons.

These few weeks put a huge burden on our production and usually very cheerful sales staff with some of them working up to 80 hours per week.  We have to bring in temporaries to augment our production abilities.  Working all day Saturday and Sunday isn't uncommon for some of our regulars.

To keep worker morale up, at least a couple of times per busy season, Edco buys lunch for all the workers and sales / customer service staff at our Fort lauderdale award manufacturing plant.  Today we served delicious Cuban/Latin food made by Sunshine Bakery right here on Davie Boulevard and two weeks ago we served fantastic Italian food including pizza and sausage and peppers from Pete's-A-Place also on Davie Boulevard.

Click on the image below to see all the pictures

It's official!  The EDCO letters we placed on the roof of the building on Davie Boulevard are now visible on Google Maps.  See our post of March 2, 2011 to read all about it!  The contest for $100.00 is over though.  We are sorry there was no winner.

See the actual Google page here  http://bit.ly/kHpZDm

Edco is proud to be a sponsor of the 2011 Burger Battle.  See our name on all the signage and promotional literature!

Riverwalk Trust will host Fort Lauderdale’s second annual Burger Battle Presented by Publix Apron’s Cooking School on Friday, May 13, 2011 from 7 to 10 p.m. on the Riverside Hotel Lawn, 620 E. Las Olas Blvd. in Downtown Fort Lauderdale.  Some of the city’s top restaurants will compete, showcasing their creativity and grilling skills to about 1,000 guests. The event will bring together local employees, residents and businesses for an evening of gourmet burger creations, cocktails and fun, while raising funds to support the Riverwalk Trust’s mission of building and nurturing a vibrant community connected by the New River.

Edco Awards and Specialties involvement stems from the long time production of signage and engraved bricks for the Riverwalk Trust.

See more information about the 2011 Burger Battle here: http://www.goriverwalk.com/2010/12/riverwalk-trust-burger-battle-ii-2/

See more information about the Riverwalk Bricks here: http://www.goriverwalk.com/riverwalk-trust/signature-bricks/

The Edco Awards & Specialties Tree of Life fundraiser is a most effective and beautiful way to recognize and motivate donors to your organization. Let us help your organization raise money and recognize the donors with this beautiful product.

Our "Tree" has helped many parishes, hospitals, schools, temples and other non-profits realize the goals they have set for fundraising. Some of the specific purposes have been to Recognize contributors to a building fund or fund-raising campaign, honor contributors to an endowment fund, salute individuals or groups for outstanding service or achievements or just to create a tasteful memorial space.

The Tree of Life needs approximately 7 feet x 7 feet of wall space. The tree is made of gold "leaves", attached by screws and mounted on .220 clear acrylic. The tree trunk is real wood, profiled on a CNC, beveled, stained and lacquered. Imagine what a tribute to your generous contributors the Edco Awards & Specialties Tree of Life fund raiser will be in your organization. Also available are custom dimensional letters to name your tree.

The Tree of Life is so successful because the donor's personalized message that will be on display forever.

Click on the image below to go to our Tree of Life page for more details including the financial benefits available with this tree.

The most important part of the award you select, whether it be a crystal vase, trophy or plaque is the inscription. Don't be mistaken, we place great emphasis on unique ideas, first class quality, workmanship and price, but we realize that awards are meant to be more than just pretty. The inscription or engraving as we refer to it, should be something that really touches the recipient, something that positively displays your appreciation, admiration, or gratitude.

Because of this Edco developed our On-Line Inscription guide.  This guide contains many, many sample award inscriptions for a wide variety of categories. Edco will guarantee the best quality and the lowest price, but the inscription is typically your creation.  Let us help with our Inscription guide! Click below to see the guide.  Many people use the layouts as they are, changing only the recipient name, organization and date.  At Edco, we always try and make it easy yet exquisite!

http://www.edco.com/eng_guide.pdf

No doubt you have seen the black and white patterns that are popping up all over.  These little patterns are called Quick Response "QR" codes.  The barcode has been around since 1994, but is only now gaining popularity in the US.  These codes can contain a phone number, a link to a web page or a plain text message.
 
They have become a great addition to your advertising specialty logo/image because one click with a cell phone that has a QR Code app (free) and the person is looking at your web page or their phone is calling you!
 
Edco can put a QR code on most any ad specialty item.  We like them so much that we have several QR code stickers on our delivery van and even have free tote bags with a QR code on them (while the supply lasts) for you when you stop in our Ft. Lauderdale store.
 
Wikipedia QR Code entry - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_code
 
Site to generate your own QR Code - http://qrcode.kaywa.com/

Let us help you market your business, club, church, school.  Exposure and PR is everything!
 
See the QR just in front of the drivers door down the blog on the date March 2, 2011?

Edco has been printing vinyl banners for many years using Roland and HP brand printers.  Our awards customers find that frequently a banner is a great addition to their award ceremony and our commercial, church, school and club customers find these vinyl banners to be a great way to advertise.  Vinyl banners typically come with brass grommets and rope.  Edco makes vinyl banners any size you need them.  Vinyl banners are a very effective way to promote.

In addition to vinyl banners the printing equipment prints many types of interior and exterior signs, paper posters, paper posters mounted on foam board and even canvas.  Scientific posters are one of our specialties with a Ph.D. available for technical questions.  Other popular products produced with the printing equipment are decals, bumper stickers, golf T-signs, directional signage, pop displays, menu boards and other advertising products. 

The image below is our large format printer actually printing a vinyl banner.

Keeping staff morale up can be a constant battle for any business owner, but keeping your staff happy is an essential part of running a successful business. If staff isn’t happy it can drastically affect their productivity and the effort they put into every day at the office. Recognition and appreciation is the key to keeping spirits up in the office and employees who do not get the recognition they deserve often feel disheartened and un-motivated.

In some cases, all you need to do to boost morale is to tell someone they are doing well, after all we all love receiving praise. However, sometimes just saying ‘well done’ doesn’t go far enough.  As a business owner you may feel that you need to go that extra mile to ensure that the employee in question knows exactly how grateful you are and that you consider them a very valuable member of the team. This is where presenting your team or an individual with a trophy or an award can work wonders. An award for hard work shows that you are prepared to go that little bit further to reward your dedicated employees and this will encourage enthusiasm and motivation.

In a time where employees are always on the look out for new career opportunities and are ready to switch jobs should a better position come around, it is important for management to take employee recognition seriously. Appreciation and recognition are two important factors in keeping staff motivated at work and ensure that they stay loyal to the company. After all, a motivated work force means for greater productivity and more success for you and your business!

It’s a good idea for businesses to allocate a certain portion of the budget to put towards employee recognition awards in order for this system to become an accepted part of the way the business works. While it is sometimes good to get fresh talent in, it is important to remember that on-the-job experience really is invaluable. Why spend time and money training new staff and neglecting other members of staff when you could be utilizing older members of staff and making sure that all their knowledge is used in an effective way? Make sure all your members of staff know just how much you appreciate them with employee recognition awards and your company to ensure benefit from the added motivation.

Investing in your staff is the best way to increase profits so take every opportunity to appreciate all the work your staff are doing on your behalf. Presenting your staff with awards and trophies will not only motivate the individual but could also inspire other members of the team to work hard to receive the same. There are various options when it comes to rewarding your staff with gifts. One of the most popular is to use trophies or awards as these are things that can be shown off to family and friends.  However, you need to make sure that the awards or trophies that you give are of a good quality otherwise it may put employees off. Make sure the award matches the level of hard work the employee has put in otherwise it could lead to disappointment.

Remember you are trying to motivate and encourage your staff with these awards so make sure they look good. EDCO Awards and Specialties will assure that your awards are perfect; they are the premier trophy, plaque and promotional product supplier on the internet. Here you will find an award for any occasion.

Edco has installed several high quality cameras and microphones to enable our salespeople to communicate via Skype.  Check us out!  Soon all salespeople will be on Skype.  Click here:  http://www.edco.com/edcoskype.html 

Edco Awards & Specialties has been a producer of directional and informational signage for many, many years.  We make anything from very small legend plates for equipment to large outdoor advertising signs.  We utilize a variety of materials and processes including all types of plastic, acrylic, solid surface material, wood, glass, vinyl and metal.  The methods we use to imprint or letter range from printing with the large format printer, UV flatbed printer, plotted and weeded vinyl letters, laser engraving and laser cutting as well as cutting substrate up to 1" thick and to sizes of 48" x 96" on our Multicam CNC router.  A couple of our salespeople are experts in designing signage systems and American with Disablities Act signs (ADA signage).  To create your sign we need as little as a concept from you.  Let us do the rest!

A trophy is a specially-design reward given to indicate a certain achievement or recognition. The trophy is usually given during academic and athletic events. In prestigious sports events such as the Olympic games, the gold, silver and bronze medals serve as a sole award-giving trophy.

The word “Trophy” traces its roots from the French word “Trophee” meaning “A spoil of war and prize”. The English adapted the French term in the 1550’s to emphasize the victory of the 15th century English War. In Ancient Greece, the trophy is made from series of victorious Greek battles that were hung from a tree to symbolize the warrior’s triumph. The Ancient Greek trophy is made from inscribed contexts depicting the battle of the Gods. The Ancient Romans meanwhile festooned the creation of the trophy for home and memorial purposes.

During the 16th century Middle Age years, the Chalices were given as an alternative to trophy among winners from “New World” sporting events. The “Kyp Cup” is the first chalice given to horse racing champions in New England during the late-1600 years. Chalices are currently seen in prestigious sports events such as the The Stanley Cup, Davis Cup and World Cup. The “Oscar Trophy” for the Academy Awards is the first human-sized trophy created. The “Hugo Award” trophy is famous for its “spaceship” size. The “Man on the Moon” trophy is the second human-sized trophy conceptualized by MTV Networks for the MTV Video Music Awards.

 
There are three types of award-giving trophy designs that are specially created in terms of quality, motif and purpose:

• The Resin Trophy varies in generic quality, styling and overall finishes. Also known as the “Resin Awards”, the trophy is usually seen in academic recognition accolades such as commencement exercises. The resin trophy can be customized or molded, depending on the target theme.
 
• The “Loving-Cup Trophy” is the commonly used trophy made from two silver plate handles, creating a pedestal-like appearance.
 
• The Hunting Trophy features the head of an animal mounted on a solid surface. The trophy is usually given to distinguish accomplishments in the hunting industry.   In 1983, the first “Jules Rimet Trophy” design was stolen in Brazil. The World Football Association made a replica of the original Jules Rimet Trophy for private football match celebrations in 1966. The FIFA purchased the FA’s replica in 1997. However, the loss of the first Jules Rimet Trophy design paved way for the existence of the following:

• The Scottish Cup Trophy is the oldest trophy given during the seasonal Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup in United Kingdom.

• The FIFA World Cup Trophy is being awarded to the winners of the prestigious FIFA World Cup series. Designed in 1974, the previous winners of the FIFA World Cup were initially awarded with the Jules Rimet Trophy replica in 1949.

• The European Champion’s Cup Trophy is awarded to the winners of the annual UEFA Champions’ League. The EC Cup is the most prestigious trophy originated from the European Eastern Hemisphere.

Effective Employee Recognition Can Work Wonders!

Employee recognition isn’t just a nice way to treat your staff; it’s also an extremely effective communication tool that can help you to get the best out of your business. Whatever method of recognition you decide to go for, your actions will reinforce good behavior within your team and staff and will communicate to them what sorts of actions and behaviors you want to see from them. If you own a business andwant to keep your staff motivated and bringing in money for you then a simple employee recognition system can produce immediate, positive results.

We all like being recognized for doing a good job, whether it’s performing well at a sport or completing a tough project at work. It’s very nice being verbally told that we have done well, but to have something tangible like an etched crystal award, engraved plaque or a trophy to actually mark the occasion will show that the company is prepared to go the extra mile to reward good behavior. This is where a company like EDCO Awards and Specialties steps in. EDCO is the premier trophy, plaque and promotional product suppliers on the internet and has an award to suit all occasions. They also offer an engraving service to make the award that little bit more personal. If you are looking for a special way of saying ‘keep up the good work’ to your staff then a trophy or an award from EDCO is the perfect solution!

If you are thinking of employing an employee recognition system and rewarding your staff with either a trophy or an award then you need to go about it in a logical manner. You will first need to establish criteria on which performance or contribution can be tested against. Figure out what behavior or actions you deem rewardable and make sure you stick to these rules. Remember that all employee should be eligible for recognition. When you reward your employee’s with some sort of an award or a trophy you need to be clear about what behaviors or actions are being recognized. This will make it easier for the employer to do the same again and again and will encourage other members of staff to follow suit.

Try and make the recognition of good behavior as close to the actual action as possible, so that the employee feels a sense of immediate recognition, thus making them more likely to do the same again in the future. When it comes to recognizing good behavior amongst your staff, you need to design a process that doesn’t look like you are actively ‘selecting’ certain people as this can come across as favoritism and encourage bad feeling and resentment.

For businesses who want to show their appreciation of all the hard work put in by an individual or a group of employees then look no further than EDCO Awards and Specialties. The awards available will make your employees extremely proud and you can choose from a wide range of items to suit almost any occasion, you can even customize with engraving, etching, screen printing, lasering if you want! Why not raise the morale of your team by showing them that you really appreciate how hard they are working for you by giving them an award to signify just how well they are doing! We all like to be told when we are doing well and an award or trophy is the perfect way to encourage good behavior and motivate staff. Give your staff a great big ‘well done’ today with an award or trophy from Edco Awards & Specialties, serving South Florida for over 40 years!

• The “Colored Laminated Award” is meticulously coated award plates made from wood material laminated with variety of colors.  The plaque is carefully polished to create a solid wood appearance. Most laminated colored awards make use of recycled wood fibers, making them an environment-friendly option. Laminated colored plates are believed to be more affordable due to its quality manufacturing and eco-friendly impact.

• The Glass Awards Plaque comes in various shapes, sizes and styles depending on quality and distinctiveness.  The glass award plaque is produced by series of engraving and sandblasting methods. The glass award plates are usually placed under a small-sized granite or glass base to ensure rigidity when it’s being stand on a surface or shelf. However, the glass awards can be used as viable alternative for wood frame stands.

• The Solid Wooden Awards is recognizable for its simplicity and elegance. Made from various quality hardwood materials, the solid wooden plaque is deemed profitable for its carefully polished wood and granite finishes. Most solid wooden awards are usually given during academic recognitions and lifetime achievement awarding ceremonies.

• Certificate Holders comes out as the most basic type of award-giving plates. Certificate holders are dominantly given in any award-giving body, particularly seminars and community-based events. Some certificate holders are specially covered with a stylish holder to emphasize its esteemed appearance.

• The Executive Award Plaque is made from vibrant combinations of wood, glass and granite materials. What makes the executive plaque different from the aforementioned award-giving plates is that it’s overall styling and finishes is more lavish. The executive awards are usually given during corporate events to recognize the employee’s genuine contribution in the industry’s success.

• The Framed Award Plaque may have an overstated styling and appearance. However, the plaque is considered as one of the most identifiable award-giving plates today for its prestige. The framed award plaque is given on special occasions wherein an employee is recognized for his 10 – 20 years of service in the company. The plaque is also given during exceptional corporate recognitions such as “tribute” ceremonies.

• The Wood Laminated Plaque are said to be manufactured using the same method as that of the colored laminated ones. The only difference is that the wood laminates are made from 100% quality wood and its styling and finishes is less elegant and minimal. The wood laminated plaque is typically handed during private occasions.

• The Perpetual Award Plaque is commonly seen in monthly and annual award-giving bodies conducted by company staff. The largest perpetual plaque has few distinct subdivisions in which the names of the previous recipients are situated.

• The Granite Award Plaque is one of the most prestigious award-giving plates available today. Despite its expensive price when purchased, the granite plaque has a more elegant and quality value. The plaque comes in two sub-types: the Standing and Wall plaque. Both granite awards are made from combinations of quality hard wood, metal and unique shades of marble which can be sandblasted or engraved.

Edco has four completely filled showrooms located throughout Broward County with a huge selection of etched designer crystal, jade glass and clear glass awards.  These glass awards come in various shapes and sizes including tear drops, diamonds, towers, pinnacles, obelisks and flames.  Etched crystal and glass awards are perfect for use as corporate awards, scholastic awards, church awards and individual recognition.

As with all of our Coral Springs, Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale and Pompano trophy shop showrooms, our optic crystal, starfire crystal, clear glass and jade glass is all in stock at our huge Davie Boulevard warehouse.  Ready and waiting to be professionally etched in our Davie Boulevard award manufacturing facility. Our turn-around times will amaze you because unlike our competition, we are a 40 year old business with a huge amount of product, especially glass and crystal awards, in stock in our local warehouse.

Take a look at the short video clip below and you will see a small representation of what we keep in stock to be delivered locally in the South Florida market or to be shipped worldwide.  If you'd like to see more video of our showrooms located in Hollywood, Pompano, Fort Lauderdale and Coral Springs, click here http://www.youtube.com/user/EDCOAWARDS#p/u

In the video clip below you will see our MultiCam CNC router cutting acrylic. The CNC cuts acrylic with a rotating cutter up to 1 inch thick. The CNC is capable of cutting wood, solid surface material (counter top granite look-a-like) and metal. The majority of the time our CNC is cutting the beautiful acrylic awards shown here http://www.edco.com/acrylic.html but also is frequently used to cut dimensional letters and sign blanks which we later decorate with our Roland Large Format printer. The word CNC means computer numerical control http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numerical_control and is controlled by a vector computer file. If an outline file can be drawn or scanned and converted on your computer, the Edco CNC can cut it!

Edco Awards & Specialties is a privately held 40+ year old award, trophy, promotional products and imprinted wearables company with offices located in Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale, Pompano and Coral Springs. Edco is a leading supplier of all types of awards including trophies, plaques, engraving, acrylic awards, etched crystal awards, ribbons, rosettes. Edco supplies athletic organizations, non-profit concerns, schools, clubs, churches, temples and many others. Edco delivers awards to all local areas including Deerfield Beach, Davie, Wilton Manors, Ojus, Oakland Park, Dania, Hollywood, Sunny Isles, Golden Beach, just about anywhere in South Florida. Contact Edco at 800-377-8646 or http://edco.com

Check out our Egg Art Glass Awards!

Throughout the ages, the egg has symbolized new beginnings and the spark of creation. Traditional folk religions regarded the egg as a powerful symbol of fertility, purity and rebirth. Magic rituals often use eggs to promote fertility and restore virility of the body, mind and spirit and to foresee into the future. Eggs also symbolize growth, protection, new beginnings, resurrection.

Edco Awards & Specialties produces these beautiful multi-color intricate art glass award eggs with base for personalization.  They are a great way to recognize achievers.  Each egg award is an individual work of art.  These are hand made so that no two are identical.  What a great way to stimulate and motivate!

as low as $47.97!

Edco Awards & Specialties is a privately held 40+ year old award, trophy, promotional products and imprinted wearables company with offices located in Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale, Pompano and Coral Springs.  Edco is a leading supplier of all types of awards including trophies, plaques, engraving, acrylic awards, etched crystal awards, ribbons, rosettes.  Edco supplies athletic organizations, non-profit concerns, schools, clubs, churches, temples and many others.  Edco delivers awards to all local areas including Deerfield Beach, Pompano Beach, Parkland, Boca Raton, Lighthouse Point, Hollywood, Miami, Hialeah, Aventura, just about anywhere in South Florida.  Contact Edco at 800-377-8646 or http://edco.com

Meet Bruce Yoskin - Sales Manager of Specialty Products

Bruce Yoskin has been with Edco for 11 years.  We are glad he chose to hang his hat at Edco Awards & Specialties.  Bruce had many years experience in ad specialty sales and joining the Edco team gave him additional lines of signage, wearables, etched crystal awards and more.

A specialist in large accounts, Bruce is proud to include many of the areas large hospitals, corporations and universities among his loyal clients. They look to him for wearables, awards, banners as well as the standard promotional items such as pens, glassware, desk items and other giveaways.

Prior to joining Edco, Bruce spent many years in the specialty food and confectionery industry both here in South Florida and in his home town of Philadelphia.

The next time you go to the theater, look closely, because when he isn’t selling specialty products, he might be found “trodding the boards”; he has appeared in dozens of theatrical productions in the area.

Bruce and his wife Susan, a twenty six year employee of IBM, have children and grandchildren in Philadelphia and Birmingham.

Give him a call at 954-587-0137 ext 119! He’ll be glad to come out and work with you at your office, helping you decide how best to present what is most important to you… your image.

Edco has been involved with the Palm Beach County schools for several years.  Edco Awards & Specialties contributes to the schools by donating Character Counts plaques and certificates to dedicated students.  The plaques and certificates are handed out system wide during award ceremonies every month.  See our Character Counts page here http://edcoawards.com/charactercounts/

Due to the volume of calls we receive from "North of the Border", we obtained a number in the West Palm area code. 

Our "North" number is 561-209-2920

Edco has been utilizing lasers to engrave plastic and metal and to cut various materials for over 30 years.  Edco utilizes the laser to create beautful acrylic awards and to engrave all types of awards and signs.  We use the laser in our engraved brick process as well as cutting small dimensional letters and the fabrication of name badges.  We have engraved the frames of eye glasses, engraved images on leather, glass, wood, fabric and we can even use it to create an imprint on stainless steel.  Our motto for the last 30 years still holds true... "If it doesn't move, we can probably engrave it!".  Click on the images to see a short clip of a laser engraving a plastic sign and another clip of a laser cutting that same plastic.

Edco has state of the art flat bed UV printing capabilities with its Mimaki JF series printer.  This printer can print on any flat surface including glass, acrylic, wood, metal, cardboard and sign type plastic materials.  The UV printer was a six figure investment but has become one of the most used machines in the plant.  The acrylic guitar you see went from concept to finished product in two days.  With Edco's Multicam CNC Router (to be featured in a blog soon) the acrylic was cut from 3/4 inch by 8 foot by 4 foot sheet.  Sanded and polished and printed all in our facility on Davie Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale.  Edco can take your rough drawing or concept, create the vector art for driving the CNC and the full color art to be printed on the UV printer.  If it's one or a hundred, Edco has the ability to make custom printed acrylic awards!

Recently Edco Awards & Specialties installed a unique way of advertising.  We placed 8 foot tall plastic letters on the roof of the building.  This is what the newest update of Google Earth will look like when it is processed.  We are running a contest for anyone who flies over though.  We will give a $100.00 check to the first person who takes an actual photograph of this from the air.  Caution!  We have placed a strange object on the roof as well so your photograph must show that too (no photoshop jobs)!

Edco Awards is a 40 year old awards and recognition business in Hollywood, FL, Fort Lauderdale, FL, Pompano, FL and Coral Springs, FL.  Edco manufactures all types of awards, ad specialties, ribbons, rosettes, signage, wearable products, trophies and plaques.

Edco has been delivering quality awards throughout Broward and Palm Beach County for many years. We routinely deliver everything from delicate etched crystal awards to thousands of custom imprinted t-shirts. We have delivered our fund raising tree of life recognition wall product to churches as far as Clewiston and Naples.

In addition to Edco being the first awards company on the internet, we think we have one of the first vehicles to sport a giant QR code on its side! Next time you see the Edco delivery van around South Florida shoot the QR and say hello to driver Ed Thebold. Ed has been our customer pleasing awards delivery driver for many years!

Info on Tree of Life: http://www.edco.com/treeoflife.html

Info on Promotional Products: http://www.edco.com/promotional.html

Info on Etched Crystal and Glass Awards: http://www.edco.com/crystalandglass.html

Recently we found out that the Bermaq Company located in Spain has gone out of business. Since 1982 they have been making this machine which is a critical part of Edco Awards & Specialties acrylic award production. This machine has diamond blades that finish the edges of acrylic as the first step to making a beautiful acrylic award. For many years Edco has been producing acrylic awards that ultimately get lasered. Recently Edco added a Mimaki flat bed UV printer which prints directly on the surface of acrylic and other surfaces. Other links of interest about the Bermaq and acrylic polishing are here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05OaKoq81YU

http://www.bermaq.ro/en/products/1525/799/1642.html

We understand that the employees of Bermaq in Spain were going to try and bring the company back but we are unsure if their efforts have been successful.

Here are some of the products the Bermaq is instrumental in creating:

http://www.edco.com/flagship_acrylic_awards.html

What a rush in the glass department.  Many, many rush orders!  Never fear though.  Jim is here to make sure all your etched glass and crystal awards look great and are perfect in every way!

Take a look at out Discount Outlet! You will find really popular inexpensive awards for many types of achievers. These awards are of very modern design. They are all something a recipient will be proud to receive!

http://www.edco.com/specials/index.html

With all the acrylic orders we have in house, it looks like the CNC crew will be working on Saturday.  It is great to see business coming back as strong as it is.  School budgets are getting further cut by state government and corporate style awards made of acrylic and UV printed are getting busier and busier!

EDCO Awards & Specialties is the premier Corporate Awards, Trophy, Plaque, Promotional Product & Signage supplier on the Internet. Family owned and operated in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. We have been supplying Corporate, Scholastic and Athletic Awards and Trophies for Recognition and Motivation, including Laser Engraved Acrylic items and Etched Crystal Awards for over 40 years, 20 years on the Internet! We want to be your supplier for advertising specialties, promotional products, trophies and plaques, ribbons and rosettes, pens, pencils, name badges, mugs and cups, medals, recognition walls, tree of life programs, church fundraising ideas, beauty queen and homecoming sashes, tiaras, business cards, flag cases, display cases, t-shirts, jackets, acrylic and crystal awards, signs, golf tee signs, etched perfume bottles, sculpture awards & statues and many other gift items. We are experienced in many types of imprinting including UV flatbed printing, silkscreening, pad printing, laser engraving pantograph engraving, abrasive etching, embroidery and photo engraving. Next time you need an award, sign or promotional product let EDCO Awards & Specialties be the company you choose. We offer free delivery with a minimum sale to all municipalities in Broward County.  We specialize in Cooper City awards, Coral Springs awards, Dania awards, Davie awards, Ft. Lauderdale awards, Hollywood awards, Pembroke Pines awards, Miramar awards, Sunrise awards, Plantation awards, Weston awards, Wilton Manors awards, Oakland Park awards, Pompano awards, Deerfield Beach awards, Hallandale awards, Lauderhill awards, Tamarac awards, Southwest Ranches awards, Boca Raton awards and Coral Springs awards.