There’s no way around it: Businesses across the country are feeling squeezed as workers are resigning from jobs in historic numbers every month. Consider that, in the United States, there are nearly twice as many open jobs as people willing to fill them. Plus, retail and service are two of the sectors hardest hit by labor shortages. As a result, awards and personalization employers are struggling to find workers, especially for customer service and warehouse jobs.

Well, we’re about to finish yet another busy season—fighting through long hours, working weekends and meeting the customers’ demands. Now that it’s nearly over, we have money in the bank, low inventory levels and satisfied customers. In short, success!

Your acrylics sit in Central Asia. Or on a cargo ship in the Pacific. Maybe they’re tucked away in the back of a truck cruising the Plains. Either way, for many businesses, the reality is the product is simply not in stock.

New year, new opportunities. And, as always, no one knows for sure what’s going to happen. Welcome to the modern world.

Originally, we had the Greeks and their laurels, but for modern history the personalized awards business is a direct descendant of the trophy shop, which started as a section found in sporting goods stores. Bowling and golf were money-makers, but kids’ activities were a market of perpetual renewal.

Another year is here, and the temptation to just relax for a while after a hectic holiday season is real. After year two of COVID and promises of the light at the end of the tunnel, it’s hard to get up and get going full speed ahead, isn’t it? It’s easier to stay in your comfort zone and just wait out what is yet to come. The problem is, we seem to have fallen into waiting for some outside force to get us moving forward in 2022. Ain’t gonna happen! “If you rest, you rust,” famously said by late actress Helen Hayes. It’s time to turn the automatic pilot off. Stop wishing for better times, and find ways to make better times happen for your business. Start setting goals again…realistic goals, small goals, attainable goals. You can’t change the entire world, and you can’t accomplish everything. But, you can accomplish something. Here are some ideas to get you jump-started with a new, positive focus for 2022.

Each year, the Awards and Personalization Association recognizes the contributions, hard work, and creativity of our industry’s professionals by bestowing Gold Obelisk awards upon outstanding individuals and companies.

Global supply chain disruptions began in 2020, creating bottlenecks throughout the chain. There is no easy global solution, creating a lot of uncertainty around product shipping, stocking, and prices. Experts don’t see the bottlenecks resolving until, at the earliest, mid-2022.

Arlington, TX-based Engraving Concepts, which provides laser cutting, engraving, and metal marking services, is celebrating its 50th year in business. This year also marks 3 decades of the company representing the Epilog Laser brand. Along the way, Engraving Concepts has also added other made-in-America equipment: TYKMA/Electrox, Kern Laser Systems, and Direct Color Systems.

12 IN.

Height of the trophy

4.6 POUNDS

Weight of the trophy

2018
The E! People’s Choice Awards trophy undergoes a redesign. Previously a more traditionallooking art glass piece, the new design is meant to honor the E! logo—and it’s trademark exclamation point!—and offer a more abstract, sculptural take on trophies.