Budget-Friendly Alternative Metals for Employee Recognition Jewelry

Gold and white gold jewelry have long been staples among recognition awards and retirement gifts. The iconic gold ring is a symbol that has represented the pinnacle of many careers as well as personal milestones.

For many organizations today, the current value of gold means those lustrous awards are even more coveted and appreciated than ever.

But for employers that might be looking for a budget-conscious alternative, there are some new and attractive options. Terryberry creates custom-designed award rings in alternative metals such as stainless steel and Solstra. (Solstra is a new metal comprised of alloys and real gold content. It’s slightly less weighty than its 10 karat gold muse, but has a similar appearance.)

Though made from less pricey materials, these cost-effective rings are still handmade one by one. A custom designed ring can include a corporate logo, and it can even be personalized with the recipient’s name, which is cast into the design when the ring is molded. Some designs have gemstones or synthetic jewels for dazzle.

Another option, Stainless Steel, is a trendy choice for its urban industrial look and its impressive strength. Another benefit that appeals to the environmentally responsible business is the 80% recycled steel content, making it an eco-friendly award.

If you’re considering an award ring option for a special achievement, visit Terryberry's award rings page online to check out design ideas.

Business Culture and Recognition

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Jack Daly (www.JackDaly.net) and listening to him speak about the importance of culture to the overall success of a business. Jack is a well known presenter and business coach, whose passion shines through when he presents. As you can imagine not too far into the culture conversation Jack digs into recognition and the impact that has had on the people and businesses he's built over his career.

Jack talked about a number of different aspects of recognition, two of those I want to share with you.
* Handwritten Notes - Jack preached the value of the handwritten note as loud as anyone I've heard. He then backed it up with how he used this form of communication to connect with people. You see when Jack was building his businesses, he had the personal objective of handwriting 100 notes every month and he had his Administrative Assistant monitor it and give him updates throughout the month to help him meet his objectives. He also made it a priority. If he was traveling which he does frequently, he'd wait to crack into his laptop until the handwritten notes for the day were done because he knew if he started with laptop, he'd never leave the laptop.
* First Day Celebrations - I've never seen a guy more adamantly opposed to parties for people leaving the organization then Jack and his rationale is sound. His feelings are that the time to celebrate people starts day one of their employment and you should keep that momentum going throughout time with your organization. That first day celebration sets the tone for a productive relationship.

Jack is an engaging and passionate speaker whose presentations have "real meat on the bone." When I got back to the office from his presentation I put him together a Terryberry care package with our Recognize Me Performance Pack and some information on our New Hire Recognition Survey (www.terryberry.com/tools ). Now I've got to see if I can match his 100 handwritten notes per month.

Wish me luck!

One-of-a-kind Award for ArtPrize Winner

In addition to $250,000 in prize money, the top winner of the ArtPrize competition will also receive a special medallion created by the Terryberry Company (terryberry.com), a 91-year-old Grand Rapids-based international provider of custom recognition products.

The medallion, made from sterling silver, is 2.5 inches wide x 2.25 inches high and .5 inches deep; it weighs approximately eight ounces. A hand-finishing process generated the matte background that is accented with polished lettering and the ArtPrize logo. The entire piece was then covered with a layer of 24K gold to create the stunning finished piece (note; photos attached).
"Once again, ArtPrize is able to connect with the established international design talent based in this part of Michigan," said Rick DeVos, founder of ArtPrize. Only one medallion will be presented to the first place winner at the ArtPrize celebration.
"It's an honor to showcase our work and to be a part of this new generation of creativity in Grand Rapids," said Terryberry Managing Partner Mike Byam. "We join the hundreds of venues and corporate sponsors in our salute to the ingenuity and concept idea called ArtPrize, and we look forward to supporting the event for years to come," Byam said.
ArtPrize founder Rick DeVos will present the awards to the Top Ten ArtPrize finalists at an open-to-the public event beginning at 7p.m. Thursday Oct. 8 in the Steelcase Ballroom of DeVos Place. The event is free.