RECOGNITION TROPHIES, PLAQUES, GIFTS BIG BUSINESS

`When the Show Me Center spotlight zeroes in on the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce's "Industry of the Year" award each October, the trophy is an impressive sight -- a giant brass Eagle mounted on a handsome walnut base.

That sight will be repeated Oct. 6 when the chamber hosts its annual Industrial Appreciation Dinner.

Just as impressive is the chamber's annual "Small Business" award, which is presented during the organization's annual meeting in January. The small business recognition award is comprised of etched glass, again mounted on a walnut base.

These trophies, which reflect the ultimate in recognition awards, are made in Cape Girardeau.

Don Strohmeyer, founder and president of Cape Art Engraving, 733 Broadway, produces the two trophies for the chamber. Strohmeyer's company also produces thousands of other trophies, of all shapes and sizes, for ballerinas to baseball players, golfers to go-kart or auto racers.

Strohmeyer, who has been involved in engraving for more than 30 years, opened Cape Art Engraving when the American Greetings Card Co. closed its art company here and moved to Arkansas in 1985. He worked with the greeting card company almost 20 years.

The majority of Strohmeyer's business involves the engraving of dies, many of them for greeting cards. But, much of his business also involves the engraving and making of trophies, plaques, nameplates and small signs, and engraving designs and commemorative messages on glass, metal and other materials.

At one time, engraving was a special art performed by skilled handicraftsmen with knives and chisels. Computers with special hardware and software packages have helped speed up the engraving processes.

"We do most of our engraving by computer," said Dan Strohmeyer, who has been in the business five years.

Dan, Don's son, does much of the computer engraving, a facet of the business that has increased in recent years.

Jerry Goin agrees.

"Engraving and awards go together in the awards and recognition industry," said Goin of Executive Engraving, 909 Broadway in Cape Girardeau, which also produces thousands of trophies and plaques each year.

Goin explained that most engravings in the award recognition industry are computerized.

"It's hard to imagine how things were done before the computerized engraver," Goin observed. "Like 500 to 600 engravings for boys' and/or girls' league trophies."

Using special computer hardware and software, projects that formerly took a week, are done in a day.

Recognition awards, plaques and gifts are big business.

"Awards run the gamut, from a small trophy to screen-printed plaques to custom imprinting on a wide variety of glassware," Goin said.

Goin's specialty is the screen printing of plaques. He recently produced a 10-color awards plaque.

"We've noticed a trend, from large trophies to the smaller plaques," said James Green of Howard's Sporting Goods, 900 Broadway. Howard's has been providing the area with trophies and plaques for more than 50 years.

In addition to Cape Art Engraving, Executive Engraving and Howard's, there are a number of people in Cape Girardeau who provide trophy and recognition awards and engraving.

"And, everybody in the industry is busy," Goin said.

Many of these craftsmen attend various trade shows, which are important elements in the industry to provide exhibits of the latest products, including computerized engraving equipment.

Most trophy companies create their own trophies after purchasing various components and parts.

"A 4-foot trophy is a good-sized one," Goin said. "You can use components for the large trophy and insert smaller trophies and come up with something different each time."

Goin remembers the largest trophy he produced -- a 7-foot baseball trophy for a multistate, regional tournament in the area.

"We used one 4-foot component, and a 3-foot component," he said. "That permitted the winning team, which was from a western state, to take it apart for travel."

Most trophy companies purchase columns for trophies in 4-foot lengths, cutting them into custom lengths from there. Trophies are available in price ranges from $5 to thousands of dollars.

No one really knows when the first trophy or plaque was presented. But, since the beginning of history, monarchs and heads of state have rewarded individuals for bravery and merit.

The ancient Greeks reward military and athletic heroes with wreaths made of laurel leaves. The tradition of the laurel wreath has had a lasting influence. Today, many medals have an image of a laurel wreath surrounding an inscription.

The Ancient Romans expanded their awards for athletes and military heroes, crowning them with gold laurel wreaths. Gold collars, chains, medallions and arm rings were also awarded.

By the mid-1800s, almost every country in Europe had at least one national medal or award.