UMAPP 2024 Super Star Award presented to Crystal D account manager

    Crystal D Account Manager Tawauna Garner has been named a 2024 recipient of UMAPP’s Super Star Award.

    “I have never met a more positive person who will go above and beyond for her customers and coworkers,” said Cathy Klein, controller for Crystal D. “Tawauna is always upbeat and has a can-do attitude. She will keep working until she finds a positive solution for any issue.”

    In nominating Garner for the award, Klein said Garner’s customers and fellow Memory Makers adore her. Klein also noted the excitement Garner brings to her job every day.

    The Super Star Awards from the UMAPP trade association recognize industry professionals who have been nominated for going above and beyond expectations. UMAPP committee members review all submissions and select just three winners annually.

    Garner was presented with her award by UMAPP President Chris Babiash (pictured below) at a luncheon during this month’s UMAPP Road Show.

    “I am very honored to be recognized for my serving heart and can-do attitude,” Garner said. “It means so much to me to be nominated, and especially from Cathy, as she is such an amazing person and great role model.”

    Garner joined Crystal D in 2016 as an order entry specialist and transitioned to order manager three years later. In April 2022, she took on the role of account manager.

    “My favorite part of the job is being able to make a client’s vision come to life! I love the creative aspect,” Garner said. “And my favorite part of my day is when I have made someone else’s.”

    Crystal D Account Manager Tawauna Garner and UMAPP President Chris Babiash at the April 4 award presentation.

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    Guarantee a grand slam with 3D subsurface awards

    Whether an athlete has earned the title of MVP or is winding down their sports career, a crystal award with their likeness “floating” inside is a special way to honor them. But do you know how easy it is to get these timeless pieces for your customers?

     

    Each 3D subsurface award starts with a photograph. Then, graphic artists who specialize in 3D modeling create reliefs that make the pictures spring to life with impeccable detail — from facial features to uniform fabric. From there, the images are laser-etched within optically clear crystal, which can be further personalized by adding deep-etched or color-filled text, mascots and logos.

     

    Crystal D can even produce these awards in-house, enabling them to ship out the finished products just 6-8 business days after art approval. Score!

     

    Sports organizations often default to traditional trophies, yet when they see what can be done with crystal, they become fans of this surprisingly affordable option. Parents, meanwhile, appreciate the opportunity to purchase heirloom-quality keepsakes for their superstars.

     

    Local athletic clubs and photographers can expand their offerings and stand out by incorporating 3D subsurface pieces for tournaments champions, coach gifts, player mementos (think about those graduating seniors!) and more!

     

    Browse our full selection and get some fun ideas of what’s possible — at a wide range of price points — by visiting Crystal-D.com and clicking 3D Subsurface on the black menu bar Remember, our Customer Solutions Specialists are here to assist with product selection, customization ideas, questions and quotes.  

     

     

     

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    Employee-designed award among first Legacy Gallery orders

    Building a legacy. It’s not just about handing things down to the next generation. It’s about setting things in motion that will live on into the future. It’s fitting that one of the first pieces ordered from the Crystal D Legacy Gallery was designed with movement in mind.

    The gallery is a collection of 10 exclusive new awards honoring the company’s late founder, Chuck Dahlgren, by giving back to charity.

    “I wanted to create something that other people would enjoy, love and want to give,” said Natasha Richter, a marketing coordinator and one of the company’s creative minds behind product development.

    Natasha is naturally wired for this kind of work, always putting her flair on images and design materials. When it came to developing the Pioneer Tower, she knew she wanted it to be innovative, like Chuck was. She challenged herself to use her talent and curiosity to figure out how to convey movement in a static object.

    Building blocks
    The process began with Natasha sketching various shapes, considering how light and color can be manipulated with angles, bevels, curves and mirroring. Then, she quite literally put her “twist” on it, creating the Pioneer Tower — a multifaceted piece that refracts light at every turn and — without mirroring or backlighting — illuminates the brilliant translucent blue hue up through the optically clear crystal to the dramatically beveled tip.

    The piece is available in three different sizes, each unique but related. Awards are often displayed beside one another as the recipient reaches new milestones. So, with that in mind, the Pioneer Tower was designed in a way that when awards are placed next to each other, their distinctive banding forms a line that points upward in the direction of achievement.

    The Pioneer Tower’s unique details, which Natasha says feel aspiring and inspiring, 

    Click to watch the Pioneer Tower collection in action!

    also reflect the character of Chuck, who was a pioneer not just for the company but for the awards industry. The piece represents what it takes to be a visionary, take bold steps forward, forge new paths and make connections.

    “To create something that honors Chuck was a privilege. He was a pioneer in his life, starting out as a turkey farmer, then giving up everything to follow his dream of becoming an entrepreneur,” Natasha said.

    “He built a multi-million-dollar company from nothing that is now the leader in innovation and quality in the crystal awards category. He is inspirational to me personally, and an example of exceptional achievement — both qualities I aimed to capture in the Pioneer Tower.”

    Natasha says she feels lucky to be part of the development of the Legacy Gallery as well as Crystal D Cares, the company’s giveback program.  

    Giving back with every purchase
    The pieces in the Legacy Gallery, echo Chuck’s deep belief in the power of generosity and profound desire to share what we have with others. With each purchase from the collection, Crystal D donates 20 percent of the product sale total to organizations with focus areas such as children, seniors, veterans, communities, animals, the environment, and health and research causes. Read more about the organizations chosen for 2024.

     

     

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    Case study: Cool beans, cool awards

    No celebration is complete without a sweet treat! So, when a major candy company wanted to recognize employees with special awards, we helped unwrap some fun ideas.

    The winning design was both eye catching and mouthwatering: Optically clear crystal that showcases the company’s signature product — a rainbow of colorful jellybeans in an array of fun flavors.

    One of the pieces from Crystal D’s Encapsulate™ Gallery the award features a hollow cylinder that can be filled with just about anything that will fit (except for liquids).

    We’ve seen other customers select this piece to fit a wide variety of unique themes: recognizing safety with earplugs, celebrating groundbreakings with rocks, applauding agriculture with corn, and many more. You can even add a lighted base to make it really pop!

    Don’t worry: If at any time the winners from the candy company start feeling snacky, they can flip over their crystal Encapsulate award, open the plug and sneak a few nibbles!

    A menu of options
    Items from the Encapsulate gallery can be personalized and customized with even more fun features, including:

    • Deep Etch
    • 3D Subsurface
    • Illumachrome™
    • Colorfill

    To learn more about Encapsulate awards or get other creative ideas to share with your customers, contact us!

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    Don’t sweat last-minute orders: Check out our Quick Ship Awards!

    The next time you have a panicked customer needing awards on short notice, tell them to take a deep breath and relax — because you have access to Crystal D’s Quick Ship Awards. These pieces are guaranteed to ship out to customers in just 1-2 days after art approval!  

     

    We have more than 120 elegant awards in our Quick Ship category, and they come with an endless array of options for personalizing and designing, with pricing to fit any budget. Hear from Memory Maker Mario, one of our artisans, about which one is his personal favorite!

     

     

    Browse our full selection by visiting Crystal-D.com and clicking “Quick Ship” at the top left. Remember, our Customer Solutions Specialists are here to assist with product selection, customization ideas, questions and quotes.   

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    Press the “easy” button with free sales tools ready for you to customize

    Your business moves FAST. Crystal D is here to support that velocity — and help you generate more leads. Our pro-designed materials help your business shine with ready-to-customize catalogs and flyers, as well as videos you can share. They’re easy to use, simple to brand, and available to you at no cost!

    Here are three ways to use the Sales Tools page on our website to promote the awards and gifts you offer. Take them for a test drive today!

    Hint: Get a jump start by signing up for free accounts at PromoCorner and Canva so you’re ready to brand and go!

     

    Digital catalogs: We have lots of themes to choose among, and all are ready for you to brand with your logo and share.Simply select a catalog to view it, then click the “Brand It” button or “Brand & Share” under Create Your Own. You’ll be taken to the PromoCorner site where you can add your logo and contact information wherever you want, just by clicking “Personalize.” Through PromoCorner, you can also share your branded catalog directly to your social media accounts or do a screen grab of any part of a catalog to feature specific components anywhere and anytime you want.

     

    Crystal D flyers: On the Sales Tools page, we’ve also made it easy to put your branding onto our flyers. You’ll find dozens of options covering a broad range of awards and gifts ideas — from those recognizing things like years of service and sales goals, to industry-specific ideas for culinary, finance, construction and education applications, to flyers that showcase the range of imprint, etching and color treatment options available. When you find a flyer you want to customize, you can either click “View here” to share as-is with your customers, or click “Brand it” to personalize with Canva. Share your finished project easily via social media, email or direct link.

     

    Videos: Visit our unbranded YouTube page, Crystal Employee Awards, to check out and share videos featuring different award design ideas and customization options — and even learn how we do things like 3D subsurface etching!

    Here’s one more freebie for ya: Check out our New Ideas & Inspiration page for some of the latest fun, fresh and fascinating awards and gifts awaiting lucky recipients.

     

     

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    Crystal D selects nonprofit organizations for giveback program

    Crystal D, the leading supplier of corporate awards and gifts, has unveiled the four nonprofit organizations selected to receive donations as part of the company’s giveback program, Crystal D Cares.

     

    “We created Crystal D Cares to honor the legacy of our late founder, Chuck Dahlgren, recognizing his deep belief in the power of generosity and profound desire to share what we have with others,” said Crystal D President and CEO Jeanne Dahlgren. “We are excited about the organizations we have chosen for this year, and beyond thankful for the work they do in our world.”

     

    With every purchase from the Legacy Gallery — a collection of 10 exclusive new award designs — the company donates 20 percent of the total product sale to nonprofit organizations with focus areas such as children, seniors, veterans, community organizations, animals, the environment, and health and research causes.

     

    The four nonprofits Crystal D Cares has selected are:

    • Water for South Sudan — This charity works to address two areas of concern: human life and the environment. Nearly 60 percent of the population of South Sudan does not have access to clean, safe water — a basic human necessity — which is the key to good health and safety, and also affords communities with additional educational and economic opportunities. Just $2 is enough to provide clean water to one person for an entire year.
    • International Rett Syndrome Foundation — An organization dear to Chuck’s heart — as a close family friend is experiencing Rett syndrome — the Foundation is making strides with research breakthroughs. The FDA has
      approved trials for two therapy drugs to help extend the independent life of the patient so they can live at home longer. This gives hope to the family as well as others affected by Rett syndrome.
    • Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption — Dave Thomas, founder of the Wendy’s restaurant chain, has helped bring children to adoption through the foster care system for years. His Foundation is dedicated to finding forever families for the more than 140,000 children waiting to be adopted from foster care in the United States and Canada.
    • 4 Paws for Ability — This organization has provided more than 18,000 service dogs to children, adults and veterans with disabilities and special needs. The specially trained canines can help give the gift of independence and safety in any number of ways, including high and low blood sugar detection, mobility, seizure response, tracking and more. Donations are used to help provide food, veterinary care, and other essentials as 4 Paws for Ability prepares and trains each service dog.

    We invite you to learn more about Crystal D Cares.

    About Crystal D
    Crystal D (www.crystal-d.com), a leader in awards and gifts, has been delighting recipients with the highest-quality recognition products for more than 30 years. We are known as the Home of “The WOW Effect” ® because every item is designed and hand-crafted by our artisans in St. Paul, Minnesota, and this meticulous attention to detail turns the emotion of a recognition experience into a lasting memory. Crystal D offers over 1,500 innovative and elegant awards and gifts, guarantees an industry-leading production time of just six to eight days after art approval, and has earned five-star status for our customer service. Contact us at (800) 544-1131 or email sales@crystal-d.com.

     

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    Voice of the Customer Survey: Results are in!

    Last year marked the 30th anniversary of Crystal D, and it was a milestone made possible because of the dedication of our employees and the faithfulness of our customers. There’s a lot for us to celebrate, and yet we also know that success in the future means we must be intentional about finding ways to enhance and improve our company.  

     

    That’s why last fall we worked with a third-party provider to conduct our Voice of the Customer survey, and more than 200 of our customers took the time to participate in it! Here’s what we know about them. 

    • They hailed from 29 states and have an average of 19 years in the industry.  
    • Collectively, their satisfaction with Crystal D came in at 9+ out of 10.  
    • They rated Crystal D at 90 percent or higher for timely delivery, and 90 percent or higher for service and support. 
    • 90 percent said they trust Crystal D to deliver on its commitments 
    • Their NPS score for Crystal D came in at 90. 

     

    We are grateful for the insights shared and are taking the opportunity to reflect on where we are doing well — as well as planning on how we can do even better.  

     

    What we learned 

    Our customers provided thoughtful and candid answers about working with Crystal D, which fell into five themes. In the months ahead, we’ll be digging into each of these themes closely and sharing more about them through our company blog.  
     

    • Customer service/employee excellence — Crystal D’s customer service team stood out as a deciding factor, with many mentioning specific employees by name for providing smooth and timely service, partnering with them to make complicated orders easy, and being both proactive and responsive.  
    • Simple, easy, fast (and worry-free) ordering — Customers feel guided, supported and informed through every step of the process. They appreciate always knowing the status of their order and the fact that working with Crystal D makes them look good to their clients. 
    • The Home of “The WOW Effect” ® — To Crystal D, this means the recipients of our awards and gifts are blown away by the meaning and quality behind them, that they can’t help but say, “Wow.” We learned that, to our customers, “Wow” also comes to mind when they see one of our meticulous awards in person, comprehend the craftsmanship, watch people receive awards, or work with a member of our team to bring an idea to life. 
    • Recommending to others — Customers say Crystal D is “personable yet professional,” (in the words of one respondent), and they are eager to recommend us because they know us to be trustworthy, detail-oriented, easy to work with, creative, communicative, time-sensitive and “like an extension of your company, a real partner.”   
    • Loyalty — In noting our customer service, product selection, varied price points, high-quality workmanship, and the ability to take on both small and large orders, customers return to Crystal D time after time — some as often as every single week.   

     

    What’s ahead this year 

    To continue providing world-class customer service and keeping our promise of simple pricing, easy ordering and fast production, we’ve dubbed 2024 our year of refinement. This means we are purposefully looking across our business, in all the nooks and crannies (and systems and processes, and tools and trainings…) to remove any barriers, iron out any imperfections, and strengthen any weak areas — all so we can be in the best position to continue turning emotions into memories™ for hundreds of thousands more award recipients.  

     

    Everything we do and every decision we make is shaped by how it will support our customers.  

     

    As always, if you have feedback about your experience working with Crystal D, or ideas for how we can better support you in engaging with your customers, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your territory manager or contact us. Thank you for being partners in making memories for award recipients around the world! 

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    Honoring Crystal D’s Q4 2023 WOW Champs

    Crystal D isn’t just a company that produces awards and gifts for others — we also practice recognition and appreciation with our own employees. We have a variety of programs in place to highlight our Memory Makers for the ways they contribute, carry themselves and serve our customers.  

    With this, each quarter we honor five employees who were nominated by their peers for living out our Core Values on a daily basis. Congratulations to the WOW Champs for the last quarter of 2023, as announced this week! Here’s who they are and what was shared about them.

     
    Molly C. — Accounting

    Core Value: Integrity — “I do what I say I will do.” 
    “If Molly says she will take care of it, I don’t worry about it again. I know it will be the first thing she does. When she promises our customers anything, she will make sure it happens so they can rest easy knowing she has followed through.” 

      

     

     

    Grace K. — Production  

    Core Value: Quality — “I have the unyielding persistence to improve.” 
    “Grace is always hardworking. She does not slack off and always puts the best interest of the company first. Crystal D benefits from Grace as a Memory Maker because she never gives up. And once she gets a clear method or process, she is unstoppable in her ability to give her best.” 

      

     

     

    Kayla G. — HR  

    Core Value: Commitment — “I am committed to the ongoing viability of the company.”  
    “Kayla takes sincere joy in watching new hires become Memory Makers. She works tirelessly to support the values and core purpose of our company to the best of her ability, often working outside of normal business hours and on the weekend. Kayla processes decisions and situations with the long-term good of the company at the center. She is calm, thoughtful and analytical and her insights provide value and wisdom to our company.”   

      

     

    Kip R. — IT  

    Core Value: Passion — “I have the burning desire to achieve, in all I do.” 
    “I had a 30-min meet-and-greet meeting with Kip … I ended up sitting there for over an hour. Kip was extremely knowledgeable about our website, but even more so he was a digital industry expert. I expected to spend our time chatting about websites. Instead, we spent our hour digging into display advertising, user experience studies, UX designs and geeking-out over digital e-commerce. Kip’s skillset … will enable us to better position ourselves to drive efficient traffic and sales through the website.”  

     

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    3 steps to leveling up as an awards and recognition expert

    As the year gets into full swing, many companies are looking for new ideas to strengthen their business. Finding meaningful ways to connect and motivate their teams with employee recognition is a best practice that can reap better returns.

    At Crystal D we have seen the difference formal symbolic recognition can make — when an employee receives something representing prestige and honor, or recognizing their contributions and commitment, it’s something that sticks with them for years to come. An impeccable award customized with their name is something worth holding onto forever. We call this “The WOW Effect.” ™

    Studies show something Crystal D has been practicing for decades: Investing in employee recognition programs is always worth it. Organizations are paid back in better retention, stronger engagement, improved customer satisfaction and long-lasting business results. But not every employer knows how to get the ball rolling.

    Let’s pivot!
    As a promotional products consultant, you are perfectly poised to go deeper with your clients by serving as an advisor on internal branding and employee recognition. It’s a bit of a pivot to focus on recognition programs, but you’ve already got the tools to help your customers plan out annual, semi-annual, quarterly or monthly programs where they celebrate things like:

    • metrics, milestones and goals
    • projects and initiatives
    • ideas and innovation
    • team wins
    • employee engagement, retention and appreciation
    • company values
    • years of service and retirements
    • outstanding leadership qualities
    • customer satisfaction and loyalty
    • Founder’s, President’s or Chairman’s recognition

    Becoming an awards expert
    In our eyes, there are just three steps to achieving awards-expert status.

    1) Educate — Just because your clients don’t ask about awards every day doesn’t mean they don’t want or need them. Think about your last apparel order. Who presented who with the newest trends and options in styles? Awards work the same way. Your clients look to you for fresh ideas that will help their businesses stand out and succeed. Be proactive (and enjoy a competitive edge by doing something that sets you apart as a strategic partner) by educating them on the benefits of having a symbolic formal recognition program. Awards are a niche part of the promo market, with most promo distributors not offering them. We can get you set up with the tools to add awards to your arsenal.

    Start today with building one easy habit: Talk about awards! Every organization relies on people to carry out its mission, so you want to make sure that awards and recognition tactics are always a topic of discussion — and that you’re their go-to person to help them meet their business objectives.

    2) Innovate — The ideas and options are truly endless when it comes to helping your clients select awards. Understand what their goals are, the problems they want to solve, and how they want their brand to show up. Then, work with our team to curate a selection of unique, customized, and on-brand options for your clients to consider. Yes, it will require a little time to get your feet wet in the awards space, but once you’ve completed that first order, you can replicate the process for more clients, along with future orders for established awards programs.

    You can also reap the benefit of being a referral as companies share best practices with each other and say, “I know, it’s so beautiful! We worked with [your name here] to design it.”

    3) Celebrate — Join your customers in applauding the rollout of their formal recognition programs! As they watch recipients experience “The WOW Effect”™ when being handed a top-quality, optically clear crystal award and then see that appreciation and recognition pay off in stronger results, you’ll enjoy greater margins and repeat business as a trusted partner in the process.  

    Hit the ground running
    We’d love to share with you examples of recognition programs that we’ve worked on, and we can help you develop ideas to share with your customers. Contact us today!

     

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