When NASCAR Truck Series driver Dennis Setzer won the Ohio 250 in May, the trophy next to him represented not only his win but also a milestone for Trophy Awards Manufacturing Inc., the company that designed and built the award.
The race was delayed by rain for several hours, and victory-lane celebrations weren't broadcast, but "it was still an exciting project for our staff to develop an award seen in the national spotlight," said Thomas Busch, the firm's president.
The company also got some great feedback from its client.
"I have worked in the motor sports field for the past 12 years, and this is the best trophy I have ever seen," said Bill Conn, general manager of operations for Mansfield Motorsports Park, which hosted the Ohio 250 on May 26.
The company wasn't getting such good reviews when Busch's parents - Bob and Nancy Busch- bought the firm in 1984.
"The company had a bad reputation with its customers and its vendors," said Busch. "Mom and Dad changed that quickly by running a company that....provides an exceptional value."
At that time, the company had just one other employee and annual sales under $100,000. In 2000, Busch, his sister Jennifer and her husband, Jason Bumgartner, bought the controlling interest in the company. Now with 25 employees, their projected 2007 revenue is $3 million.
"My in-laws established a good reputation for 15 years, and then young blood took over," said Bumgartner, whose background is in computer design. "I was able to bring some product innovation and new ways of doing things."
At the same time, the firm brought in Randy Corbitt to head up sales.
"He was a major impact on marketing and sales and getting the word out there, " says Bumgartner.
Like the bulk of their business - local schools and youth leagues - the firm's high-profile business comes from word-of-mouth marketing.
Trophy Awards manufactured some awards for the Bengals that led to other NFL work.
"When Emmitt Smith broke the all-time rushing record, someone who then worked for the Cowboys remembered what we did for the Bengals" said Busch. "They called the Bengals and asked them who they used. Before long, Trophy Awards was creating plaques for the Dallas Cowboys coaches, linemen and Emmitt Smith."
Mansfield Motorsports, however, discovered them on the Internet.
"I told them I had no clue what I wanted, and as we talked we came up with a sketch and faxed it to him, and his team ran with the ideas," said Conn.
"We had to use material that could be custom-fabricated in a short amount of time," said Busch. "So the base, riser and Ohio shape are solid North American walnut. They were cut, stained, and assembled in about three days. Then we had the Mansfield logo (routed and cut) out of colored acrylics and stacked to give a 3-D effect. The bottom place is a laser-engraved plate that we curved and attached to the base."
Conn said the company's speed and design paid off.
"When NASCAR officials arrived, we showed them the trophies, and they wanted to show everyone at the drivers' meeting what they were competing for," the track official said. "This has never been done before at a NASCAR race."
