Editor’s Note: PPAI’s annual Pyramid Awards, sponsored by Pacesetter Awards Co., honor creative excellence in the promotional products industry and the outstanding promotions, creative campaigns and exceptional craftsmanship of Association members. The 2023 Pyramid Awards are now accepting submissions. 

PPB Newslink is sharing the stories of several 2022 Pyramid Award winners to highlight their accomplishments and to learn more about what it means to secure a PPAI Pyramid win. This issue spotlights the 2022 Gold Pyramid Award won in the Supplier Decorating: Print On Hard Surfaces category by supplier Indiana Metal Craft (PPAI 112175, S5). Submissions for the 2023 Pyramid Awards are open through May 14. 

The 2022 Pyramid Awards weren’t Bloomington-headquartered Indiana Metal Craft’s first entry in the competition. The company’s “Kennebunkport Resort Collection ornament” submission was the latest of many for the supplier. 

“We have participated in the competition for many years and find that by participating, it helps us maintain a focus on quality and impressive craftsmanship that results in a commemorative, award or gift that will be impressive to each and every recipient,” says Jarod Johnson, Indiana Metal Craft’s vice president, sales and marketing. 

The Kennebunkport Resort Collection owns and manages nine boutique hotels and six restaurants in Kennebunkport and Kennebunk, Maine. Many guests, including families, return year after year to enjoy the hospitality at its marquee Kennebunkport Inn. To recognize the many relationships that the Inn has established with its guests, Indiana Metal Craft, working with its distributor partner, received an order to develop and produce a commemorative holiday ornament. 

Working from a photograph provided by the inn, the company cast a pewter ornament celebrating the inn and the holidays. After casting, the ornament went through oxidizing and hand buffing to accentuate all of the fine detail, and then through a final process was to digitally print the photograph that included the inn and its signature antique car—decorated with a wreath and Christmas tree—onto the three-dimensional pewter medal surface. 

Johnson explained how this project was chosen for submission to the competition. He says, “We generally keep an eye out for potential entries throughout the year and when it comes time for consideration, we do a poll of internal staff for suggestions and thoughts. The final decisions for specific entries are made by our executive staff.” 

A Pyramid Award win emphasizes and reinforces recipients’ creativity and professionalism.Showcasing the award win in their marketing and sales efforts is the natural and common choice. Johnson says, “We use our Pyramid Awards as examples to our distributor customers of the quality that our artisans are capable of producing so that they can be confident when selecting Indiana Metal Craft to handle projects for their customers.  We also use the Pyramid Awards to recognize the work internally so that our artisans and craftsmen will realize that what they do matters and that the quality that they put into the work is recognized by our trade association.” 

The 2023 Pyramid Award competition is accepting entries through May 14. For more information and to enter the competition, go to www.ppai.org/pyramid. If you need assistance or have additional questions email awards@ppai.org.