We are so excited to finally be sharing this post with you all! For the past 3 months, we have been working hard to transfer this established, beloved business from the Kaufman family over to the Booth and VanHyning families.

“Over 35 years ago, Tom ordered hats and they didn’t make timely delivery, he asked ‘Can I buy this business and make my own hats?’ The rest is history. We did screen printing and trophies for a few years and then stopped the screen printing and concentrated on trophies. From a manual engraver, to a computerized engraver, to a laser. We have been honored to serve our community with quality trophies and awards.” - Dora Kaufman

When Michelle and Katelyn were coaching Volleyball together, they would buy their trophies from Dora every year. Often admiring Dora’s customer service and quick turnaround time. John has said for years what a fun business that would be to have out of your home, and they would love to look into buying it if she retired someday.

Fast forward to 2024, the Kaufmans announced they were retiring and looking for someone to take over the business. When the VanHynings heard, John called right away to inquire. John and Michelle were interested, but weren’t sure they could do it alone. They mentioned their potential new business venture and Tyler said “let’s partner with them”. The rest was orchestrated by God.

Starting up our new space and transferring everything over has been a labor of love, but we are so excited! Dora and Tom have done a wonderful job creating a physical presence in our community, and we hope to create an online presence now, in addition to carrying on their legacy and growing it! We have been honored to work alongside of them, and are looking forward to the future of First Place Awards!

Contact us for all of your custom awards, trophies, and other engravable items.