In Celebration of 20 Years

For the past 20 years, we have grown.  Starting locally in Issaquah, Washington, and then expanding our reach nationally, we are proud to have been a part of celebrating accomplishments.

Today, I would like to turn the spotlight back on us, and more importantly the people who have helped the business thrive.  Part of me wants to focus on how we have grown and prospered, but for me that is not the only true mark of success.  The friendships that have been made are what make our business special.  Here are a few of those:

Bonnie and Mickey Kosko (my mother and step-father) founded the company.  Their constant support and praise have been a foundation for me and their willingness to help in times of need are much appreciated by all of our staff.

Rick and Pat French bought the company from Bonnie and Mickey and moved it to a larger location.  Rick’s mentorship has proven crucial in staying the course.

Pat Jones was an employee for 13 years.  Her dedication, devotion and caring for customers was unsurpassed.

Rod Alex was an employee for many years as well.  His technical knowledge of engraving was paramount to getting quality awards products created.

Sean Doull, Eric Goldhammer and many others were instrumental in creating a fun work environment and in doing the heaving lifting of assembly.

Jodi Conlon was instrumental in creating Trophies2go.  Her hard work, devotion and willingness to do whatever it took are the foundation for the success of our company.

Jenny Hansen helped with many aspects of Issaquah Trophy and Trophies2go; including the economics of the business and ensuring the highest level of quality control.

Jessica Anderson (my wife) has been through it all.  Not a lot of people could handle my entrepreneurial drive, but she has been very supportive and loving throughout.

Many others who are no longer here also helped and their efforts are appreciated and their legacy will not be forgotten as well.

Today, our staff consists of many.  Margene is the general manager.  Jeremy and Paul are engravers.  Gayle is in shipping.  Erin, Janice and Anne are in customer service.  Travis, Ryan, Justin take care of assembly.  Mike, Jessica and Mickey take care of other various aspects of the business.

Each one of these people is very important to the company and to me personally.  In celebrating our 20 Year Anniversary, their friendship and commitment is what I cherish most.  I very much look forward to many more years of laughter and companionship.

Introduction - Personal

What drives me, makes me fulfilled, brings me joy, shows me love?  My family.  I have been married for 12 years to Jessica.  We have 2 very cute girls, Brenna (7) and AJ (3.5).  I also have a female cat and dog (kona).  Due to the estrogen in the house, I should be taking steroids.  We live in Issaquah (very close to my work). 

I like to golf, gamble, cook (and eat), vacation, and hang out with family and friends.  What I don’t like?  Right now it is yard work and working out. 

I have 2 sets of parents (how did that happen?), Bonnie and Mickey Kosko (of Issaquah), and John and Glenda Anderson (of Packwood).  My sister (Jodi) and brother-in-law (Kelly) live in Lakewood with their kids; Quinn, Bentli, Perri, and Rachel.  My sister-in-law (Jenny) is marrying Justin soon and they will live in Seattle.  I have some great friends in the area, too, but I refuse to do any more parentheses so I am not going to name them.You get the picture, though.  My life is fulfilled with family and friends that make me laugh.  I create memories with them and cherish them immensely.

Introduction - Business

Well, I have finally done it.  I have now ventured into the land of blogging in order to download some of my business knowledge to the world.  I am a 36 year old guy (my name is Jeff Anderson) who has a decent amount of awards industry knowledge.  Well, cut the garbage, that is all I know…trophies, plaques, awards, etc.  I bought a business called Issaquah Trophy & Awards in 1993.  I was right out of college and it was a great fit.  I grew the company’s sales until 2000 when the internet was at the peak.  I started trophies2go.com in 2000.  We have grown trophies2go.com for the past 7 years and have had a great time doing so.  We have a staff of 10 or so FTE employees that are very knowledgeable and fun to work with.  We now have 9 websites (2 full-line sites, and 7 niche sites).  I am starting this blog to share some of my industry knowledge, thoughts, and feelings.  I hope to accomplish that along with helping others with their questions or needs.

Thanks for reading and let me know if you have any comments or questions!  Jeff