The Wonder Spelen donor wall in place at the playground. “Wonder Spelen” means “Miracle Play” in Dutch.

In 2019, Fred Kreykes came to a meeting of the Pella Kiwanis Club with an idea: transforming the Kiwanis Park on Main Street into an accessible, inclusive place where people of all ages and abilities could play. He was met with overwhelming support from both the Kiwanis and the City of Pella. Last October, the Wonder Spelen playground opened to the public, featuring interactive and sensory play equipment, as well as accessible bathrooms.

The project was in part funded by the proceeds from the Kiwanis poffertje stand, which the club rolls out at Tulip Time and other town events. It was also made possible by donations from several businesses and individuals, whose generosity the Wonder Spelen team wanted to honor with a recognition wall.

“In 2010, Pella Engraving & Sign Company did my company’s sign. Over 10 years later, I knew they were the only people I wanted to work with on this donor recognition wall,” said Mark Wiskus, a Kiwanis member and chair of the Wonder Spelen project.

Mark and his team collaborated with PEC on the wall’s design. It was important to all involved that the design allow new donor names to be added in the future. And, of course, the wall needed to incorporate some nods to Pella’s Dutch heritage—after all, the crown jewel of the playground is a large windmill!

“PEC does a fantastic job of listening to what their customers want and asking questions about their vision,” said Mark. “We worked together to create a great design that had everything we wanted.”

The construction of the Wonder Spelen donor wall gave PEC the opportunity to flex a wide range of skills—from vinyl work to zinc etching and custom metal fabrication:

• Frame – The donor wall’s custom outer frame was constructed and painted by PEC. The team took color swatches to the playground to make sure they used a matching yellow paint.
• Background Plates – The large background plate was made from aluminum and painted a color-matched dark blue. Then, four etched zinc plates were mounted on top of the aluminum to serve as a backdrop for the donor plates and logos. These zinc plates were painted light blue and feature raised rectangular boxes, marking the spots for each donor nameplate.
• Donor Nameplates – Donor names were etched onto zinc plates. That zinc was painted dark blue, and the names and outer borders were tipped in white. The nameplates were then installed on top of the raised boxes. Several boxes are blank, leaving room to add nameplates for new donors.
• Vinyl Lettering, Logos, and Accents – PEC cut all the lettering on the Wonder Spelen donor wall from vinyl. The Kiwanis and City of Pella seals were printed in full color on vinyl, as were the logos of major donors Precision, Inc., Vermeer Charitable Foundation, and Pella Corporation. For the border along the bottom of the wall, PEC printed and cut out brightly colored tulips, Dutch buildings, windmills, and wooden shoes.

When the parts were complete, the PEC team put everything together and installed the wall at the playground. But that is not the end of the story.

“Now we’re working with Pella Engraving on a street sign for the Wonder Spelen,” said Mark. “We’re all excited to see it!”

As the end of the year approaches, the to-do list for companies and managers gets long. It’s likely that somewhere on that list is ordering awards or plaques for top performers, dealers, and other employees who have gone above and beyond during the year.

In the hustle to cross off the most important items, it’s not surprising that whether those awards actually matter to the employees who get them is questioned. Don’t they end up collecting dust on a shelf?

Maybe…

But over and over again, studies from Gallup and other leading workplace success firms have confirmed that employee recognition is a significant contributing factor in engagement and retention, two key drivers of overall profitability. In fact, employees who do not feel adequately recognized are twice as likely to leave your company. And those who choose to leave because of lack of recognition are probably top performers, making this doubly painful—and costly!

The good news? Studies also show public acknowledgement with an award or certificate is one of the six forms of recognition employees value most. A monetary award also makes the top six, but so do things like private recognition from a boss and increased job responsibilities—proving that it does not take a big investment to get positive results from the energy you put toward honoring employees who earn it.

So while that plaque or award may gather dust at some point, it won’t happen before it serves its main purpose—creating goodwill and reinforcing a positive company culture with team members and dealers who excel throughout the year.

TIP: When you’re delivering your awards, it’s ideal to make sure the person doing the recognizing is either the employee’s direct manager, or the CEO/high-level leader. Gallup data found that recognition from these two relationships is the most memorable to the employee, more so than recognition from their manager’s manager, peers, or customers.

Popular Employee Recognition Plaques and Awards From PEC

Pella Engraving & Sign Company offers a range of materials and styles for employee and dealer recognition plaques and awards. From simple to modern to traditional, we have an experienced team of designers who can help you create an award that will stand out in your employees’ minds and be valued throughout their careers.

Whether you need a year-end award, an employee-of-the-month plaque, or something to honor a career milestone, PEC is ready to meet your employee recognition award needs!

TIP: If you need awards in the next few months, contact PEC soon for the best selection. Our options and turnaround times vary based on our suppliers, the complexity of your design, and the size of your order.

Sandcarved awards are a popular choice available in many shapes and sizes. We offer three materials. Graphics on sandcarved awards are crisp and have a frosted look.

With our laser engraving capabilities, PEC creates awards that are unique to the organization or company that orders them. You can customize awards like this clock with your logo and the employee’s name, plus a photo placed to the left.

Honoring deserving employees with a plaque for public display is a great choice for many groups. The plaque can include photos and a description of achievements. A classic, etched magnesium plaque with a Metalphoto portrait is quite affordable and can be quickly turned around.

The donor wall at the Cambridge SportsPlex honors all those who contributed time and money to the project.

It took 140 donors to make it happen, but thanks to their dedication, the town of Fairfield, Iowa, has a new gym and pool facility that is improving its citizens’ quality of life and attracting new people to the community.

Originally built 45 years ago, Fairfield’s recreational facilities were due for an upgrade. In 2011, planning began for the multi-million-dollar Cambridge SportsPlex, and it opened in 2016. The 36,000 square-foot-space includes an indoor three-lane track, three full-size basketball courts, fitness area, exercise floor, storage, batting cages, restrooms, and showers.

After the grand opening, the SportsPlex task force committee wanted to recognize the generous donors who contributed to the project. A member of the task force, Kent Whitney, had previously worked with the PEC team and was pleased with the end result of the project. On behalf of the committee, he approached Pella Engraving Company about creating a donor recognition wall.

“I stopped in one day and showed them our ideas. They immediately took to it and got excited about the project. I knew right then we had the company we needed with the capability and passion to create our donor wall,” said Kent.

Kent already had a design in mind, and PEC was able to bring the idea to life using a three-part approach:

• Wave-inspired, curving background plates were cut on PEC’s state-of-the-art plasma cutter from 1/8″ aluminum. After color-matching the client’s artwork, these plates were painted in three shades of blue.
• 1/8″ zinc plates with a pebbled texture were cut on a band saw and painted light gray to showcase the donor list. Donor names were etched into the zinc and tipped in black.
• PEC turned to Sadler Sign and Design of Pella for the smallest lettering on the sign. The scale of the letters was too small to be handled by a plasma cutter or CNC machine. Vinyl was the perfect solution. The PEC team pre-coated the vinyl with the task force committee’s chosen shade of gray, and the individual letters were cut by Sadler Sign and Design. This lettering technique was repeated for the sign’s headline to create a cohesive and eye-catching final design.

The donor wall was installed in the Cambridge SportsPlex lobby. It perfectly fills space on a bare wall and improves traffic flow through the building. The task force committee was very pleased with the final project.

“Pella Engraving Company made what could have been a very challenging project enjoyable and stress-free,” said Kent. “The team’s professionalism and friendly and flexible demeanor made us feel like our project was the most important one on their plate.”

Pella Engraving Company is excited to introduce new zinc etcher Jason Jones.

Jason is new to the world of zinc etching. Early in his career, his passion for cooking led him to pursue a degree in culinary arts. He spent time in the restaurant business and worked for Hy-Vee for 12 years. When Jason saw there was an opening at Pella Engraving Company, he was intrigued by the challenge of learning a new skill and decided to apply.

After accepting the job, Jason trained with Co-Owner Cory Vande Kieft for a week. He now works solo, primarily focusing on operating the zinc etcher and working on plates for wresting belts. Jason also helps out with other projects around the workshop when an extra pair of hands is needed.

“What I like best so far is that there’s something new to do every day. I’m always learning,” said Jason. “I am really enjoying the job and the people I get to work with.”

Away from work, Jason enjoys cooking, gardening, going to movies, and spending time outdoors.

But which color option is the best fit for your plaque? To help you decide, PEC has put together this quick guide to our color options for zinc and magnesium plaques.

Add color accents with paint

Hand-painted color is ideal for customers who envision a classic, traditional-looking plaque. Customers who go this route can choose from PEC’s lineup of standard colors, which varies depending on the color of the plaque material (i.e., silver, copper, or gold). Hundreds of PMS PANTONE^® colors are also available at an additional charge for customers who like the look of a painted plaque but want a more specific color.

Hand-painted color is ideal for traditional-looking plaques.

Hand-painting keeps the full integrity of the plaque material intact. Once a color is chosen, the PEC team paints the recessed areas of the plaque with that color. More than one color can be used, though a raised area must separate each color.

Along with the recessed areas, Pella Engraving can further enhance the timeless look of the plaque by tipping the raised areas with color. Standard tipping colors, which include iridescent colors, are available. Gold, copper, and silver protective coatings for raised areas of the plaque are also an option.

Reproduce vibrant colors and images with UV flatbed printing

While adding color with paint may be ideal for traditional plaques, PEC’s UV flatbed color option is perfect for customers interested in a vibrant, contemporary plaque.

With UV flatbed printing, customers can add both color and detailed images to their plaques using Pella Engraving’s specialized printer. The UV printer is the fastest and most cost-effective plaque color option, with the added bonus of no extra charges for custom colors or limitations color choices. It is also an outstanding option for logos, photographs, government seals, and more because it can reproduce images with areas of multiple colors.

The secret is the UV printer itself, which prints directly on materials like a sheet of aluminum and uses specialized ultra-violet lights to instantly dry ink. These aluminum sheets can then be cut into almost any shape and adhered to a plaque backing.

Flatbed UV color printing is a good option for plaques with logos, photographs, and government seals.

Choosing the right option for incorporating color on your plaque can make it truly shine. To learn more about PEC’s plaque color options, visit the plaque personalization and UV flatbed printing pages on our website, or contact a member of our team today.

PEC etched this data tag for a recreated Model 1917 (M1917) Renault tank.

PEC helps recreate famous WWI-era tank

Pella Engraving recently had the privilege of contributing to the reconstruction of an important part of U.S. history—a Model 1917 (M1917) Renault tank. It was the United States’ first mass-produced tank, going into production right before the end of WWI. When peace arrived shortly thereafter, only 950 M1917s had made it off the production line. Today, few are still in existence.

The Indiana Military Museum’s collection of artifacts has long been missing an M1917. Because purchasing a real M1917 was impossible due to their rarity, the museum decided to construct a fully accurate reproduction. The project was dedicated to General George Patton, the famous military hero responsible for setting up the Tank Corps of the American Expeditionary Force in 1917.

For the construction, the museum turned to Hoosier Restoration and Movie Props, a company that recreates historical equipment for museums—“bringing back what history has lost,” as they put it. PEC helped out by creating the tank’s data tag out of zinc from specifications sent by Hoosier. Hoosier distressed and antiqued the tag so it would look its original age.

Randall Becht, who started Hoosier Restoration three years ago with his partners Brian Bartholome and Grant Becht, described the experience:

“When the Indiana Military Museum contracted us to do the world’s first 1:1 newly minted, fully functional M1917 tank, we were told how big of an honor this would be—a project dedicated to America’s most famous general and the world’s first recreated M1917. The reverse engineering required on this project was daunting. But after a couple of meetings with the museum, we decided to do it. The museum got us a one-time viewing of seven hours with one of the remaining M1917 tanks. Then they gave us detailed pictures of the inside and main armament. We have painstakingly reproduced everything from the functioning salute-firing main gun to the smallest details, like making 600 rivets.

“The data tag was one of the hardest things to find, and after talking to six different vendors only Pella Engraving Company was up to the task. The data tag is on the outside rear of the tank, exposed for everyone to see. It had to be right. After viewing the craftsmanship of the copy of the original tag design created by Pella Engraving, we were very satisfied.

“This tank will be dedicated to General George Patton, and it flies his tank insignia. George Patton Waters will be on hand to dedicate this tank to his famous grandfather. To complete a tank and every part, just as it was in 1917, is an immense project. We have sponsors involved like Walbash Steel, Pella Engraving, Winchester, Industrial Filter Manufacturers, and Ohio Valley Ordnance, and the sponsorship list is growing. Hayes Otoupalik, a historian who also currently has a real M917, has been helping with original photographs. AMSCO, the original track manufacturer in 1918, is on board to reverse engineer the cast track pads.

“This tank will be on display and brought out for special occasions by the Indiana Military Museum. Judge Jim Osborne, the museum’s CEO, has been collecting military equipment since he was a young boy. He has dreamed of having one of these tanks. But the rarity of the WWI tanks makes finding and purchasing one completely impossible. Hoosier Restoration allows museums to recreate equipment from the past, and bring it to the public professionally and with reverence to past generations. Our company and its partners can recreate anything—whatever the mind can imagine. We are dedicated to making the museum experience the most realistic and best learning experience possible.”

Etched rosettes are one possibility. These engraved floral shapes can disguise the screws while adding a vintage decorative flourish. A pleasing addition, particularly on minimalist plaques with not much other artwork or text, rosettes are also economical—Pella Engraving will etch rosettes around screw holes for no additional charge. The holes and screws themselves are only $5 more per plaque.

When a customer chooses to add rosettes to a plaque, Pella Engraving puts the rosettes on the artwork design that is submitted to the etching machine (see right). The rosettes are etched onto the plaque in the same way and at the same time as the other artwork and border, so they are the same height and match the appearance of the rest of the plaque.

Rosettes are available on zinc, magnesium, and Metalphoto plaques. The size of the rosette is determined based on the size of the plaque.

Installation tip: Rosettes and holes for screws are the kind of detail the Pella Engraving takes pride in offering to our customers. On most plaques, Pella Engraving strongly recommends customers allow us to drill the holes for them. Because we drill the holes right after the plaque is etched, before any of the other finishing work is done, we avoid drilling through the primer, texture, clear coat, or paint. Customers who choose to drill their own holes risk chipping or flaking off the finish. In addition, drilling after the finish is applied opens the plaque up to moisture around the screw holes, which leads to increased wear around the holes and voids our three-year warranty.

The new etchers will upgrade PEC’s zinc and magnesium etching capabilities.

“A huge thank you to Reinhard and Bernd from Stoma,” said Owner Jeff Vroom. “We also want to thank all our contractors that made this possible: Lanser Plumbing, Gritters Electric, Cornie Vanden Broek Concrete, and Ed Sprague.”

Bernd joins Owner Jeff Vroom to welcome the new etchers to American soil

One of PEC’s old etchers is hauled away

If you’re creating a memorial plaque destined for exterior display, Pella Engraving Company offers stake options to meet your presentation needs.

Life is full of people, places, and events that deserve to be remembered. One way to preserve those memories is with a long-lasting, personalized memorial plaque. With a memorial plaque, you can honor a company founder, commemorate a historical event, or pay tribute to a friend or family member.

Pella Engraving offers several types of memorial plaques—the right one for you will depend on your specifications. The type of material Pella Engraving will use for your plaque will depend on the environment in which it will be installed, whether you’ll want to include a picture or artwork, and the overall feel you want for the final product. Give us a call at 877-549-5447 and we’ll help you decide what material is right for you:

• Magnesium – An economical option perfect for detailed artwork, but exclusively for indoor use.
• Zinc – Great for detailed artwork and indoor or outdoor durability; an excellent lower-cost alternative to bronze.
• Bronze – A classic option that conveys a sense of importance.
• Metalphoto – A nice, less expensive material for a lasting plaque. Whether it is all text, or includes a photo, Metalphoto is for you. These plaques can be used indoors or outdoors and resist weathering, fading, and abrasion from UV rays, heat, salt spray, and cleaning products.

Plaques were the perfect way to preserve the contributions these athletes made to the legacy of the Drake Relays. When a vendor referred Brian to Pella Engraving, he knew he had found the right company for the job. “We saw a sample plaque with an artist’s rendering of a picture—it was so much more unique than a photo on a plaque. It sealed the deal,” said Brian.

Pella Engraving Co-Owners Bruce Van Wyk and Jeff Vroom traveled to Drake University’s stadium in Des Moines, Iowa, to photograph the brick pillars and walls onto which the plaques would be installed.

The entire project included 18 zinc plaques—each with a portrait—as well as miniature versions of those plaques that were given to each honored athlete. About twenty other signs by PEC were also installed in and around Drake Stadium.

“PEC wanted this project to be as successful as we did,” said Brian. “Because of this, we listened to them when they had suggestions. And they always listened to us—no matter how many times we called with changes, we never felt like we were a bother.”

The plaques were unveiled, with many of the athletes onhand, at a ceremony after the 100th Anniversary Gala. “The artwork on each plaque is consistent yet representative of each athlete’s individuality,” said Brian. “The plaques make the entrance around the stadium light up.”