About National Engravers, Inc.

From name badges to running awards and corporate plaques, we help to create the experiences that make your company program or event truly unique.

National Engravers Inc. is home to various companies who design, manufacture, and finish crystal, pewter, glass, wood, and marble products for use in the gift and award industry, as well as branded identity products that can be designed by consumers online and ordered for next day shipping. We also design, procure, and provide customized race medals, running hats, and decorated apparel for the running event industry.

A lot has changed at National Engravers Inc. since it began in 1993. At the time of the company’s start, it was being run as a one-man operation in the lower level of our founder’s home with a single desk, computer, and chair. In those very early days, the focus was solely on manufacturing and selling engraved awards and trophies.

Since those beginning days, we’ve grown steadily year-by-year through expanding our operations to meet the changing needs of the business world and those of our customers’. Those needs include faster production times, increased order sizes, and an ever-growing range of product types from which to choose.

To keep up with those changes, National Engraver’s Inc. has adopted a strategy that includes growth by company acquisition and fresh business starts, as well as continual investment in the best production technologies available.

We’ve also developed a whip smart team of associates and craftspeople who understand the need for continued adaption to customer needs and the markets we serve. This incredible team is deeply tenured, with an average work lifespan of 15 years with the company.

The overall National Engravers Inc. strategy includes:

Leading Edge Technology: Investing in the best technology provides consistent quality, allowing us to provide a wide range of products and to produce products quickly in order to meet client timelines.
Lean Manufacturing: Continuous improvements on processes, techniques and strategies in manufacturing, finishing, transportation, design, and inventory allowing the company to reduce waste and increase efficiency.
In-house Design and Engineering: Developing innovative semi-custom and custom product lines and developing new finishing techniques allowing the company to offer a wide variety of unique products to the market.
In-house Finishing: Vertical integration provides process control, quality assurance, and fast turnaround times allowing the company to provide superior quality and service to customers.
White Glove Customer Service: From first contact through to literal white glove packaging and delivery, the entire team at National Engravers, Inc. prides itself in offering the friendliest and most informative and efficient service available to our customers and partners. We depend on customers being able to depend on us.

Company Timeline

1993 – 1999

National Engravers Inc. is founded in the greater Chicago area. Throughout the first decade, the company experiences quick growth through 1) acquisition, 2) a move to a larger facility, 3) increased production capabilities, and 4) the purchase of new laser engraving equipment which allowed National Engravers, Inc. to produce all engraved glass and crystal products in-house. The customer focus centers on the corporate client, looking for customized awards for their employees, customers, and vendors.

2000 – 2008

National Engravers, Inc. expands their customer base nationally. This growth prompts the creation of our first e-commerce website under the name Awarding You. A larger manufacturing facility is acquired, and the company headquarters are moved to Winfield, IL. The customer focus continues to be corporations and recognition, and a new type of customer service is added, the Company Store, for a large multi-location customer, to make ordering simpler and more efficient.

2008 – 2016

A new company, Running Awards is launched: a division focused on supplying unique, high-quality race medals for 5K, 10K, half marathon, marathon, triathlon, and extreme marathon markets. To keep up with the production demands, LEAN manufacturing is added to our business model. We celebrate our 20th anniversary in business and expand our manufacturing to a larger location in IL. The assets of a couple more companies are acquired to help round out our product mix and grow both our production capabilities and our customer base.

2017 – 2019

Running Awards changes its name to Running Awards & Apparel as their apparel division becomes a significant part of the company’s product offering. In 2018, Racetrackers Enterprise is acquired, adding a branded line of technical caps, visors, and apparel to the product mix. In 2019, the popular Chicago area award provider, B. Gunther & Co. is acquired, providing National Engravers Inc. a wider product line, new customers, and several new key employees who continue with the company today.

2020 – 2021

A new product line and e-commerce website are created under the name of Classic Identity to offer our corporate customers an online design and ordering tool that provides quick turnaround for name tag and ID needs. In 2021, the assets of Thomas Dale Company are purchased, and the company rebranded under the name Thomas Dale Co. A new e-commerce website is created to offer both existing and new retail customers fine pewter, silver, and crystal products. Awarding You increased its glass and crystal inventory by over 30,000 products, to help mitigate shipping and fulfillment issues being experienced in the post-Covid supply chain world. This helped to bring in-house inventory level over the 1-million-dollar value mark and allowed for even quicker turnaround than before, as our products are ready to decorate and ship by the next business day.

2022– 2024

Growth within the company continues with the expansion of our retail brands and the acquisition of fine crystal product design and production company, Evergreen Crystal. By purchasing the rights to produce original designs by artist, Lorraine Coyle, National Engravers Inc. became the exclusive wholesale seller of these unique products, which include a variety of fine crystal service ware and giftware items for the home or office, each piece featuring Coyle’s deeply etched designs. These items can be found on the evergreencystal.com website, along with listings of fine gift shops and galleries from where they can be purchased.

What’s new?

The latest news at National Engravers Inc. is our move of all production, operations, and sales offices to a new building located in Elgin, IL. Our new facility boasts several state-of-the-art conference rooms, multiple executive offices and lots of room for our development, sales, and marketing teams, as well as over twenty-thousand square feet of production and logistics space. We are currently poised for even more growth in this exciting time period.

Leadership

Leading National Engravers Inc., from its inception as a solo venture to the multi-brand company it is today is a dedicated CEO who has been instrumental in every significant step. While transitioning day-to-day operations to the leadership team, his vision and close collaboration with all departments remain a guiding force for the company’s continued success.


	Sales and Customer Service Brenda G. has been a vital part of National Engravers Inc. since 2007. Starting as an Account Manager at Awarding You, her deep understanding of corporate clients, product knowledge, and strong connection with production teams paved the way for her current role as Director of Retail Sales for both Awarding You and Classic Identity.
	Sales and Customer Service Jen B. joined the team in 2019 as an Account Manager at Running Awards and Apparel. Her talent for leadership quickly became apparent, leading to her pivotal role in rebranding and building the Evergreen Crystal business. As Director of Wholesale Sales, she now expertly manages the Evergreen Crystal sales team.
	Sales and Customer Service Kate B., Director of Sales for Running Awards and Apparel, brings a genuine passion for the brand and its customers. Since starting as an Account Manager in 2017, her extensive knowledge of the running event market and race directors, combined with her personal experience as a runner, have been key to her success in management since 2020.
	Art and Marketing Michael F. joined National Engravers Inc. in 2023 as the Marketing Manager, bringing with him two decades of retail and market management experience from Things Remembered. He now skillfully oversees the art and marketing teams for all brands within the National Engravers Inc. portfolio.
	Production Jovan R., Production/Operations Manager since February 2025, has brought years of experience to the team in supervising multi-level manufacturing and team building.
	Production Eric K., Production Order Coordinator, has been with National Engravers Inc. since 2009 and has grown in his role from an engraving operator to management to ensure all order processes run smoothly in all capabilities.
	Production Nazear T., Operations Supervisor since January 2025, brings a wealth of experience and knowledge from his work in plant and operations management at The Planter Companies for over three decades.
	Production Carlos O., Quality Control, has been with National Engravers Inc. since 2022. Carlos was tasked with managing product quality control in 2024, and his oversight of manufacturing outcomes has been critical to maintaining the high standards for which all brands are known.
	Business Office Mel L., Purchasing and Inventory Manager since 2024, Mel brings years of experience in coordination of cross functional business teams. At National Engravers Inc. she works to improve processes, reduce costs, and champion inter-department teamwork.
	Business Office Geri M., Accounting Manager since 2003, Geri manages all of the accounting and billing duties from receivables to journal entries and payroll at National Engravers Inc.