Moving!
Vermont Awards & Engraving, Inc. (VAE) is relocating!
We'll be opening in our new location on September 3rd, 2024: 650 Industrial Park Rd, St Albans City, VT 05478
Read further for more about us, why we're moving and the changes we'll be implementing to our ordering process!
Who are we?
We are the largest business of our kind in Northern New England, with clients throughout the United States (and beyond). The company was founded in 1959 and Steve and Margi Swett purchased it in 1996 - it is currently owned by the mother-daughter duo of Margi and her daughter Jessie Swétel. Jessie took over majority ownership in July 2023, which means we can now boast being not just a next generation woman owned family business, but an LGBT+ owned business as well!
We are distinct from our competition in that we have continuously invested in training and equipment, making us able to uniquely combine multiple processes and problem solve to create the most impactful end piece. We also continue to develop innovative approaches that allow us to engrave especially complex pieces and to create unique custom products to meet client needs.
We bring decades of experience when we consult clients on the best options for their needs and the best engraving process available for that material, be that diamond drag machine engraving, laser engraving, hand done sand carving or dye sublimation. Many don't know we also offer design services - digitizing client supplied artwork as well as creating custom artwork from scratch. We've also developed subtractive engraving methods (with translation software and physical readability verified) that allow braille to be engraved now into wood, glass/crystal, thick acrylic and stone - we believe inclusivity is a critical part of recognition and were personally bothered by the seeming lack of options available when it comes to awards for the visually impaired.
Our work is primarily B2B focused, serving private companies, universities, nonprofits, architects, government/military branches and more. We also love working with other creatives and have relationships with several local artists, metalsmiths and artists, helping them make their projects even more unique. We engrave into many substrates - metals, plastics, glass, stone, leather, wood, and more - for things like signage, name tags, making recognition awards that will truly inspire the recipients, giving high end gifts an even more personalized feel, and much more!
But, why move?
The majority of our business growth in recent years has been coming from our website, connecting us with clients across the country and beyond it, and the vast majority of our customers ask for consulting and submit orders by email, only stopping in to pick up completed pieces.
We've never been a typical retail store, so random foot traffic often ends up being disappointed that we don't offer "while you wait" options or have products available to buy off the shelf. At the end of the day, VAE is really a design studio that just so happens to translate those designs onto physical products (most of the time anyway) - not a gift shop, or a group of dudes making trophies in a garage somewhere (we used to get that a lot - but joke's on them, it's all ladies here as of this posting!)
So when the opportunity arose to move to a new space better suited to our workflow we jumped for it! Our goal is to make changes that will optimize our production and ordering processes so we have more time for R&D, training and, most importantly, more time to spend with you! We're here to learn your brand and company culture - your "vibe" if you will - so each custom piece we create aligns with who you are as an organization and has the correct feel for the occasion. We're also here to offer advice on recognition strategies - we've seen the best, and over the years have jumped in to help fix some pretty poor examples that had the opposite of the intended impact on the recipient, and we want every recipient to feel honored and touched by the award or gift they get from you, for their sakes and so your time and money's being well spent. We're here to brainstorm with you and use our design and engineering backgrounds to figure out how to make that hairbrained (but totally "you") idea come to life. We'll take your napkin sketch and turn it into useable vector artwork you can use anywhere, that we can engrave or send to one of the many manufacturers we collaborate with to turn it into a unique product only made for you specifically.
And you mentioned changes..?
Yep! We're nailing down the details, but we'll update with clarifications as we get closer to the end of the summer. Some changes we hope to make - to be able to serve you better, quicker, and play by the rules of the industrial park - are:
- Online appointment booking for more in depth consultations where you want to sit down with our team and brainstorm, see specific samples of products, see the difference between processes used on various materials, etc.
- Keypad secured area for after hours pick-ups and drop-offs to keep things convenient for YOUR schedule.
- Need to drop something off, while we're open or after hours? We'll request you place the order beforehand so you can bring the relevant invoice number along with the items, ensuring we can help you quickly and answer any pending questions efficiently.
- Online payment options should be available soon
- We're researching options to offer a wider range of shipping and delivery services
Keep checking back for more updates!