Twin Cities trophy shops discuss their business
Who we talked to
Tom Reed, owner
Lowry Central Bowler Trophy Supplies
2430 Central Ave. N.E., Minneapolis
612-781-3436
lowrycentral.biz
Mike Schmid, owner
Mike's Pro Shop
1273 W. Country Road E., Arden Hills
651-488-6785
mikesproshop.com
Kathy Kieffer, owner
MPL Specialties
549 E. Minnehaha Ave., St. Paul
651-771-4541
mpl-spc.com
What services do you offer?
Tom Reed: "This is a bowling pro shop, as well as a trophy and awards supplier."
Mike Schmid: "Bowling supplies and trophy goods, screen printing and embroidery."
Kathy Kieffer: "We build trophies, ad specialty and promotional items, T-shirts, screen printing and embroidery."
What's your most popular service?
Reed: "Trophies and awards, that's 60 or 70 percent of our business."
Schmid: "It's bowling balls and trophies."
Kieffer: "Ad specialty items. People need more of them to build their business."
Why should people choose you over an online company?
Reed: "We try to stay as competitive as we can be and we provide quality work."
Schmid: "I think personalized service. People call last minute and we can help them out."
Kieffer: "We're a small mom-and-pop shop and we get the job done fast."
How do you charge for trophies?
Reed: "Based on size, primarily. There's no charge for engraving trophies. We do charge for engraving plaques."
Schmid: "I just charge by what they pick out. It's $3.95 for the smallest size trophy. We charge by the job, not the engraving."
Kieffer: "We charge by inch and per column. A 24-inch, two-column trophy is $26 and it can go up from there."
How far in advance should people place their order?
Reed: "That depends on size. I try to get trophies out in two to three days at most."
Schmid: "A week to 10 days in advance. Some people want a quick turnaround and we're good for that."
Kieffer: "We like at least three to four weeks."
Do people still have the same attachment to trophies that they once did? Why or why not?
Reed: "I think that trophies are always going to be popular with kids. It's like seeing your name up in lights. As you get older, the gleam and glare dissipates."
Schmid: "Some people have a big attachment to them and some don't. We have people calling to get rid of their trophies."
Kieffer: "Maybe not as much, a lot of people are going into plaques now. But in sports, they still like the trophies."
Where do you get most of your business?
Reed: "It's pretty evenly divided."
Schmid: "Schools, corporate, teams. It's from everywhere. And, of course, the bowling business."
Kieffer: "More from the corporate side."




Add comment