The owners of Trophy & Gift Center have retired, fulfilling a legacy of more than 50 years.
Wayne Stoppelbein was 16 years old in 1979 when he began working for his father, who had started employment at what was called Matthews Sporting Goods 1968, later buying the store from then-owner Jack Matthews.
“My dad went into work one day and the owner said he was selling the business, and my dad said he would be interested in buying it,” recalled Stoppelbein. “So he did, and found out later that the business was deeply in debt. It took him a few years to get the business out of debt, but(he) worked with his creditors and made it into basically what it is today. Really, I just carried on what he did.”
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Stoppelbein would meet his wife, Jan, working at the trophy shop, as his father had actually hired her to work there a year prior. By then the custom engraver shop, now called the Trophy & Gift Center, had moved from its original location on Ellis Street to the corner of Olive and Milledgeville Roads, where it operated for a total 17 years.
In 1990, three years after Stoppelbein took over the reins from his father, the store moved again to its current spot at 1755 Gordon Highway. Artistry and service seem to be two key elements sustaining, for decades, a business devoted to fashioning physical representations of achievement, celebration and honor.
“I’ve always been interested in creating stuff for folks,” Stoppelbein said, highlighting that the shop didn’t keep pre-assembled trophies or awards indexed in catalogs, but did have a warehouse full of parts to use. “We just kind of put them together, create our what we think looks good, and, of course, what we think the customer is looking for.”
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Friday was the Stoppelbeins’ last day running the center, and was spent receiving and giving and fond farewells as several regulars stopped by to say their goodbyes. Jack Highsmith, who recently purchased Trophy & Gift Center and is combining it with his business Blue Ribbon Awards and Custom Apparel, underscores Wayne and Jan Stoppelbein’s commitment over the years, enduring narrow margins of error, late nights and busy end-of-school year seasons.
“What’s so interesting is, for years, they ran this by themselves,” said Highsmith. “They are so dedicated, understanding what it takes to do everything, to make sure everything is correct, everything’s lined up, everything’s spaced, everything looks good. I know that they have taken a lot of pride in just making sure that before it goes out, that it looks as good as it can look. And that takes time to do that.”
After 46 years in business, Wayne Stoppelbein says that while he won’t so much miss the work itself, he will miss the people, which made the work worthwhile.
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“We’ve just enjoyed working with folks and making friends, just pleasing people when they walk out the door,” he said. “We never like to produce something that we wouldn’t be proud to receive ourselves.”
Trophy & Gifts will soon join Blue Ribbon Awards and Custom Apparel, relocating there to 4115 Columbia Road, Ste. 15 in Martinez.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
