When you're running a swimming school and want to recognise the people who make it all work, standard awards don't quite cut it. You need something that reflects your brand, something that feels personal. That's exactly what Happy Cubs, who run swimming schools across Ireland, came to us for.
They'd been working with us for a couple of years already on kids' swimming awards. When it came time to honour their employees, they wanted custom trophies and plaques that matched the spirit of their business. We made them Teacher of the Year and Coordinator of the Year employee awards with their signature bear silhouettes worked into the design.
Why Custom Wooden Plaques Work for Staff Recognition
Happy Cubs didn't want generic crystal or plastic trophies you'd find in every office. They wanted wooden awards that connected to their brand identity. The bear silhouettes weren't just decoration. They tied directly to the Happy Cubs name and made these employee awards instantly recognisable as theirs.
Birch plywood gives a warm, natural look that photographs well at ceremonies. It's also surprisingly durable for something that looks handcrafted. We source all our birch plywood from Laser Material, our sister company, so we know exactly what we're working with every time.
How We Designed Custom Employee Awards for Happy Cubs
The client sent us a rough idea of what they liked, along with the wording they wanted on the plaques. They also shared some examples of other wooden trophies they'd seen elsewhere. That gave us a solid starting point.
We put together a design in Lightburn, which is the software we use for laser work. Once we had something we thought would work, we sent it over to them to make sure it was the type of thing they had in mind. They confirmed it was spot on, so we moved straight to production.
This is how most custom work goes. You start with a conversation, not a catalogue. The client knows what they want to say and what feeling they're after. We figure out how to make it real.
The Production Process for Laser-Cut Trophies
Once the design was approved, the actual making was straightforward. We designed it in Lightburn, sent it to the Thunder Laser, and let the machine do what it does best. There weren't any challenges on this job. Everything went smoothly from file to finished piece.
The birch plywood cuts cleanly and engraves with good contrast, which matters when you're putting someone's name and title on an award they'll keep for years. The bear silhouettes came out sharp, and the text was perfectly legible.
We've been running this business for 11 years now, based here in Ballinagh, County Cavan. Some jobs are more complicated than others, but this one was a reminder that simple done well beats fancy done poorly every time.
What Makes Employee Awards Meaningful
Here's what we've learned from years of making awards for schools, businesses, sports clubs, and everything in between: the words matter more than the materials. Happy Cubs knew exactly what they wanted to say. Teacher of the Year. Coordinator of the Year. Those titles mean something specific in their organisation.
The design supports the message. It doesn't distract from it. The bear silhouettes made these awards clearly from Happy Cubs, not generic recognition that could have come from anywhere. When an employee gets one of these at a ceremony, there's no question about where it came from or why it matters.
We make awards for all sorts of occasions. Wooden medals for school sports days. Memorial plaques for remembrance. Corporate recognition pieces. The best ones always share this quality: they're specific to the people giving them and the people receiving them.
Working with Repeat Clients on New Projects
We've been working with Happy Cubs for a number of years. We already make all their kids' awards for swimming, and when they needed employee awards, they came back to us. That's how these relationships tend to develop.
You start with one type of project. A customer sees the quality, the turnaround time, and how easy it is to get custom work done without a massive order minimum. Then they think of us when something else comes up.
The client was very happy with the outcome, and they used the trophies for their reward ceremony. We're already looking forward to what they'll need next. Maybe end-of-season awards for this year's swimming programme, or perhaps more employee recognition pieces for different roles.
Custom Employee Awards for Any Organisation
You don't need to be a swimming school to order custom employee awards. We work with printing shops that want to offer laser engraving without buying the equipment themselves. We handle projects for schools, corporate offices, sports organisations, and individual customers with one-off ideas.
Teacher of the Year. Employee of the Month. Volunteer Recognition. Retirement Gifts. Whatever you need to say, we can put it on wood, acrylic, or other materials and make it look right.
We're based in Ballinagh, County Cavan, but we work with customers all over Ireland. We ship through An Post and DPD, so location doesn't limit what we can do together. If you can email us a rough idea and the wording you want, we can turn it into something you'll be proud to present.
Get Your Custom Awards Made in Cavan
If you're planning an employee recognition event and standard awards won't do, get in touch. We've made Teacher of the Year trophies, Coordinator of the Year plaques, and hundreds of other custom pieces for clients across Ireland.
Send us your idea, even if it's just a sketch or a description. We'll design something that fits your brand and your budget, show you what it'll look like before we make it, and get it to you in time for your ceremony. We've been doing this for 11 years because we make it straightforward for you to get exactly what you need.
Contact TechCreate today and let's design awards your employees will actually want to display.