Trophy House still going strong
Apr. 6—For 60 years, Trophy House has been a tradition in Owensboro — and, even after recently changing locations, the local staple is showing no signs of slowing down.
Owned and operated by the Clemens family since 1974, Trophy House has been one of the primary locations for sports teams to purchase trophies, plaques, medals, rings and other items to celebrate their athletic achievements. Following 25 years of working out of their downtown location on Frederica Street, the business moved to its new spot at 325 Park Plaza Drive, Suite C, in November.
It was a much-needed relocation, said Nick Clemens, who added that Trophy House has had no problem adapting to different trends.
"We've seen a lot of changes through the years, in trophies and in leagues," he said. "Baseball's always been around, football's always been around, basketball's always been around. Then, through the years, volleyball started getting more prominent. Now, it's wrestling and bowling and fishing tournaments for high schools. I always did some of that stuff but it was with the bowling leagues, it wasn't with the high schools. Soccer, too. That has all grown quite a bit."
Often, though, the Clemens brothers — Nick, Randy and Mike — know what to expect, even beyond sports.
"We have a mix of everything, and it goes through seasons with sports," said Nick, 62. "We just got done with basketball, so we got all the junior league teams with young kids, middle schools, churches — they all have basketball teams. Right now, the thing that we're doing is the end of school's coming. We do colleges all across the state and the local colleges, of course, and they're all getting their stuff because their school ends a little sooner. Then we've got all the elementary and high schools after that.
"Then, baseball really starts rolling, so we go through that. There's always tournaments. I've been doing some football camps, 7-on-7s and stuff like that. It's a circular thing. We know what's coming, for the most part. A lot of people are repeat customers, they just call and say, 'Do what we do last year. Here's my budget, and I know you'll take care of me.' "
Building those relationships has always been a vital part of the business, which began in 1963. When Jennie Clemens purchased Trophy House in 1974, it began a long string of repeat customers and valued clients — and her sons have continued the tradition.
"My mom was very instrumental from '74, starting it out, it's been her baby ever since," Nick added. "She's not working as much and turned it over to Randy and Mike and myself. She was all in for us kids being in sports, and that was a big reason why she got into it.
"You get to know the coaches around town, and it's neat. There's a good relationship with all the local coaches. I've made great friendships and gotten to know different coaches at different schools, all of them. They're repeat customers, for the most part. Some teams will change coaches, but then you get to know them too. It's about getting to know them and being able to take care of them. Hopefully, we do — that's the main thing."
The Trophy House also shares its walls with All American Advertising Specialties, another Clemens family creation that started in 1980 and offers hats, T-shirts, letterman jackets and more that they can personalize with school, team or corporate logos.
Over the years, the Clemens brothers have created and customized trophies, plaques and other items for all sorts of occasions.
"There's a trophy for just about everything," Nick said. "We've had people for fantasy (sports) bring in their own trophies that we put a nameplate on, or even toilet seats for the last-place teams. If we can put a plate on it, we're good. And if we can find a way to mount something on it, we'll build a trophy out of it."
The turnaround on orders usually takes about a week, but accommodations can also be made in special instances — especially since they know how much a trophy or plaque can mean to someone.
"We do the assembly, the engraving — everything's done on site," said Randy Clemens, 55. "It just depends on if we don't have the inventory, how quick can we get it? We try to meet the customer's needs. If they say, 'We need it tomorrow,' then we pull all hands on deck and we try to get it done to please the customer. If they have time, then that's great.
"We're there to help reward dreamers, believers and achievers. A lot of people dream about it, a lot of people believe that they can do it, and then a lot of them achieve it. We're there to help them recognize those accomplishments."
More than anything, though, Trophy House and the Clemens family are grateful.
"We're excited about having been here for 60 years," Randy added. "Our family has only been a part of it for about 50 years, but since 1963, it's been a staple in the tri-state area, not just Owensboro. That's one of the neat things that we're really excited about this year and being able to move into a new spot — a fresh start on an old business."
