CEShoppes Commissions Art Glass Awards for Toyota

Brandon, FL, July 28, 2009 --(PR.com)-- When Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A, Inc. wanted to recognize its Customer Services Advisory Board (CSAB) members' dedication to outstanding parts, service and customer retention practices, it came to CEShoppes for its selection and expertise in awards and recognition programs.

After exploring the myriad of stock award choices, Toyota decided that a one-of-a-kind award would best symbolize its appreciation to the selected dealerships for what they accomplished in 2008. CEShoppes made recommendations from its stable of artisans, and Virginia Spalter was selected to create the unique, handcrafted commemorative glass art awards.

Spalter chose the glass fusion technique, which uses torches and kilns to make the glass molten, to create the blue and green platters that would become the centerpiece of each award. Each piece began with hand cut, broken, pulled and ground pieces of glass that were layered on the kiln shelf. After a series of firings at temperatures ranging from 1,200-1,500 degrees, a new piece of glass was formed and finally coaxed into its ultimate shape. Spalter finished each piece by cold working the edges of the plate with diamond sanding tools to smooth and manipulate the final shape.

At a rate of 10 platters per week, Spalter needed nearly 60 days to complete the 50 signed and numbered pieces. CEShoppes then combined the platters with stained black wood bases that were engraved with the Toyota logo and the recipient dealership name, which were both color filled in silver. CEShoppes put the final pieces together providing the final fulfillment.

"CEShoppes made Toyota's custom award request possible," said Randy Upright, strategic project manager for Toyota's Customer Services Division. "We were extremely pleased that CEShoppes was able to provide us with 50 unique pieces of art, on time and at what I consider to be a great value. The artist, Virginia Spalter, created something that each recipient can proudly display for years."

By combining framed art, sculpture and art glass with industry standard engraved bases and commemorative art frames, CEShoppes was able to offer the corporate sector "true art" awards.

"Toyota could have picked any number of stock items off of the website, and we could have engraved the base to complete the project and still had a beautiful piece," said DJ Furgason, CEShoppes vice president. "Instead, the company spent significant time selecting a piece to be commissioned so that it is different and unique, just like the people receiving it."

About CEShoppes:
Headquartered in Brandon, Florida, CEShoppes specializes in high-end corporate gifts including recognition awards, leather goods, gourmet food items, and corporate and golf apparel. The company owns and operates multiple corporate gift websites, which can be found at CEShoppes.com under the Our Shoppes page.

CEShoppes is a certified women's business enterprise through the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) and is a member of the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) and Promotional Products Association of Florida (PPAF). The company is a past recipient of the PPAF Distributor of the Year Award for its outstanding service and growth within the promotional products industry, and the parent company, Creative Expressions of Tampa Bay, Inc., has been chosen as one of the Top 500 Emerging Businesses in the United States for 2008 by DiversityBusiness.com.

For more information, visit www.CEShoppes.com or www.CorporateAwardPeople.com.

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