A home-based business for award winners

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This article was published 29/08/2016 (3368 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With his trusty laser, Ron Chapellaz can create masterpieces.

Chapellaz has even created the Eiffel Tower — albeit a scale model — to demonstrate the fine detail he can produce using his laser engraver. The St. Francois Xavier resident displays the model in a case within his home-based business.

The laser engraver is one of the pieces of equipment that Chapellaz has invested in to keep up-to-date on changing trends in awards, trophies, keepsakes and promotional items. The engraver can produce a design or lettering on sheets of wood, metal plating or even larger glass and crystal pieces.

Chapellaz said he’s a perfectionist, which is an asset in his line of work where a misspelled name on a trophy or incorrect address on a business’ promotional magnet is a disaster.

“You have to deliver,” he said. “Word-of-mouth is huge.”

Chapellaz said he learned his customer service ethic from his parents, who ran a photography studio and flower shop in St. Claude, Man.

“I worked in the store while growing up,” he said.

After he graduated, he managed the family business while starting his own business.
“I brainstormed about what’s lacking in the rural area,” he said, and decided there was a need for a local supplier of trophies and giftware.

After about 10 years, he realized rural demand for his products and service was decreasing. His wife faced a long commute to her job in Winnipeg, so the couple moved to Starbuck for four years, then settled in St. Francois Xavier in 2003. Chapellaz said it’s a perfect location for his business and family.

“I love the country life, but the city is where the money is,” he said.

Being able to communicate with his customers online has made a huge difference in Chapellaz’s business. He’s able to make his entire inventory available through the catalogue on his website, process customers’ orders and send out proofs for approval. He said he’s even sent photos and videos of trophies and awards to ensure the customer is satisfied.

Most recently, he added a chat feature to his site so he and his customers can confer in real time.

“You can’t anticipate everything a customer wants,” Chapellaz said.

While he is the sole owner and operator of Chapellaz’s Trophies, he said this gives him the freedom to work the long hours sometimes required to fill his orders. He’s able to store the many pieces he uses to assemble trophies and awards in his home, so doesn’t need to have a traditional storefront. This helps reduce his operating costs.

“I can be way more competitive on my price,” he said.

Having an online business also allows him to accept orders from across North America. He was recently completing an order for commemorative wooden fridge magnets for a bride-to-be in California.

“Most of my stuff is shipped out or delivered into the city,” he said.

Not being restricted to a store’s hours has allowed him to pick up last-minute rush orders.
Chapellaz said he attends the annual Awards and Personalization Association trade show in Las Vegas every two years so he can stay current on trends and technology. One newer technique is dye sublimation that transfers a colour image onto a variety of surfaces including mousepads, mugs and T-shirts. The dye is injected into the material’s fibres so the design doesn’t fade.

“It was not an easy thing to learn,” he admitted, but he’s on his fourth dye sublimation system now.

One of his most challenging jobs was to produce an engraved design to be attached to a woman’s artificial leg.

He still uses his old stylus engraver that etches lettering into metal, since some customers want that look for the plates on trophies. However rather than the traditional metal trophies, Chapellaz said, many sports teams are now giving out resin trophies in the shape of baseball gloves, hockey players, soccer balls and many more designs. Glass and crystal pieces are often chosen for corporate awards.

Chapellaz said it’s hard to compete for large orders such as the 2017 Canada Summer Games, but he’s able to keep his longtime customers, including local schools, and add new ones by providing top-quality work that he’s proud of.

“It’s up to me to know what to do to make the product look good,” he said.

For more information on Chapellaz’s Trophies, see ctonline.ca

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