Benson's Trophies & Plaques

What Benson's Trophies & Plaques does

Benson's Trophies & Plaques, Inc. is a privately held, family-owned retailer specializing in personalized recognition awards, operating from a single showroom at 1476 S Main St in Salt Lake City, Utah. Founded in 1971 by John V. Benson, Sr. as 'The Trophy Hut,' the business is currently owned and operated by his son Craig Benson, who purchased it from his father in September 1998. The company sells trophies, medals, plaques, acrylic awards, clocks, and gift items, and offers professional engraving services using what it describes as the industry's latest equipment and techniques. It serves a horizontal mix of individual consumers and organizations in the Utah market for sports events, corporate recognition, academic achievements, and commemorative occasions.

The business operates on a one-time-purchase revenue model with quote-based pricing and no publicly disclosed price list. Customers transact in-person at the showroom, or via phone and email, with no ecommerce checkout capability despite the existence of a product-catalog website. Marketing is limited to organic channels: BBB A+ accreditation, Google Reviews, Yelp listings, and a basic website. The company has 1–10 employees, no subsidiaries, no outside investment, no partnerships, and no technology platform or mobile application. All revenue derives from local Utah sales of physical engraved products and related services.

Strategically, the company has remained stable since the 1998 succession, with no expansion beyond its single Salt Lake City showroom, no new product categories beyond awards and engraving, no digital commerce buildout, and no M&A or funding activity. The 1994 fire and rebrand, the 1998 relocation and ownership transition, and the launch of a basic website are the most significant strategic events on record. Customer concentration is inherently low given the fragmented, transactional nature of trophy and plaque purchases across a broad base of small buyers.

Name

Benson's Trophies & Plaques

Legal name

Benson's Trophies & Plaques, Inc.

Website

https://bensonstrophies.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Benson's Trophies & Plaques is a family-owned Salt Lake City retailer, founded in 1971, that sells engraved trophies, plaques, medals, acrylic awards, and recognition gifts to local consumers and organizations in Utah.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Salt Lake City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Trophy and Award Sales: One-time purchase model for trophies, medals, plaques, acrylic awards, clocks, and gift items with engraving services included. Products are personalized to customer specifications.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Benson's Trophies & Plaques sells and customizes trophies, medals, plaques, acrylic awards, recognition clocks, and gift items from a single retail showroom in Salt Lake City, Utah. Each product is personalized using the company's professional engraving services, supported by the industry's latest engraving equipment and techniques. Customers visit the showroom, contact the business by phone or email, or browse the website catalog to place customized orders.

Product overview

Benson's Trophies & Plaques is a family-owned awards and recognition business offering a diverse selection of products including Acrylic Awards, Plaques, Clocks, Gift Items, Trophies, and Medals. The company provides personalized trophy and award designs through professional engraving services, utilizing the industry's latest engraving equipment and techniques. Founded in 1971, the company operates as a single-location retail establishment in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Trophies Traditional and premium trophies in various styles and sizes for sports, academic, corporate, and community recognition events, available with custom engraving.
• Medals
• Plaques
• Acrylic Awards
• Recognition Clocks
• Gift Items
• Engraving Services

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights1 record

Direct peers

• Awards International: National custom awards and trophies retailer with personalized engraving and corporate recognition programs. Directly comparable product catalog and customer segments to Benson's, with greater geographic reach.
• PlaqueMaker: E-commerce specialist in plaques and personalized recognition awards serving schools, sports, and corporate customers. Overlaps directly with Benson's plaque and engraving offering; differs by being online-only and national.
• Crown Awards: National trophy, plaque, and engraving retailer offering the same core product categories (trophies, medals, plaques, acrylic awards) with online catalog ordering. Comparable product mix, customer base (sports leagues, corporate, schools), and engraving customization model.
• Awards.com: Online-first retailer of trophies, plaques, medals, and crystal awards with built-in engraving and personalization. Operates with a similar product assortment and B2C/B2B customer profile (recreation leagues, schools, corporate) but at national scale versus Benson's local showroom.
• K2 Awards: Trophy and award retailer focused on customizable recognition products across sports, corporate, and academic segments. Comparable engraving customization, product breadth, and customer use cases as Benson's.
• Trophies Plus: Regional and online trophy and awards retailer offering trophies, plaques, medals, and engraving services. Direct overlap in product mix and target customers (schools, leagues, corporate recognition), with similar combined retail+customization service model.

Broad incumbents

• Edco Awards & Specialties: Long-running awards and promotional products distributor carrying trophies, plaques, ribbons, and recognition items alongside broader corporate promotional merchandise. Comparable awards catalog, larger-scale distributor model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bensonstrophies
• Facebookfacebook.com/Bensons-Trophies-100057337875172

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Benson's Trophies & Plaques