Midwest Trophy Manufacturing is one of Oklahoma’s little-known treasures.
MTM, one of the nation’s largest award suppliers, creates trophies, plaques and rings for sports, corporate recognition and schools. But the company’s biggest claim to fame lies in its client list, which includes some of the biggest names in sports like NASCAR, most college football bowl games and all NCAA awards — including the Heisman trophy, spokeswoman Donna Lamprecht said.
Born out of his love for sports, Dave Smith started the company in 1971. From small beginnings in a strip mall, the company has since moved to a 20-acre headquarters and grown to a $90-million business.
MTM has designed hundreds of trophies, plaques and other memorabilia for OU, said Cory Beltz, interim director of sports marketing. Beltz said his favorite OU project has been working with the OU women’s basketball team.
“It’s extraordinary to see how much they’ve developed,” he said. “They don’t have the 30 to 40 years of tradition. They’ve turned nothing into something, and it’s fun being part of recognizing them.”
Beltz said working with athletic directors can be challenging.
“They’re very demanding individuals,” he said. “But they’re putting in the image of their organization and they want to have a hand in it.”
MTM also sees its share of local celebrity walk-ins, such as Barry Switzer and Bart Conner, Lamprecht said.
MTM has grown nationally with 650 employees and facilities in Minneapolis, Minn.; Princeton, Ill. and Omaha, Neb.
In 2001, the company acquired its Princeton branch, which previously made 23 Superbowl rings, Lamprecht said.
“There’s always some new project, whether it be a sports opportunity or a corporate opportunity,” Lamprecht said. “You get really excited.”
But not all of its clients are high-profile sports figures. MTM makes custom awards for anyone, from Little League baseball leagues to Harley Davidson.
Lamprecht said MTM is about making the award experience memorable.
“You’re not planning funerals,” Beltz said. “The people you’re working with are happy. It’s a fun place.”
The Oklahoma Daily is pleased to provide you the opportunity to share your thoughts about this article. We encourage lively debate on the issues of the day, but we ask you refrain from using profanity or other offensive speech, engaging in personal attacks or name-calling, posting advertising, or straying from the topic at hand. To comment, you must be a registered user of OUDaily.com. Thanks for taking the time to offer your thoughts.
You must be logged in to leave a comment. Log in | Register