Roots Run Deep

Southern Trophy House, Inc. is not a new name to Nashville. The shop has been around since 1960 and was even owned for a time in the 1980s by Bill Pace, a retired NFL and college football coach. Eventually, it ended up in the Brown family’s hands in 1990, where it’s remained ever since.

Roots Run Deep

Tradition and adapting to the times go hand in hand at the family-run Southern Trophy House, Inc.

By: Caroline Heller

(Originally printed in the March/April 2023 issue of Insights.)

“All major decisions that impact our company, employees and business direction are made as a family,” says Wilson Brim, CRS, vice president, Southern Trophy House.

The employees of Southern Trophy House, Inc.

While the business’ location has remained unchanged for the past 60 years, that’s not to say Southern Trophy hasn’t changed. The building, for instance, has expanded, taking over a building next to it and a warehouse in the back. The space has grown to be almost 13,500 square feet.

Beyond just physical space, the company has always looked to keep up with business trends and the demands of its customers, showing that innovation and family and community roots can fuel a thriving business.

Chance Encounter

Vic Brown bought the company in 1990 and ran it until he passed away unexpectedly in October 2010. Since then, Sue Brown, his wife, has remained the owner. At one time or another, most family members have worked in the business. “Leigh Brown, my sister-in-law, used to run our advertising specialties division, before I joined the company in August 2007,” Wilson says. Kathy, Wilson’s wife, worked at Southern Trophy while she was in high school, before her father owned the business. More recently, Harris, Wilson’s son, worked in the trophy assembly department during his high school summer breaks.

Shortly after Vic’s passing, Wilson’s mother-in-law remembered that there was a trade show happening in Las Vegas and urged him to go. “I hopped on a plane with Daryle Jones, our showroom manager, who has been with Southern Trophy for 26 years and went to my first APA [then the Awards and Recognition Association] trade show,” Wilson says. He’s been attending ever since and was the 2021-2022 APA Volunteer of the Year.

Going to the Expo in 2015 led Wilson to PDS Equipment, a Nashville supplier who helped Southern Trophy grow. “That year we were in the market for UV printers, and we were evaluating different kinds of equipment,” Wilson says. “Right before we left the convention, I just happened upon PDS, and we started talking about their equipment.”

Middle photo: Steve Rupe, shipping and receiving
Right photo: Daryle Jones, David Solomon and Wilson Brim

As fate would have it, PDS Equipment was located only two miles from Southern Trophy in Nashville. “They have become a fantastic supplier of ours and have helped us immensely,” Wilson says. “We have grown our business through UV printing because of them. Their training is phenomenal, and they are so supportive.”

Equipment Expansion

Southern Trophy has many longstanding clients and steady business. But that doesn’t stop them from looking to expand their offerings. In August 2022, Southern Trophy acquired Signology, a signage business owned by Brian McIntyre. Southern Trophy also added a new Mimaki UCJV 300-160 UV roll printer.

“Our largest growth opportunity is utilizing our two Mimaki UV printers in both our existing awards business, plus in our recently acquired signage business,” Wilson says. “It’s producing positive results for us daily and bringing in new clients. Plus, it’s opened new avenues to add color and logos to our existing products like never before.”

To offer their many services—like full-service engraving, diamond drag engraving, sandblasting and UV printing—the company has a sizeable collection of equipment: a Trotec Speedy 360 flexx engraver, two Epilog laser engravers, two Vision flat engravers, two Newing-Hall engravers and a new paint booth, to name a few.

Clockwise from upper left: Amanda Frost, laser engraver; Tyler Benner, final assembly; Photographers Wilson Brim, Jr. and Sami Zinni; Ben Reiter, sandblast department; Ben Reiter working at the paint booth; Brian McIntyre working on a large format print job;

Diversifying its business has helped Southern Trophy expand its clientele and get repeat customers. “We get a tremendous [amount] of word-of-mouth business,” Wilson says. “When I first started here in 2007, the majority of our business was walk-in. Now most of it is via phone or email, and it’s repeat business.”

Having many options also allows Southern Trophy to live up to their slogan: “We do our best … to help you recognize your best!”

Wilson says that Southern Trophy’s framing department experienced a tremendous uptick in business last year. That includes framing all 20 awards presented during halftime of the NCAA’s College Football TransPerfect Music City Bowl on Dec. 31, 2022, which was played in downtown Nashville at Nissan Stadium.

A Pandemic Lifeline

Southern Trophy, like so many other businesses, was forced to close in 2020. However, they did not lay off any of their workers, and for 77 days, the company continued to pay its employees. “Cher Castro, our human resources manager, was extremely helpful during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Wilson says. “She worked on the PPP applications and ensured our employees never missed a paycheck when we were forced to shut down.”

Treating its staff like family is easy when many of the employees have been there for decades and are experienced at what they do. “Between our 16 full-time and two part-time employees, we have 158 years of combined awards, recognition, signage and advertising specialty experience,” Wilson says. “David Salomon, our advertising specialties manager, has been with our company for 24 years. He started his career with us in 1998 in our trophy assembly department and has worked in almost every facet of our operation.”

Beyond the close-knit bonds, a well-known healthcare company helped weather the pandemic. The Hospital Corporation of America contacted Southern Trophy to do work. As a result, Southern Trophy was declared an essential business for supporting frontline healthcare workers, allowing Southern Trophy to re-open at 100% capacity.

Southern Comfort

Nashville is a thriving and growing city, Wilson says. The city’s growth has certainly helped Southern Trophy expand, especially in terms of corporate awards, which make up about 50% of its business.

Southern Trophy does a lot of business with local hospitals, healthcare associations and local public schools and universities. “We do a lot of league-sponsored work, and we’re involved with a lot of nonprofit organizations because a lot of them are based in Nashville since it’s the capital,” Wilson says.

Helping the community is not just an obligation, it’s also a family matter. In 1999, Wilson’s son was born with Down syndrome. “Every member of my family got involved,” Wilson says. “My wife got involved with the Down Syndrome Association of Middle Tennessee. I got involved with the Special Olympics of Tennessee. We do a tremendous amount of work with the disabilities community and are intimately involved with those organizations.”

For example, the photos featured in this article were taken with the help of an organization called AbleVoices. The nonprofit provides photography programs for individuals with disabilities as a means for self-expression, empowerment and advocacy. Wilson’s son, Wilson Brim Jr., is one of the nonprofit’s photographers. “[Wilson Jr.’s] grandfather, Vic Brown, used to bring him to work as a tiny baby, and Wilson would sleep on the floor of his grandfather’s office and go on sales calls with him.”

The photos are, in part, an encapsulation of all that the business is: new and old, community and family—everything coming together under Southern Trophy’s expanding roof. “I’m proud of our company because our employees take great care of our customers, and we’ve been doing that for 63 years,” Wilson says.

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