On Nov. 3, 2020, a 100-year-old business went up in flames.

Flemington, NJ-based Bradshaw Awards was already going through a rough year. Without sports, sales conferences and other events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, orders for trophies, plaques and medals dried up. Third-generation owner John Bradshaw wasn’t ready to throw in the towel, though. With minimized overhead and an already lean staff, he was prepared to weather yet another economic storm since taking over the company in 1991. Plus, he and his daughter had an appearance scheduled on a national television show that he hoped would help them recoup some losses.

Two days before the show, a fire broke out. Both the shop and his house were damaged. And with more than $12,000 worth of completed products scorched, he had no choice but to cancel the appearance.

“I was in shock,” Bradshaw says. “We lost five engraving machines in the fire and without being able to engrave, many of my customers were going to suffer. I knew I needed support, whether I was making money or not.”

He reached out to a friendly competitor – Jim Gano, owner of New Jersey-based Crown Trophy of Flemington (asi/381147). They had been aware of each other for years, attending the same trade shows and monitoring each other’s progress on social media and through mutual contacts. Hat in hand, Bradshaw asked Gano if he would assist in handling the engraving of his customers’ orders. Unable to stomach a family business perishing in its 100th year, Gano was happy to help.

“It would be a shame to lose that legacy, and I didn’t want to be the cause of it,” Gano says. “I hope someone would step up for me if I was in the same situation. Too often the cutthroat ‘win at all costs’ mentality occludes the fact that we’re all in this together, and there’s probably more business out there than we can all handle.”

It was also an opportunity for Gano to boost his own sales. Although corporate award orders kept coming in, his overall awards business was down 80% in 2020. As a result, he pivoted to creating banners, lawn signs and social distancing signage. Over the past couple of months, though, the engravings have felt like a return to normalcy. “It’s definitely getting busier as John gets back on his feet,” Gano says. “It’s funny because in sports we’re taught to hate the competition, but with this, a new and true friendship is developing.”

John Bradshaw (left) and Jim Gano

With a decade of experience in the insurance industry before transitioning to promotional products, Gano is also helping Bradshaw navigate the claims process without settling for a lowball amount from his carrier. “If nothing else, John’s story is a reminder to review your insurance policy with your agent for both your business and home to be sure they’re adequately covered at the proper amounts,” Gano says. “Saving a few pennies now could cost you in the long run if you don’t have the proper coverage.”

Still in the early stages of rebuilding, Bradshaw is currently living in an RV on his property, which has been rough during such a snowy, freezing winter. Despite the grueling conditions, he’s remained dedicated to his customers, many of which have been buying from his family for over 40 years. “I’m not out there actively pursuing new business,” Bradshaw says. “I’m more interested in taking care of my loyal customers and expanding through them. They’ve been very understanding that we’re not going to be able to operate as quick as we used to, at least for the time being.”

Even after Bradshaw Awards is back up and running at 100%, Bradshaw and Gano are planning on continuing their relationship. They’ve even discussed Gano handling all of Bradshaw’s trophy business behind the scenes so Bradshaw can focus on his unique brand of gifts and specialty engraving.

“Before this, I would go to one place and Jim would go to another in search of certain specialty vendors, but now by aligning our individual in-house services, we can completely cover each other’s needs,” Bradshaw says. “By working together, we will be able to offer nearly everything to our customers.”