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June 8, 2026
WISCONSIN RAPIDS – Rapids Awards ’N More recently relocated to 2660 8th St., Suite 107 – a move Owner Van Patrick Gotz said has already paid off.
Though the new space is similar in size to its previous location, Gotz said the business has seen a surge in traffic, nearly doubling walk-ins and closing in on record trophy sales.
The store, he said, offers a wide range of products, including awards, trophies, collectibles, trading cards and personalized gifts, along with laser engraving on various materials.
A relevant history
Though he’s had a varied career, Gotz said engraving has been the one constant.
With 25 years in the industry across both wholesale and retail, he said he’s seen it all.
Early in his career, Gotz said he worked on major engraving projects tied to Major League Baseball, including the Chicago Cubs organization and even projects involving Barry Bonds and his “Killer B’s” memorabilia.
Before purchasing Rapids Awards ’N More, he said he worked as a sales manager at a local software company and served as the public address announcer for the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters baseball club.
But after four years in that role, he said he knew he needed a change.
“I was doing fairly well, but I kept asking myself where I was going with those things,” he said. “I finally decided I didn’t want to continue with that path. The general manager of the baseball club suggested I talk to [the owners of Rapids Awards] because they wanted to sell.”
Due to his background in engraving, Gotz said the conversation with the former owners, Larry and Rosie Anderson, came naturally – even as he admitted he wasn’t sure he wanted to get back into retail.
However, despite his hesitation, he said he figured talk was free, so he went to check out the store.
“[My immediate reaction was], ‘Oh my goodness, I can have fun with this,’” he said.
A few days later, Gotz said he sent his then-girlfriend/now-wife into the store for a second opinion, and she came away with the same impression.
“We got together with the Andersons, and it was like working with your grandpa and grandma – they were the nicest people,” he said. “My wife, Renee, and I put the numbers together, and the Andersons agreed we were the best fit for the company.”
Gotz said he believes one of the reasons he continues to appreciate – and thrive in – the industry traces back to a core childhood memory.
Growing up on a dairy farm and showing cattle, Gotz said the first trophy he ever received was for Grand Champion.
“That hooked me on trophies, and I was always intrigued,” he said.
Furthermore, Gotz said trophies showcase life’s successes and that, regardless of age, people remember the stories – and moments – behind them.
Buying, moving the business
After purchasing the business, Gotz said he remained in the original location to complete the lease before moving to a Pepper Street site about six and a half years later.
As of this year, he has sold that location and moved to 2660 8th St., a move he described as “phenomenal.”
With some community members discovering Rapids Awards for the first time, Gotz said business is booming.
“Being on a main drag changed so much,” he said. “When you go through the Culver’s parking lot, and you look across the street, you see the Rapids Awards ’N More sign. [The move has] increased our traffic by double.”
Just three months in, Gotz said the move to the new store has already proven to be a very positive step forward.
Gotz said the move stemmed from an opportunity presented by a local Wisconsin Rapids resident to feature products in bars and other venues, an idea that quickly gained momentum even though the business was already operating successfully out of a building it owned.
“[The individual] knows the city, and he’s a go-getter – making things happen and influencing things,” he said. “We had some back and forth because I didn’t want to move, as I owned the Pepper Street location. But he convinced me, and I’m happy about that.”
Gotz said the new location required some repainting to achieve the desired vision, including bright walls designed to open the space and make it appear larger.
He said the new location’s open layout provides improved visibility of the business’s full range of products available for sale.
“I had so many things on the floor, and in three different rooms – nobody is going into three rooms to look around – that’s what separates this building from the other building,” he said. “It’s about the same square footage, but a different layout makes all the difference. Another plus, [there is] no basement where I have to store inventory, I didn’t want to keep walking up and down the stairs.”
Standing out
In an era of online and digital retail where nearly anything can be ordered, Gotz said standing out in the awards and gift industry is something he takes pride in.
He said the focus is on offering everything from standard awards to branded products and custom gift items – essentially anything customers can imagine when they walk in.
Trophies, Gotz said, continue to be the business’s highest-volume product – noting that a couple of years ago, the company recorded its strongest year at the time with more than 1,000 produced.
“We’re well on pace to break that this year,” he said.
However, Gotz said what makes Rapids Awards truly unique is the level of customization available and the specialty products the company offers – several of which have made a significant impact on the business.
One perhaps surprising area of work, he said, is funerals.
“I help people get through those trying times in life,” he said. “I really embrace this idea and know that small details can make a big difference.”
During the holiday season one year, Gotz said he repurposed vinyl records into clocks as gifts for a client.
“It’s been fun to experiment and show what we do,” he said. “When people walk into the store, there’s so much to look at here.”
Gotz said no idea is too unusual for Rapids Awards – citing a muskrat pelt and miniature whiskey barrel award made for a local fantasy football team, the Muskrat Fantasy League.
“Once I figured it out, it was a riot to see his reaction – he took photos and sent it off to his buddies,” he said. “Now, they come in every year to get a name put on it with the winner of the award.”
Another product category that has seen increased popularity, Gotz said, is custom cutting boards.
Continued advancements in technology and production capabilities, he said, have helped support the business’s expanding range of offerings.
“I’ve [re-]invented myself on three different occasions in my 25 years as I try to stay ahead of the curve,” he said. “You’re always trying to be as innovative as possible. For example, with the cutting boards, which used to be only a single color – we can now offer them in full color. It all depends on what the customer wants.”
Recognizing that the range of possibilities is virtually endless, Gotz said he focuses on generating repeat or residual business from the unique products the company creates.
As a result, he said he emphasizes designing items that can serve multiple uses or appeal to multiple customers.
Looking ahead
Looking to the future, Gotz said it is not solely about dollars and cents, but also about lessons learned from the past.
When he purchased the business from the Andersons, he said they said keeping up with technology is something they would have done differently.
Gotz said he understands that perspective well, noting that technology continues to evolve rapidly and at an accelerating pace – artificial intelligence in particular, which he admits he had not used in any capacity until earlier this year.
Since then, Gotz said he has seen it significantly change workflows and serve as a major time-saver in day-to-day operations.
Regardless of what the future holds, Gotz said community and family will continue to play a central role in the business, particularly with the hiring of his daughter to help at the store.
He said he initially brought her on during the COVID-19 pandemic for assistance and quickly recognized her potential within the operation.
“I’m only 61, and I don’t see myself retiring any time soon,” he said. “But there will come a point when that will happen, [and] I want to hand it over to a family member if I can.”
Find Rapids Awards ’N More on Facebook for more.
