Hasty Awards expands despite recession

Steve Hasty never intended to take over his family’s business.

“My parents started the business in 1986,” Hasty said, referring to his parents, Jim and Judy Hasty. “Everything was made by hand back then. I’d come in and help on a regular basis.”

Hasty said he joined the business in 1989.

“I didn’t plan to stay long, just long enough to install a computer and get some of their records on it,” he remembered.

In 1999, Hasty and his wife, Anne, took over ownership of Hasty Awards and in 10 years have grown the business into one of the top 10 in the industry.

That growth had the company bursting at the seams of its original 15,000-square-foot Jackson Road location, and Hasty had to make a decision.

“We were poised for some very big growth,” Hasty said. “We had to have more space.”

That space is the company’s newly constructed 30,000-square-foot manufacturing plant and warehouse facility at 1015 Enterprise St. in Ottawa’s Industrial Park.

“We broke ground in September of 2008 when the economy was at its absolute worst,” Hasty said, “but we never slowed down. We’ve spent the past 18 months getting ready for 2010 when we’ll introduce some new marketing plans and new products.”

While almost every industry has seen some slow-down during the tough economic climate, Hasty Awards has not.

“The biggest reason we’re fine is because our client base is youth oriented,” Hasty said. “We work with YMCAs, recreation commissions and schools. The recession hasn’t hit the youth market yet.”

Hasty Awards supplies internationally to military bases in Japan, Singapore, Mexico and the Middle East as well as nationwide.

As the official award supplier for the USA Wrestling, Swimming, Diving and Track and Field Olympic trials, Hasty Awards employees know their work will worn by some of the finest athletes in the world.

Michael Phelps, frequently cited as the world’s greatest swimmer and one of the greatest Olympians of all time, has 17 Hasty Awards medals.

Hasty said that while that’s all well and good, they don’t let it go to their heads.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s a printed ribbon for a school relay race or an Olympic trial medal, they all get the same treatment,” Hasty said. “We’re very thankful. We don’t take our situation lightly and neither do our people. Our phones are still ringing, but we know without great customer service and quality products they could stop.”

Along with a new building, Hasty Awards added all new software, a conveyor belt and some new laser engravers. But the best thing it got was a warehouse, Hasty said.

“This seems like a little piece of heaven to us,” Hasty said. “We always knew where everything was before; it just wasn’t always easy to get to it.”

The warehouse plays an important role in the company’s future.

“Part of our success has always been quick turnaround on orders,” Hasty said. “The stuff in our catalogue is in inventory in our warehouse. The more warehouse space we have, the more inventory we can carry, the more customers we can keep happy.”

Another feature that keeps customers happy is no-peanut-packing with Hasty Exclusive items.

“You know those Styrofoam peanuts everybody loves to hate? We don’t use them when shipping our exclusive lines,” Hasty said. “The awards have custom designed Styrofoam containers. Everything inside has its own little cut-out space, top and bottom. It ships safely, it stores neatly and no one has to pick-up the peanuts.”

Hasty chose to use all local sub contractors to build the company’s new facility.

“The only thing we had to go outside of Franklin County for was the sprinkler system,” Hasty said. “There just wasn’t anybody who could do that for us.

“People just don’t realize the amount of talent and craftsmanship that’s right here in Ottawa. We need to be more aware of it and spread the word. We’re proof that it can be done and done well.”

Hasty Awards employs 65 people, including a three-person design team for the Hasty Exclusive line.