G2 · Honor the People Who Serve

What it is and why it works

Police departments, fire departments, sheriff's offices, and city and county agencies mark careers with awards: retirements, years of service, promotions, and sadly, memorials. Veterans groups like the VFW and American Legion do the same for their members and for local honors. These pieces matter to the people who receive them. They hang in homes and station houses for decades.

A local shop can offer something a catalog can't: a piece made by a neighbor, finished with care, delivered in person. Agencies order these year after year, and people in these jobs talk to each other. Doing one retirement plaque well puts your work in front of the whole room at the retirement party.

Who to contact

Organization	Who to ask for
Police department or sheriff's office	Chief's or sheriff's administrative assistant, HR, the FOP lodge or police association
Fire department	Chief's office, the union local or firefighters' association, volunteer department secretary
City and county agencies	City clerk, county clerk, HR, department heads (public works, parks, 911 dispatch)
VFW, American Legion, other veterans posts	Post commander, adjutant, auxiliary president

The administrative assistant in the chief's office often knows every upcoming retirement and who is buying the gift. Be kind to them and remember their name.

What they order

Retirement plaques: name, rank, years of service, a short line of thanks.
Years-of-service awards: 5, 10, 20, 25 years. Often ordered in batches once a year.
Promotion gifts: engraved desk nameplates, badge-shaped plaques (with approval, see below), engraved pens or knives.
Memorials: fallen officer or firefighter plaques, memorial walls, station dedication signs.
Shadow boxes and flag cases: folded-flag cases with an engraved plate, shadow boxes for patches, badges, and medals. Veterans posts and retirees ask for these often.
Station and office items: engraved axe handles, helmet front plaques, challenge coin displays, custom signs.

Respect badges, seals, and insignia

Get written approval before you reproduce any official seal, badge, patch, or emblem. City and county seals and agency badges are often controlled, and some states restrict making replica badges. Ask the agency for the approved artwork and an email saying you may use it for this order. Keep that email with the job.

Never make anything that could pass as a real badge or ID. Engrave the badge image flat on a plaque; do not sell standalone badge-shaped pieces to the public. Use correct ranks and titles, and check every spelling with the person ordering.

Purchasing rules

Government agencies usually buy differently from a private customer. Be ready for:

A W-9 form filled out with your business name and tax ID
A quote on your letterhead (a simple PDF with your logo, address, and phone number is fine)
A purchase order (PO) before you start. Put the PO number on your invoice.
Vendor registration with the city or county (ask the clerk how)
Possible tax-exempt status: ask for their exemption certificate and keep it on file
Payment terms that may be 30 days or longer

Many retirement gifts are paid for by coworkers, the union, or the lodge instead of the agency. Those are simpler: a normal quote and a deposit.

What to make as a sample

Make a retirement plaque using a made-up name and a generic emblem (a flag, a Maltese cross, a star shape you drew yourself), never a real agency's seal. Add a small flag case or shadow box if you can. Engrave your shop name and phone on the back.

Step by step

Make your list of every police, fire, sheriff, city, county, and veterans post within your driving area.
Build the sample and get your W-9 and a letterhead quote template ready.
Visit during business hours and ask for the chief's assistant, HR, or the clerk. Keep it short. Leave a card and a photo sheet.
Contact the union, FOP lodge, or association separately. They often buy retirement gifts.
Visit veterans posts on a meeting night or during posted hours.
Follow up by email within a week with photos and your paperwork attached.
On the first order, send a proof, get approval in writing, and deliver early.

Scripts

In person, at the front desk

Good morning. I'm [your name], I own [shop name] here in [town]. We make retirement and years-of-service plaques, flag cases, and shadow boxes. [Show sample.] Who usually handles orders like this for the department? I'd like to leave my information with the right person.

Phone

Hi, my name is [your name] with [shop name], a local shop in [town]. We make service awards and retirement plaques. I'd like to find out who orders those for the department, and whether you need anything from me to be set up as a vendor, like a W-9.

Email

Subject: Local maker for retirement and service awards Hello, I'm [your name], owner of [shop name] in [town]. We make retirement plaques, years-of-service awards, flag cases, and shadow boxes, made here locally. I've attached photos of our work, a W-9, and a sample quote. If the department uses an official seal or badge on its awards, we will only reproduce it with your written approval and artwork you provide. If you have a retirement or awards ceremony coming up, I'd be glad to put together a quote. Respectfully, [your name] [phone] · [website]

Facebook message to a veterans post

Hello, I'm [name] with [shop name] here in [town]. We make engraved flag cases, shadow boxes, and plaques. If the post ever needs something for a member, a memorial, or an honor, I'd be glad to help. Photos of our work are on our page.

How to price the follow-on orders

Item	Example price (example only)
Retirement plaque, 9 x 12 in, engraved	Example: $85
Years-of-service plaque, batch of 10	Example: $35 each
Folded-flag case with engraved plate	Example: $95
Shadow box with engraved header	Example: $120
Memorial plaque, larger format	Quote per job

These numbers are only examples. Set your own from material and time. Give agencies a written price list they can file, and hold those prices for the year if you can; it makes budgeting easy for them.

Timing calendar

When	What happens
Before the fiscal year ends (often June 30 for cities)	Leftover budget; good time to quote service awards
May	Police Week and Memorial Day: memorial pieces, flag cases
Fall	Many annual awards banquets; Veterans Day in November
December to January	Year-end retirements and promotions
Any time	Retirements come up all year; stay in touch every few months

Checklist

Sample plaque with a generic emblem, and your info on the back
W-9, letterhead quote template, and invoice with space for a PO number
List of agencies, lodges, and posts with the right contact for each
Written approval for any seal or badge, saved with the job
Proof sent and approved for names, ranks, and dates
Delivery at least a few days before the ceremony

Mistakes to avoid

Reproducing a seal or badge without permission.
Getting a rank, title, or years wrong. Always send a proof.
Starting work on a government order without a PO when they require one.
Being pushy around a memorial. Offer help; do not sell.
Posting photos of personnel or ceremonies without asking.

Turning one order into repeat business

Keep every agency's approved artwork and layout on file so the next plaque matches.
Offer to handle the whole year's service awards in one batch.
Ask the buyer to let you know about upcoming retirements, and check in quarterly.
Attend a ceremony if invited. Be quiet and respectful; people will ask who made the plaque.
Suggest a matching station plaque or honor wall that grows each year.

Want Annie's to do this for you? We can set up your letterhead quote template, a service-awards page on your site, and a contact list of the agencies and posts in your area.