When someone approaches a milestone in life, it’s important to celebrate both the person and their life achievements. This can be done in many ways, but when recognition comes in a form that lasts, it is especially meaningful. This is one of the reasons that the plaque has long been considered a great way to note an exceptional achievement. Whether it’s a retirement award, a police appreciation gift, or a law school graduation gift, a plaque is a lasting and meaningful expression.

• Choose a significant plaque for a retirement award. Most people retire at an average age of 63. By that age, a person has been in the workforce a long time and has achieved a great deal. Noting this with an appropriate retirement award and the right kind of plaque not only honors them but encourages other employees as well. When surveyed, 86% of companies that recognize their employees regularly see an increase in happiness among their workers. A retirement award shows respect to the one retiring, but it also bolsters the entire company. A meaningful plaque is something tangible a retiree can look to for years to come.
• Marking a milestone with a plaque gives courage for the future. Graduation plaques, whether for law school or medical school graduations, show how much the giver recognizes the achievement. There are about 40,000 law school graduates every year, and making it through is an enormous investment of time and money. A quality plaque is a gift the graduate can hold on to and look at for the rest of their life. It’s there to remind them of what they have already conquered and give them courage and strength to face the next mountain they need to climb.
• Choose plaques for quality and design. The most classic plaque has long been the wooden one, engraved with a metal top plate. While this is still a solid choice, there are plenty of newer designs available that give that same feeling of quality and endurance. Laser etching allows acrylics, glass, and metals also be used on a plaque, and the quality of computer etching now means a plaque can have more than just words. Pictures, logos, and icons are now easy to add to a quality plaque.

Plaques of glass or crystal plaques, photo plaques, plaques with clocks: it’s possible to get just the right plaque in almost any design you can imagine. The right design on enduring materials makes a retirement award or graduation gift more than just a plaque. It becomes a true work of art. If there’s someone you want to honor and encourage, consider getting them a gift that will honor their achievement and sacrifice in an enduring way.