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Terryberry of Grand Rapids takes employee-recognition business into Europe

Grand Rapids, Mich. - November 19, 2010 -- A smaller world is helping employee-recognition provider Terryberry get bigger.

The 92-year-old business on the Northeast Side is partnering with JMPresentations in London for its first reach into Europe.

"Employee engagement is becoming a bigger issue in Europe," said Mike Byam, a fourth-generation managing partner of Terryberry.

He said European workers have traditionally been expected to stay with businesses for very long terms. Traditional U.S. programs such as the awarding of a pin or watch after 20 years of employment have not resonated in Europe.

"What's changed is the world is getting smaller and business practices in the U.S. are now common in other parts of the world and vice versa," Byam said.

Also, younger workers in Europe are increasingly connected to other parts of the world and more aware of the awards and recognition workers expect in the U.S., he said.

"More and more businesses in other countries are saying it's something we all have to do."

So, Terryberry and JMP will assist each other with clients and provide tangible awards to companies recognizing employees. Terryberry hired three workers in Grand Rapids to help in the expansion. It will not keep offices in London.

Terryberry, with 25 offices throughout North America, manufactures pins, rings, charms and other emblems at its Grand Rapids plant, where it also supplies a large list of customized gift items and creates recognition programs. The company employs 185, with about 120 in Grand Rapids.

Byam said the U.S. market is holding steady. While workers do not tend to stay with a company as long, businesses are offering awards at earlier milestones, such as 10 years. They also are providing more recognition to satisfy the demands of younger workers.

In Europe, Terryberry will promote its recently created Give a Wow program, where workers post a compliment about a coworker on an internal Web page.

The page also might have daily encouragement from the employer. The comments can be linked to Facebook, Twitter and iPhone apps so a worker's good deed can be seen by family and friends.

"For younger employees, it really gears them up," Byam said, adding that recognition programs can be an inexpensive way to boost morale and retain workers.

View the original article at Mlive.com.

About Terryberry

The Terryberry Company has helped organizations develop employee recognition programs to motivate and retain employees for more than 90 years. Terryberry has built an international reputation for its customized recognition and award programs which feature the highest quality employee recognition awards. Based in Grand Rapids, Mich., Terryberry develops and manages employee recognition programs for more than 25,000 organizations worldwide.