General Awards, Inc., the industry-leading awards and recognition manufacturer, was founded more than 30 years ago in South Florida by George Waas. Waas started in the industry as an awards and recognition products retailer, although he soon became interested in the supply side of the business. His retail experience proved invaluable for the development of General Awards as a wholesale source for quality awards products, providing him with a keen understanding of the market and a dedication to the industry as a whole that quickly established General Awards as an innovator and trend setter among suppliers.

Waas’ early pursuit of neck ribbons as a industry specialty, and his development of a manufacturing system and delivery process that could provide low-cost, high-quality ribbons virtually on demand, helped build General Awards into a major manufacturer and supplier to the industry, a position that the company holds to this day.

From the beginning General Awards’ emphasis on customer service, quality products and competitive pricing attracted a strong base of loyal customers. With product lines that feature the best classic designs coupled with creative new interpretations perfectly suited to the recognition traditions of today, General Awards remains the top choice for a new generation of awards retailers, a fact recognized in 1992, when General Awards was named Supplier of the Year by the Awards & Recognition Association (ARA).

Now owned and operated by Cinthia Waas-Russiyan and her husband Nicholas Russiyan, General Awards continues the family tradition of customer service, quality products and competitive pricing. In addition to their management and design responsibilities with the company, the Russiyans remain are active within the ARA industry. Cinthia, a former ARA board member, also held the position of ARA trade show chair for three years. They also maintain memberships in the Promotional Products Association International and ASI, as well as in other industry-related associations.

General Awards remains committed to serving the needs of the industry of which it is an integral part. As a leading innovator, as well as a leading supplier, General Awards stands well prepared to meet whatever challenges face the industry in the 21 st century, and beyond.