Open For Business: Spike's Trophies Focusing On Wins After Dealing With Major Losses During Pandemic
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The coronavirus pandemic forced so many companies to do things a little differently in order to stay in business. For Spike's Trophies in Northeast Philadelphia, it meant a big shift from focusing on wins to dealing with loss.
If you've ever walked away a winner, it's likely that Spike's Trophies was the company behind your gilded grand prize, shiny metal, or sparkling achievement that marked your big moment.
They not only commemorate you as you go places, but many times even tell you exactly where you are.
They're everywhere and do a little bit of everything out of their massive showroom and production house off of Grant Avenue.
Former employee-turned-owner Keith Baldwin says it's always taken a team for everyone to win, but when COVID-19 came, he felt like he was losing because he had to lay off every one of his employees.
"They're my family," he said. "They've been here for 40 years, 30 years, 25 years. I think the least amount of service was five years so I was affecting their lives. First time in my life I ever laid off an employee, March 20, 2:30. I laid off all 35 of them. Honestly, I thought we were out of business.
"A bolt of lightning, a manna from heaven, I get a call from my bank, First Trust. They just had another one of their customers get awarded the contract for the state of New York to make coronavirus test calls. They called me, offered me a deal and I couldn't say yes fast enough and at 4:30, I called everyone back and we became a call center for the next year."
While being up and running was a win, the sound of loss still rang throughout.
"Sometimes we called, it was too late. We're calling for your father, you answered the phone. We're calling to make an appointment, 'sorry, he died.' It was tough," Baldwin said.
Now, Spike's back to being Spike's -- celebrating the big wins and the small wins all the while honoring the losses.
"Sometimes they're the things that teach you the most, you learn the most from," Baldwin said. "Limit your pity party and I threw a hell of a pity party. Crawled up in a ball, crying, you know, 45 years of building something and then overnight, not your fault, it's gone. So that was very traumatic. Those emotions don't help you solve any of the problems. Instead of why me, why not me?"
