Factory work crucial to her success

Following is an excerpt from the article: Factory work crucial to her success

The variety allows her customers to find a gift that has a personal, individualized touch. But now, Gail Ahlers intends to go further. She is adding a new focus to her business by concentrating on custom-made, corporate gifts and awards, such as the one the Pawtucket Foundation recently presented to Michael Cassidy, the city’s retiring director of planning and development.

The handsome award shows cherry blossoms and the Pawtucket Foundation logo in a wide, wooden frame. This year was the first Cherry Blossom Festival held in Pawtucket, where a row of donated cherry trees now grace part of Roosevelt Avenue, so that’s why Ahlers said she included the blossoms, whose petals she cut from soda cans. The frame is made of reclaimed wood from a Pawtucket mill. “I am using a lot more recycled and reclaimed but extraordinarily high-quality materials,” she said.

For the Atlantic State Fisheries Commission, a regular client of hers, she has created gifts that members receive at annual conventions, such as a letter-opener in the shape of a fish or a key chain resembling a horseshoe crab. Such gifts “really have a completely different feeling than, say, giving them a baseball cap with your logo on it,” Ahlers said.

View entire article at PBN on line. Source PBN Staff Writer: Denise Perreault Photo: Brian McDonald

Sassy Ladies Wendy Hanson of Blog Talk Radio interviews Gail Ahlers, Ahlers Designs

Gail Ahlers of Ahlers Designs Recent Blog Talk Radio Interview

Gail Ahlers of Ahlers Designs was recently interviewed on Blog Talk Radio by Sassy Ladies Expert Wendy Hanson.

Here is some of what Blog Talk Radio learned about Gail Ahlers, Ahlers Designs, how Gail tuned her artwork into a successful woman owned business as well as Gail Ahlers love for and commitment to both her community and women in business.

Date: 6/30/2010 Length: 31 min
About Ahlers Designs: Since 1989 Ahlers Designs has provided our clients with innovative gift solutions, offering high end quality corporate gifts and awards. We work with you to create either custom one-of-a-kind gifts or items in large quantities, taking into consideration your industry, the lead time and budget for each project. Our clients include Habitat for Humanity, Lotus, Raytheon, Teknor Apex.

Gail Ahlers was born in the New York area, Gail Ahlers moved to Providence to attend RISD, graduating in 1985 with a BFA in Light Metals. In 1989 Gail formed Ahlers Designs, Inc. . She is an alumnae of the TUCK WBENC school and is also WBENC certified. She is an award winning designer, a philanthropic spirit and the president of her own company. Ahlers Gifts

To hear Wendy Hanson's interview with Gail Ahlers of Ahlers Designs go to Blog Talk Radio.

Friends, Love & Shoes…What else does a girl really need?

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Simple Custom Shoe Creation

Anyone that knows me knows how much I love shoes. I am blessed with a 6/12/-7 shoe which means I can usually get shoes on sale. I have always loved shoes. Once I had a roommate and she had size 6 1/2 and we shared our shoes- wow what a collection that was. Emelda Marcos move over.

Recently one of my friends was invited to wedding. She did not know what she was going to wear to the wedding. She was in a panic. I love this women and tried to calm her fears by getting her to take it one step at a time. We decided that she should go home and assess her options. She went home and tried on the various outfits and found one she liked. OK, so now she was not so worried about the event.

Once we knew what she would wear we proceeded to the accessories. She did not have matching shoes. Again I could see the anxiety in her eyes. I sent her home again to find shoes that fit her well, that were comfortable. She came back with gray pair of shoes.

This is where the fun begins. I took the gray shoes painted them with a mixture of really fine black sparkles and black paint. Then I gave the heals a second coat with just the sparkles. The next step was the front ornaments for the shoes. I took a couple of components that had Swarovski Crystals in them that I got at a craft store and hot glued them on the tops of the shoes.

But then I decided to send this friend to the event with more than just the shoes. I wrote two poems. I wrote them on the bottom of each shoe sole. Vahhh laa.. ….Cinderella was ready for the ball. She was well dressed and had more than an angel in her pocket. She had great shoes.

Friends, Love & Shoes. What else does a girl really need?

Father’s Day Gifts

FATHERS DAY IS UPON US!

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With Fathers Day just a couple of weeks away, how many people are thinking wouldn’t it be great to give Dad something different this year? Do you sit around and wonder, what kind of Fathers day gift would my Dad really like?

Well here are a few unique Fathers day gift ideas that Dad is sure to appreciate.

[singlepic id=114 w=200 h=133 float=left]If your Dad likes to fish then this fish bottle opener is sure to be a Dad pleaser! Ahlers gifts fish bottle opener is unique because it’s shaped like a fish and at the same time it’s practical because every fisherman takes cold drinks with them when they go out on their fishing excursions. Ahlers Gift’s fish bottle opener is hand crafted in the USA, cast in Pewter and then finished with Silver Ox plating. This fish bottle opener is guaranteed make a big splash with all Dads that love to fish.

[singlepic id=115 w=200 h=133 float=right]Maybe your Dad loves to spend his days out on the golf course. If your Dad is an avid golfer then Ahlers Gifts is definitely the place for you to find the perfect Fathers day gift. Ahlers Designs has a wide assortment of unique golf gifts for fathers who live to play golf. Present your Dad a very practical golf gift that he will use daily. These golf gifts are also hand made in the USA. Each golf inspired emblem is cast in pewter and hand colored using durable enamel!

[singlepic id=119 w=200 h=133 float=left]Is your Dad a business man who keeps his business cards in his wallet? If he is then Ahlers Gifts has the perfect gift for you to get your Dad for Fathers Day. A great idea for Fathers Day in this case is to get your Dad one of Ahlers Gifts handcrafted business card holders. These business card holders are constructed of durable steel. Ahlers unique business card holders vary in finish as well as in the number of business cards they will hold. Each business card holder in the Ahlers Design Collection is uniquely decorated with a cast pewter emblem that is hand colored using durable enamel, also made in the USA.

These are just three of the many unique gift ideas that you will find at Ahlers Gifts. Ahlers also carries key chains, credit card holders, leather check book covers and desk accessories. You can choose to embellish your Fathers day gift from the many designer emblems created in the Ahlers Design studio; that range from sports to marine to cars; travel, music, medical, money and more. You're sure to find a gift that relates to your Dad's hobbies, interests or business. Visit Ahlers gifts to see our selection of gifts and to place your gift order before Fathers Day.

Custom Corporate Gifts

Custom corporate gifts are a unique way to express your gratitude to valued employees. At Ahlers Designs, custom corporate gifts are designed to perfection. When you show gratitude toward your valued employees by presenting them with a custom corporate gift from Ahlers Designs they will surely understand how much they are appreciated.

Unique Gifts at Ahlers Gifts

Searching for unique gifts? Are you longing to come up with new gift ideas. You can find original gifts that are also hand crafted gifts at Ahlers Gifts your one stop shopping spot for original gifts to give to all people for any occasions.

WBENC Conference 2010

This March, I was lucky enough to attended the WBENC Women's Business Summit in Washington DC. While I was there I had the pleasure of catching up with Julia Hubbel. Julia and I both attended the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth last fall. Julia Hubbel is an award-winning entrepreneur, international professional speaker, seminar leader and prize-winning journalist who specializes in the art of influence, relationships and connecting. Her innovative work in networking has resulted in a unique model for meeting others, and is the basis for her forthcoming book, CLICK: Make Your Connections Count.

Also pictured, is Sharon Hoffman Avent; I met Sharon at my very first WBENC conference in LA three years ago. For over a half-century, women have guided Smead Pioneering women's entrance into the boardroom, the mother-daughter team of Ebba Hoffman and Sharon Avent have helped blaze a trail for future women-business owners with their high ideals, achieving unparalleled growth, success and environmental stewardship.

I respect and admire both of these women, for their achievement in business. I look forward to seeing them and meeting new friends and business associates in Maryland at the 2010 WBENC conference. For more information on the WBENC conference go to: Women in Business 2010.

Destination Success

Exploring Women’s Business Enterprise National Council Certification (WBENC) www.wbenc.org New England companies get certification through CWE- other states have certification through other organizations. If your business is at least 51% women owned, managed and controlled, you could qualify for this certification which provides a rich business network and access to a world of corporate contracts. Pursue supplier diversity contracts with Fortune 500 companies, large entities, and municipalities nation wide. The Center for Women & Enterprise is a the New England regional partner organization for the largest women business enterprise third party certifying entity in the nation, the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Information sessions will be held online via Microsoft Live Meeting.

Passport to Pawtucket

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The City of Pawtucket approached me about Ron St. Pierre, a recent inductee into the Rhode Island Radio Hall of Fame. I am a well-known advocate for the arts in Pawtucket, and as Pawtucket is Ron St. Pierre’s hometown, the city thought it would be a meaningful gesture to provide Ron with a gift that reflected his roots.

The outpour of support from local business was truly remarkable and I was presented with the task of creatively organizing all of these wonderful gifts. This is how I came up with the idea to create “The Passport to Pawtucket”. Using an antique suitcase from the wonderful Rhode Island Antique Mall I set about organizing all of the generous contributions provided by our local community.

I organized the gifts into three main categories; activities, food and presents. The suitcase was literally brimming with good will and Rhode Island favorites ranging coffee syrup to theater tickets. The PAWSOX generously donated tickets, an official Pawtucket Red Sox Jacket and baseball. To name a few, Ron St. Pierre will be busy dining this year with at delicious eateries around the city, Rasoi and LJ’s Barbeque. Ahlers Designs gave him a Rhode Island Sailboat business card case and a leather luggage tag to match.

The gift was received with grace and I had the pleasure of speaking with Ron St. Pierre himself, the morning after it was presented. His phone call reminded me why I make my living with my gift collection and custom designs. Giving gifts that matter is not just a slogan to me, it is a way of leading my life. Showing appreciation and sharing thankfulness is a vital part being in a community.

Mothers Day Gift Ideas at Ahlers Designs

Mothers Day Gift Ideas at Ahlers Designs

Mothers Day, the second Sunday in May is a national holiday, celebrating mothers and all that they do for us.

The original idea for Mothers Day in the United States was not actually a day for celebrating mothers.  It was a day which was organized by an Appalachian homemaker named Anna Jarvis. Anna’s intention was to bring awareness to poor health conditions in her community. She called this day “Mothers Work Day” because she believed that mothers would best be able to advocate the awareness of these poor health conditions.

Anna’s selflessness is a prime example of why we honor mothers around the nation. A mother is a person whose love for her children drives her to put herself aside to focus on her family. A mother prides herself on the upbringing of her children.  A mother’s efforts and selflessness are often overlooked, yet this is still ok with her because her appreciation is in knowing that she has taken the best possible care of her family.  A mother is a person who thinks about her children every day. It’s for this very reason that we celebrate Mothers Day.

How often is it that Mothers Day arrives without us even realizing it? Let’s think about how we honor our Moms, very often we honor mothers in a repetitive fashion. At the last minute, without much thought, we grab what we believe to be her favorite flower bouquet and a popular box of sweet chocolate on the way to visit with her for an hour.

Mothers Day is just around the corner. This year for all that your mother does for you; why not celebrate Mothers Day by stepping out of the usual flower and chocolate routine. Stop to take just a moment to add a creative touch and honor your mother with a gift that is both elegant and practical.

Seen in the images above, Gail Ahlers of Ahlers designs has created a wonderful variety of <a href="http://www.ahlersgifts.com/category/02_gift_ideas.02_gifts_for_her/">gifts for Mom</a> that you can choose from.  These gifts will add both a unique and personal touch to the gift that you choose to present to your Mother with on Mothers Day. These gifts can be created around the hobbies and interests of your mother. Mom is sure to place extra value on such a gift because it will tell her that you do know and love her.

The thought that you put into choosing a gift from the Ahlers gift collection will leave a lasting impression on your mother because it will show your mother the levels of appreciation that you have for her and all that she does for you.

*Ahlers Gifts are hand made in the United States
*Don’t forget to view our special offers page.