COLUSA, CA (MPG) – After decades making trophies and plaques for local sports teams, pageants, and parades, Bob Kessinger, the last Colusa Stooge, has officially retired.
Kessinger sold LCMS Awards, named for the “Three Stooges Plus Shep” to Lloyd Green, owner of Stitches Embroidery & Customs, so the endeavor that was started nearly 40 years ago “for the community” will stay in the community.
Kessinger, (Mo) went into the non-storefront trophy business in 1984 with Larry Hicks (Larry), Roger Gibbs (Curly), and Bob Mackaben (Shep) so people did not have to drive out of the city or county to get the awards they needed.
“We were all involved with community sports to some degree; Larry Hicks was very involved,” Kessinger said. “We were all friends and Larry was always trekking to Yuba City or Chico to get trophies for whatever sports team he was involved with. One day, we just said, “why don’t we just do it ourselves.’”
With demanding jobs and being active in the community, Kessinger said LCMS was never more than a side business that was more about convenience for the community than profit.
“It was never really a big money maker,” Kessinger said. “What money we made stayed in the company, and, as one partner left, I would buy them out until I was the only one left. We always felt that we were doing this for the community, and it kept the prices down.”
Kessinger said in the past 10 years, he mostly dealt with repeat customers who purchased the same style of trophy each year.
“They wouldn’t need to come in to look at anything; they would just tell me what they wanted, and I would make it,” he said.
Although his diamond cut engraver, which is nearly 40 years old, has had little use since the COVID pandemic, Kessinger, 80, a retired Colusa County auditor, said it was time for him to give up the trophy business that has brought ease to people and local organizations who gave out awards for so many years.
Because he did not want to see that convenience for the community come to an end, Kessinger said he approached Green, after Stitches opened in Colusa, because he thought it would be a great fit for a company that provides a full line of custom products and apparel.
At the time, Green was in the process of selling the newspaper, but agreed with Kessinger that continuing the craft of making trophies would be good for Stitches, as well as the community, so he agreed to carry on the tradition that LCMS started in 1984.
“It’s getting harder and harder to sell people on buying local, but, like Bob said, it has been a community service of sorts to do trophies and plaques for local teams and events,” Green said. “You are not going to get that kind of service from an online company. You are just another number, just another order. They are not going to work with you, and you are going to pay a higher retail price.”
Green said he is looking forward to providing the service to Colusa County but also hopes to attract more customers who may not know there is a local company, especially after he opens an area of his store for a trophy showroom.
“Although in today’s world, just about everything is available online, sometimes you just want to see what the product is,” Green said.
Although Green said he still plans to use Kessinger’s traditional engraving equipment, which he calls a workhorse, to offer longer lasting and classic looking trophies, he also has laser equipment for those who want more modern looking that can now include mascots, logos, and photographs.
“I want to expand on what Bob has done,” Green said. “I want to give people more choices and give them the opportunity to come in and talk about what they want.”