Celebrating Success
The Story Of The Cardinal
Crystal Grooming Achievement Awards
Recognition, encouragement, solidarity – all are important in spurring
greater achievements in any human endeavor. It was this conviction that
prompted Tony de Vos, the president of Cardinal Laboratories to sponsor
the Cardinal Crystal Grooming Achievement Awards in 1988. As the head
of a company that at the time had been serving the groomers for 40
years, de Vos envisioned an award that would celebrate the achievements
of industry leaders, and inspire a greater sense of sharing and
cooperation among grooming professionals. "The Crystal Grooming
Achievement Awards were conceived in 1988 by Shirlee Kalstone, then
owner of the Integroom Show in New Jersey, for the purpose of
establishing standards of grooming excellence and promoting and
recognizing professionalism in the grooming industry."
Since
the first Cardinal Crystal Grooming Achievement Award was presented,
the awards have blossomed into one of the most widely known and
appreciated events in the grooming industry. The
Cardinal Crystal Grooming Achievement Awards provide a vehicle for
grooming industry members to recognize the exceptional accomplishments
of their peers. Nominations are made by professional groomers on the
basis of strict criteria of excellence for each of the six categories.
Over
the years, many of the most well-known and accomplished groomers have
won Cardinal Crystal Grooming Achievement Awards. Aside from providing
these groomers with some well-deserved recognition, the awards have also
served as a communications platform, making it easier for them to share
their knowledge and insights with other groomers, making the entire
industry stronger and more professional in the process – and that’s just
what Tony de Vos had in mind when he create the awards all those years
ago.In 2010
the Cardinal Crystal Grooming Achievement Awards took a major step
forward to remain vital and relevant in the 21st Century when
Cardinal Pet Care President and CEO, Tony de Vos, announced that his
company licensed the Brand Development
Group of MacFadden Communications, publisher of Pet Business & Grooming
Business, to market and promote the prestigious Cardinal Crystal
Grooming Achievement Awards.
Under terms of the
agreement, MacFadden is responsible for marketing of the “Crystal Awards”
while Cardinal continues to be the official sponsor for the awards.
The awards are held every September and are hosted at Super Zoo, the
national show for pet retailers and one of the industries leading events
hosted in Los Vegas. SuperZoo is a leading destination for
groomers internationally as a result of the Groomer SuperShow which
features the latest trends, techniques and innovations as well as
national grooming contests.
Cardinal has
presented the awards ever since its inception as de Vos’s way of giving
back to the people that supported Cardinal when the company was first
starting in the
pet business. “Our company was
formed in 1948, right after World War II.,” says de Vos. At that time
the company was manufacturing and selling beauty and hair care products
to beauticians. They called on many salons where women were grooming
dogs in their back rooms, using their beauty shampoos and bluing. The
ladies kept asking the company to develop specialty formulas for their
show dogs and finally compelled them to expand into pet products.
“Sixty-three years later we are still making beauty and pet products,”
commented de Vos. “Now we manufacture in our state-of-the-art solar
facility. Both Groomers and Cardinal have come a long way since then and
we are privileged to continue our relationship to this day!”
Click
here for
Description and Criteria for each of the
Cardinal Crystal
Grooming Achievement Awards
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