Inside the showroom at Joan's Trophy & Plaque Co., 508 NE Jefferson Ave.
As we celebrate a new class of 40 Leaders Under Forty this month, we find ourselves having to clear the air about an out-of-state company that has long sown confusion amongst our clients, contributors and people featured in our magazine. You may have even purchased one of their products!
Have you ever received a phone call or email about a recent article in which you were featured, congratulating you and attempting to sell you a commemorative plaque of the article for your wall? Most people assume they are affiliated with Peoria Magazines, and of course, they want you to believe that. But they are not.
The Problem
The company is called That’s Great News. They’re based out of Connecticut, and their business model rests on a foundation of misrepresentation. They sell plaques of copyrighted articles from third-party publishers, all while implying that they are a partner of ours. Not only that, they often harass people with multiple phone calls or emails—despite repeated requests that they stop.
We have been dealing with this unethical company for a long time. Several years ago, we contacted them and requested that they leave our clients and contributors alone, and they did… for a while. But we’ve received numerous reports about them over the last year, and it’s gotten especially bad recently—as they’ve approached our 40 Leaders Under Forty winners, Best of Peoria recipients, and others I’m sure we don’t even know about.
The Better Business Bureau has received dozens of complaints about That’s Great News for everything from harassment and business solicitation, to misrepresenting publications/news service providers from around the country. Nearly all of its Facebook reviews are from angry customers or angry publishers.
Call Joan's Trophy Instead!
While we encourage you to avoid That’s Great News, we do want you to put your recognition on your wall! That’s why we partner with Joan’s Trophy & Plaque Co., our exclusive, Peoria-based provider of commemorative plaques. The good people at Joan’s Trophy will never call you to solicit your business, much less harass you. They do a great job; they’re local; and their products are less expensive to boot!
If you are interested in a commemorative plaque of your article, please call Joan’s Trophy at (309) 674-6500 or visit them online at awardsnow.com. PS
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