Utah Businesswoman Shelli Gardner Recognized by the Fourth Annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business
18 October 2007
For Immediate Release
Media Contacts:
Dana Robinson, Stampin' Up! 801-257-5336
Lisa Park, Bremer Public Relations 801-364-2030
Utah Businesswoman Shelli Gardner Recognized by the
Fourth Annual Stevie® Awards for Women
in Business
Stampin’ Up! CEO and Co-founder chosen as a finalist in two categories
SALT LAKE CITY
(October 18, 2007)—Shelli Gardner, Stampin’ Up!’s CEO and Co-founder, was
named a finalist in two categories in the fourth annual Stevie Awards for Women
in Business, an international competition recognizing the accomplishments of
outstanding women executives and entrepreneurs and the companies they run. The
Stevie Awards have been hailed as “the business world’s own Oscars.” (New York Post, April 27, 2005).
“I am so honored to share this recognition with the Stampin’
Up! family,” Gardner said. “This incredible achievement is a tribute to the
dedication and hard work shown by our employees and to the successes and
accomplishments of our many demonstrators who have established thriving
independent home-based businesses.”
Gardner is a finalist for the Lifetime Achievement Award and
the Best Entrepreneur (Non-Services Businesses – up to 2,500 Employees)
categories. Her achievements were selected from more than 800 entries submitted
for consideration in more than 40 categories.
In 1988, with little college or business experience, Gardner
invested her family’s nest egg (earmarked to build a new home) to begin
Stampin’ Up!, a leading manufacturer that offers an exclusive line of
decorative stamp sets and accessories for greeting cards, scrapbook pages, home
décor and other craft projects. Based on a desire to empower women with a
successful and flexible home-based business model, Shelli and her sister
founded a direct-sales company that began selling stamps and filling orders
from Shelli’s living room.
Today, Stampin’ Up! is a $240-million, direct sales company
that fulfills orders from a 300,000-square-foot home office in Riverton, Utah,
and claims more than 550 employees in Utah and abroad, and a network of more
than 50,000 independent sales consultants, called demonstrators, who teach the
art of stamping via in-home workshops in all 50 U.S. states, Canada, Australia
and New Zealand. In November, Stampin’ Up! will launch into European markets in
France, Germany and the United Kingdom.
“Being named a finalist in The Stevie Awards for Women in
Business is an important achievement,” said Michael Gallagher, president of the
Stevie Awards. “It means that
independent business executives have agreed that the nominee is worthy of
recognition.”
Finalists were chosen by business professionals worldwide
during preliminary judging. Members of the Awards’ Board of Distinguished
Judges & Advisors and their staffs select Stevie Award winners from among
the Finalists during final judging. Winners will be announced during a gala
event Monday, November 12 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
About Stampin'
Up!
Stampin' Up!, a
19-year-old, $240-million, direct-sales company, designs and manufactures an
exclusive line of decorative rubber stamp sets and offers accessories for home
décor, greeting cards, craft projects and scrapbooking. The company's size and
recent growth reflect the ongoing worldwide passion for decorative rubber
stamping and crafting. Its products are not sold in retail stores, but may be
purchased at home workshops or through a network of independent sales
consultants called Stampin' Up! "demonstrators." Currently, more than
50,000 demonstrators from the United States, Canada, and Australia and recently
New Zealand teach the art of stamping and share their enthusiasm for stamping,
scrapbooking, card making, and home decor.
About The Stevie Awards
Stevie Awards are conferred in four programs: The American Business
Awards, The International Business Awards, The Stevie Awards for Women in
Business, and the Selling Power Sales Excellence Awards. Honoring
companies of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies
recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more
about The Stevie Awards at www.stevieawards.com.
Infiniti is the presenting sponsor of The 2007 Stevie Awards
for Women in Business. Supporting
sponsor is JetBlue. Media sponsor is
Pink magazine. The Business TalkRadio
Network will broadcast the ceremonies live nationwide.
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