Celebrate Presidents Day with Promotional Maglites
Happy Presidents’ Day! Today isn’t just a day to celebrate Washington, Lincoln, and the presidents of generations past, but also a day to celebrate the presidents of our generation.
Did you know…
In 1885 George Washington’s birthday became a federal holiday
In 1971 the holiday’s name changed to “President’s Day”
Under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act in 1971, the government changed many federal holidays from specific days to a series of predetermined Mondays, creating more 3-day weekends for workers.
What is the bravest thing you’ve ever done? For a lot of us, that might be something as minute as killing that large spider in the corner of your bathroom. Or maybe you are a brave woman who has gone through childbirth (or you are the brave husband who stood beside her). Bravery has many faces. For a very special group of Americans, the bravest thing they’ve done is protect and defend our country in times of war.
Today is Veterans Day, a very special day in which Americans celebrate and honor all military veterans. The holiday originated as Armistice Day in 1919, as it honored the ending of WWI on the 11th hour of 11th day of 11th month in 1918. But in 1954, after the end of WWII, Armistice Day was renamed Veterans Day in order to honor American veterans of all wars, not just those who fought in WWI.
What better way to celebrate and thank our veterans than with an American flag mini Maglite flashlights. Handing them out at your company or town’s Veterans Day celebration will brighten up everyone’s day.
Anthony Maglica, the heart and soul of Maglite flashlights
Anthony Maglica is probably the best example of an American success story. He was born in NYC during the great depression (1930). His mother was Croatian, and decided to take him to her home country of Croatia and raise him there. At the time, no one would have expected him to become the most successful businessman in the USA. In 1950, he got married, became a father, and moved his family to the United States, and out of the Communist control of Croatia. Neither Anthony or his wife could speak English, making it rough to survive here.
The rest of this “rags to riches” story continues with his opening in 1955 of a small machine shop in Los Angeles, named “Mag Instrument”. He made machine parts for the military and started to make a few dollars.
Fast forward to 1979, which is the first year that Anthony made the amazing flashlight, called the “Mag-lite”. It was a big hit with the policemen, because it was aluminum, rugged, and dependable. That basic design hasn’t changed much to this day. But he developed other Maglite Flashlights in the next several years, in the 1980’s.
Early 1980’s- The first Maglite® Rechargeable Flashlight System (TM)
1984- Mini Maglite® using AA batteries
1987- Mini Maglite® using AAA batteries
1988- Solitaire using only one AAA battery
The rocky part of the history involves lawsuits. A major one was filed by his former live-in girlfriend, Claire, of over 20 years, in 1994. The jury awarded her $84 million, which was a big chunk of the value of the company. That was a rough time for both of them.
Other lawsuits have been filed, and won, over the years, by Maglite Flashlights over copyright infringement. Maglite® does have a full-time legal department on site, to take care of these matters.
After this rocky history, Maglite® has become a standard for all flashlights. It has been called “the Cadillac of flashlights” by the Wall Street Journal in 1996. Indeed it is.
Most metal and smooth wood and synthetic material can be laser engraved. And some smooth wood and synthetic material can then be color-filled with a paint-like product. But when it comes to putting a color-fill on metal, you’re dreaming in the last century. It was possible to laser engrave and color fill metal at that time, but everyone quit doing it because of the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). Zippo was a leading company that used that process of color imprinting. It was a good way of imprinting, because the color couldn’t scratch off. It was in the debossed part of the design.
So, back to 2019, you can’t get a metal object like a Maglite engraved and color-filled. But that’s not a big problem, since most Maglites are made of anodized aluminum. The color of the aluminum shows through the laser engraving once the laser removes the surface layer of color. The Maglite then shows your logo as being whitish. Even if you order a gray colored Maglite, the engraving isn’t very noticeable, but the look is fashionable.
Another way of getting MagLites® with your Full Color Imprint is “full-color surface printing”. This technique was just developed in the last 10 years. Every printing company has its own name for this process. “Color Rich”, “Spectra Color”, and “ColorVast” are some of the trade names.
Be the best Santa this year, and give the best Christmas present to all your employees! Why choose to put your company logo on Maglite Flashlights? Here are the key answers:
They are perfectly suitable for any age, and either sex.
Maglites last forever, even though the warranty says 10 years.
If the Maglite® is still around, so is your logo, which is permanently laser engraved on the barrel.
If you are a business owner, here are powerful ways to present a Maglite engraved with your logo. Don’t ever give a quality gift in a casual manner.
Present the Maglites® at the annual business banquet.
Give them as safety awards at your yearly safety meeting.
Give them one at a time, as each recipient walks up to the podium beside you.
Take a group picture of all the employee recipients, and include it in the press release you give to the newspapers.
When visiting your best customers, present the Maglite® to them as soon as you greet them. That is the sole purpose of your visit. Even so, they might use the opportunity to buy your product or services.
Following this advice will make your investment give you many rewards.
