At Stoltz Marketing Group, we work with a variety of nonprofits. Not for the recognition, but because it’s a good thing to do. But that doesn’t mean that we’re opposed to a little recognition from time to time.

Recently, the Idaho chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals named SMG the Outstanding Media/Marketing Firm of 2009, citing our work for Big Brother Big Sisters of Southwest Idaho, Idaho Rivers United and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Learn more about the award and all of this year’s winners here.

Thanks to Susan G. Komen for the Cure's Hilarie Engle for the nomination.

With some help from SMG, the former commercial division of Trus Joist is now Redbuilt Engineered Wood Products. A former Fortune 500 Boise company, Trus Joist pioneered the engineered wood category and was purchased in 2000 by Weyerhaeuser.

On August 17th, a group of former Trus Joist managers and Atlas Holdings, a private equity firm, bought the division back from Weyerhaeuser. But the deal did not include use of the highly valuable Trus Joist brand.

With little time to spare, the new company engaged SMG to help in the rebranding. Our work, which had to be completed in one week, included the new name (inspired by TJ co-founder Harold “Red” Thomas), corporate identity, graphic standards, web site and interim collateral. In addition, we completed a nationwide PR roll-out for local and national media, and trade press, including a press conference that attracted Rep. Walt Minnick, Gov. Otter and Mayor Beiter. Click here to see the press conference.

Just in case you missed this NY Times article on May 9 about signs of life in the Boise economy, we'd like to share an excerpt with you about our city:

"A former trading post on the Oregon Trail, Boise now has microbreweries, coffee houses and bohemian chic boutiques inhabiting brick storefronts downtown. Beefy men in chamois shirts debate fishing tackle over steins of beer, while others with goatees and pierced lips sip chai lattes and discuss herbal medicine."

Nailed it, New York. The author also quotes Peter Oliver from Brighton Corporation, an SMG client, about the early resurgence of interest in Paramount, a master planned community in Meridian.

This piece brings to mind similarly entertaining effort from National Geographic Traveler in 2006 by a writer from L.A.:

"We sit at the Lucky 13 pizzeria, where families, loggers, college students, and visiting city slickers line up for freshly baked pies. Many of them carry the pizza next door to the Garage, the town's favorite bar."

Loggers. Herbal medicine. Steins of beer. We truly have it all in Boise.