Crown Trophy alternative · Cedar Park production
A Cedar Park Alternative to Crown Trophy
Crown Trophy is the biggest name in the awards business. It's a franchise system — the parent company is headquartered in Hawthorne, New York — with stores nationwide and two in the Austin area. Good company. Long history — they've been at it since 1978. They do trophies and they do them well.
If trophies, plaques and medals are all you ever need — Crown is a solid call.
We're a little different. Austin Print Co does trophies, awards, plaques, and laser engraving, but we also do the apparel, the drinkware, the swag, the UV-printed pint glasses for the brewery's anniversary, the embroidered staff polos for the awards banquet. Same shop. Same quote. Same pickup at our Cedar Park location.
For an end-of-year recognition program, a sales kickoff, a sports league, or a company event where you need awards AND a bunch of other branded stuff at the same time — that's where one in-house shop usually wins.
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Crown Trophy vs. Austin Print Co: Comparison
| Attribute | Crown Trophy | Austin Print Co |
|---|---|---|
| Business model | National franchise + online catalog (CrownAwards.com), same parent company | Family-owned, locally owned in-house decorator |
| Headquarters | Hawthorne, New York; first store 1978; franchising since 1987 | Cedar Park, TX (Austin metro) |
| Local Austin presence | Two Crown Trophy franchise stores in the Austin metro — each an independent franchise | One shop in Cedar Park |
| Minimum order quantity | No stated minimum on most trophies/medals; quantity-tier pricing at higher volume | 5 pieces DTF, 5 pieces embroidery; low minimums on awards/trophies |
| Setup / art fees | Free engraving up to 40 characters on most awards; logo setup may carry a charge on some custom items | No setup fees |
| Production model | Corporate manufacturing in Hawthorne + on-site engraving at each franchise | 100% in-house except screen printing |
| Standard turnaround | Same-day shipping on qualified in-stock online orders before 5pm ET; custom orders take longer | 9–12 business days |
| Rush options | In-stock same-day shipping is the primary rush path | Same-day on orders placed before 11am with print-ready files |
| Pricing model | Published online pricing; franchise stores quote locally; free ground shipping over $110 | Custom quote, no setup fees |
| Product range | Trophies, medals, plaques, crystal/acrylic awards, ribbons, belts, plus a smaller apparel/drinkware selection | DTF, embroidery, UV print, laser engraving, screen printing, drinkware, trophies/awards, swag fulfillment |
| Design services | Free artwork help on custom awards | Adobe-certified in-house design team |
| Kitting / dropship / corporate | Drop-ship available | Kitting and dropshipping in-house |
| Customer service | In-store with each franchise's staff; phone/email for online orders | Direct contact with the shop; ~1-hour quote response |
For a one-off trophy with a quick engraving, Crown is a fine choice. For a recognition program where you need trophies, polos, drinkware, and gift kits all at once — let us quote the whole thing. One vendor, one timeline.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a Crown Trophy alternative in the Austin area?
Yes. Austin Print Co in Cedar Park does trophies, plaques, laser-engraved awards and crystal awards in-house, plus apparel, drinkware and corporate kitting — services Crown Trophy doesn't lead with.
Crown Trophy vs Austin Print Co — when does it matter?
For trophies alone, Crown is built for it. For a recognition event that also needs custom apparel, branded drinkware, or swag kits, APC handles the whole order under one roof with a single quote and pickup.
Is Crown Trophy locally owned?
The Austin-area Crown Trophy locations are franchises of Crown Trophy, Inc., headquartered in Hawthorne, New York. Austin Print Co is independently family-owned in Cedar Park.
Does Crown Awards include free engraving?
Yes — Crown Awards includes free engraving up to 40 characters on most trophies, plaques and crystal awards. Austin Print Co also includes engraving in its quote and doesn't charge separate setup fees.