As 2018 comes to a close, so much has transpired in and around the Cushing color graphics lab.
Where do we begin?
We engaged with the community on many fronts and are spoiled by the enthusiasm of our Cushing team, who continually reaches back and contributes to on and offsite seminars like theses:
- Adobe workshop for “non-expert designers”
- Hosted the April meeting for the Chicago Museum Exhibitors group
- Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) Lunch and learn
- Hosted an Art in Architecture and Real Estate panel at the Design Museum of Chicago
- Technology in Design Panel with over 50 people during Chicago Design week
We hosted various tours and educational sessions for Graphic Design students, including the Young Entrepreneurs group from the University of Chicago. We added hands-on educational tours with Marwen Foundation and ACE Mentor Chicago who was assigned to build a structure for IIT.
Marwen Students During Their Cushing University Field Trip
Here’s an image of ACE students working together.
Students from the ACE Mentor Program working together at ITT
We were delighted to continue supporting ACE Mentor, City of Hope’s Spirit of Life dinner, March of Dimes Construction & Transportation Award Luncheon, and Veterans of America, among many other causes supported by our employees and clients.
Cushing co-hosted a panel on public art, design and collaboration at Design Museum of Chicago
Yes, that is correct, what a fantastic honor!
Cushing Won The Illinois Family Business Awards – Small Business Category
And the dinner at the Four Seasons was spectacular.
The newly launched Wide Format Impressions asked Cushing to be a columnist. And we’re proud of the new “expert” status that it provides us… who knew!?
Along the way, our team literally printed and installed hundreds of environmental graphics projects. See Some here or click the image.
The latest exciting news?
Cushing received the 2018 BBB Torch Awards for MARKETPLACE ETHICS.
Team Effort
I work closely with our marketing department (Catie Duffy and Jon Davis). We’re thinking constantly about our search engine optimization, guest blog writing, event marketing, recruiting and PR opportunities. Suffice to say, we stay busy!
Cushing has been an accredited Better Business Bureau (BBB) member for a dozen years. The Torch Awards came across our radar when their amazing Director of Public Relations, Thomas Johnson joined their team. An incredible guy, I’ve served on boards with him. Remember him from NBC local News?
Tom has gently reminded us each year to consider the application.
What are the Torch Awards?
The application was daunting! Lots of detail. But our Marketing team: Jon Davis and Catie Duffy took this on, and, here we are.
As Cushing approaches ninety years in business (2019!), the organizational philosophy continues to focus on these tenets, and this became a focus of the application:
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Celebrate employees
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Improve the customer experience
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Build fair and balanced business relationships with clients and vendors
The deadline rapidly approaching, we submitted our Torch application and hoped for the best.
September to Remember
In September, Cushing made the final round. Exciting news to be sure! We felt the application was strong – made no assumptions, and we’re happy to be nominated.
Jon asked me to be sure to attend the November 1 luncheon. If anything, it would be a productive networking opportunity. So, thinking this was the announcement event only, I headed to Oak Brook with zero expectations.
Attendees at The Torch Awards
An hour and half later? Firm names are being mentioned, Cushing was still in it – and they weren’t just announcing the finalists, they were handing out the TORCH !! I started to realize we might be picked.
Steve Bernas, President and Chief Executive Officer for the Better Business Bureau of Chicago
In fact, in the category of 11-100 employees, the list was even smaller. I literally tucked my shirt in tighter and wished I had worn a tie. Alan Krashesky of ABC local news, calls Cushing and specifically my name!!
Joe Cushing Receives The Torch Award from Alan Krashesky
Completely unprepared, I was happy to recite that any firm in the room was worthy of this, but, using the measure of integrity in the workplace as the barometer, I was delighted to accept on behalf of my sister, father, grandfather, and all the great co-workers we have here !
Joe Cushing Reflects on Receiving The Award
Congrats to everyone on the Cushing team, we are completely humbled and happy to be listed among many great Chicagoland firms as a Torch award winner.
We are excited for 2019!
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