First the third and final section of the tower had to be raised up and lowered into place. The tower is 98 feet tall.

Then the nacelle, which houses the gear box and generator (and is bigger than a truck) was bolted on top of the tower.

Here's a better shot of the full tower. Cables were used to help align the nacelle.

Next, the three 49-foot blades were attached to the hub and raised up.

Then with more careful alignment, the hub was attached to the nacelle.

With the structure in place, we are now waiting for the electric company to test and commission the turbine.  Of course, we’ll let you know once it’s fully operational.

I am calling this post “Part I” because as you will see below, right now only the base section of the tower is standing.  The crane will return this weekend to complete the tower segments and the blades too, should weather and time allow.  Of course, more photos will be posted here once that occurs.

Unstacking the three tower segments

Getting the base segment of the tower upright

... and lowering it into place

Moving a blade- each one is 49 feet long

And the base in place. Almost looks like part of a space ship.

First and foremost, we wouldn’t have a reason to come in to work in the morning if it wasn’t for our customers.  We’re thankful for all of you, whether you placed your first order or your 40th.

We’re thankful for the increased communication with our customers.  We love the photos on Facebook, the suggestions you send in on postcards and in email, and the stories you share of how our products helped create a special moment.

We’re thankful for our loyal employees- there are more than a few people that have supported our company for twenty, even thirty years.

We’re thankful that the construction on our long awaited wind turbine is finally scheduled to begin in December. (Don’t worry- we’ll keep you posted!)

We’re thankful for pets, family, and the spirit of the season.    That about covers it- but let us know if we left something out!

Each medal has unique 3D detailing

If you’ve ever had the chance to look at a young athlete’s medal collection, you may have noticed something– there are usually a few medals hanging up in multiples.  Which leads to the next question– what do we have that’s new or different?  With both budget and unique design in mind, this year we created the Winner’s Circle medal series.

Our 2-1/2 inch medals are exclusively available directly from Hodges Badge Company, and come in antiqued gold, silver and bronze finishes. Available sports include: baseball, basketball, football, men’s gymnastics (2), women’s gymnastics (2), swimming (2), men’s track & field,  and women’s track & field.  For other sports, consider the Victory and Star Performer medals.  There are also two academic designs- the Lamp of Learning and Stack of Books.

Putting the medals in your hand, they feel heavy and substantial- similar to more expensive medals.  The Winner’s Circle medals start at just $1.35.  You can choose to customize the awards with our printed satin neck ribbons.

What do you look for when chosing a medal?  Does having something different make your awards more memorable?

Need supplies so that your school or students mark the occasion with spirit?  Hodges Badge Company offers not only the traditional anti-drug designs on red ribbons, but a wide range of customized educational takeaways. 

Put your own message on a dog tag. Available with or without engraved plate.

New this year (and very popular) are both stock and custom dog tags.  The dog tags are printed in full color, and can be ordered with a personalized engraved gold plate on the reverse side.

You can also choose to pass out buttons, keychains or ribbon wristbands.

Of course the classic red ribbon is kept in stock in over 40 designs.  Even better, prices for the ribbons have come down for 2011!  So even with a tight budget, each student can still have the chance to show their choice to be drug free.

Does your school or group have special activities to mark Red Ribbon Week?  We’d love to hear your story or see your pictures of the symbolic celebration.

Last year, the event was in Hartford, and highlights included watching the final men’s competition at the Visa Championships,  as well as saying hello to the Olympic Gold Medalist Nastia Liukin.

I can’t say for certain if we’ll bump into any stars this week, but I know we’re excited to meet our customers and show off  some new medals as well as our new custom dog tags.  Maybe we’ll see you there!

Our Wind Turbine arrives Friday August 5^th!

Our wind turbine will be arriving this Friday after its long journey from Chennai, India.  It left there almost two months ago and has visited many different parts of the middle east, the Mediterranean and several ports in Western Europe.  We expect the first of three trucks carrying the tower, nacelle and the blades to arrive by 8:00 tomorrow morning.  We (somehow) expect to have everything unloaded by 10:30!

If you want to view this as it happens, you can go to http://hodgesbadge.viewnetcam.com for a live feed of our parking lot and the wind turbine.  Unless you have already accessed a Panasonic web cam you will have to download a small plug in before viewing starts.

Need to know more information?  Check out past posts on the turbine here: http://blog.hodgesbadge.com/tag/wind-turbine/

We’ll keep you updated as construction progresses.  So check back here or on facebook for an up-to-date status.

Put your own artwork on each dog tag for a custom award.

If you’ve happened to sneak a peek at our new Athletic catalog, or if you caught our announcement on Facebook, then you may have heard, but for those of you just finding out, our newest product line is now available: full color dog tags. 

In addition to fully-custom dog tags (where you use your logo or artwork), our art department has designed stock images for individual sports.  Coming in August with our Scholastic catalog, there will also be new designs for academic achievement.  Want to use them for a horse or dog-related event?  We’ll be happy to add your group or show’s name to a stock design for your own unique and custom tags.

Our Torch designs are available in 12 sports

If you want to personalize each dog tag, you can add an engraved plate to the back for just 50 cents. 

To those of you that suggested we carry dog tags, we hope you’ll know that we take your suggestions seriously.  And if you’ve got a product idea we should look into, be sure to let us know!

Some designs are great for younger students

While Hodges Badge Company may be best known for equestrian, fair, and athletic awards, we want to let those of you working with children in schools and community programs know that we offer a full selection of red ribbons and drug free items for Red Ribbon Week.  Each year, the last full week of October is designated as Red Ribbon Week, a national drug awareness event.  By wearing a red ribbon, students and adults alike can show their stance on opposing drugs and drug use.

Need a red ribbon?  Check out our web site for 43 stock designs, as well as ribbons that can be personalized with your school or organization’s name, and 50 and 100-yard ribbon rolls.  Also popular for Red Ribbon Week are drug free buttons and wristbands.

Have you had an anti-drug campaign or drug awareness event at your school?  What items or activities were a hit?  Feel free to share in the comments.

Other designs get straight to the point

The casual visitor might not be aware, but the show is also a competitive event.  There are many categories with entries striving for the blue ribbon, from the basic cut roses and allium to creative classes for a parasol made of plant material to a design inspired by the Vanderbilt’s Chinese Tea House. 

Here are a few photos, courtesy of the Rhode Island Nursery and Landscaping Association, which played a big part in setting up the gardens and exhibits.  For more photos, there’s another full gallery available at About.com.

This arrangement's category required all flowers in white

A more creative display

An avian topiary

Commercial exhibitors set up full outdoor gardens as part of the competition

PS- For those of you needing awards as beautiful as those given out at the Flower Show, the rosettes shown are Ideals and Wheatons with gold rims.