McCelebration!

This past week, over 13,000 owners, operators and guests of the largest and most global retail food chain gathered in Orlando for a worldwide convention to share ideas, celebrate success and look at ways to improve for the future. It was a McCelebration indeed as McDonald’s marked its 55th year in this growing industry.

This was no ordinary corporate convention. While strolling down International lane in the enormous exhibit hall, you might run into the Hamburglar or stop by the international tasting station to sample the latest culinary delight. Many in attendance catch up with old friends, purchase valuable vendor offerings, trade collectable treasures or attend sessions to learn to better meet the needs of their customers.

McDonald’s leads the global food service industry with more than 30,000 local restaurants, in more than 119 countries, serving over 60,000 people each day. MTM has been a strategic recognition partner with McDonald’s since 1977 creating custom jewelry and awards programs inspired by familiar icons both past and present.

For Denny Elliott, those icons are all too familiar. "I’ve been designing custom jewelry for McDonald’s since our relationship began and it’s always a joy and a challenge to create pieces that are rich in heritage, yet contemporary," said Elliott, lead designer for MTM’s jewelry facility in Princeton, IL. "My goal is to create one-of-a-kind symbolic pieces that represent the history and value of each icon."

MTM has had the distinct privilege of working in many areas of recognition within McDonald’s for over 33 years, including service awards as well as custom performance awards for owners and operators throughout the globe.

Most recently, MTM was chosen to be a certified vendor in the awards category for the new McDonald’s Spendsmart program, an online database of proven and trusted vendors within the McDonald’s family. This program was created in an effort to streamline purchasing decisions and keep only the best of the best, going from approximately 10,000 vendors to only a few hundred.

"McDonald’s understands that by putting value in their people, they get value in return," said Jim Sonnenberg, MTM’s recognition consultant to McDonalds. "In my 33 year tenure with McDonald’s, I’ve made valuable friendships and relationships and have been honored to be a consultant to the McDonald’s family."