D&S Trophies provides for community
Trending
FAIRMONT-- D&S Trophies, located at 119 Downtown Plaza in Fairmont, rightfully claimed the title of both Best Specialty Store and Most Community-Oriented Company in the 2026 Best Of Martin and Faribault Counties Contest. On top of this, D&S is also celebrating 40 years in business this year.
Owner Sara Cyphers took over the business from her grandparents, Don and Sharon Oechsle, who first started it in 1986.
"They started because they had a need for trophies because they did the kids pedal tractor pulls," Cyphers explained. "They started it (the business) in their basement and then started taking orders from other people and it got to where they didn't fit there anymore."
Growing up, Cyphers spent a lot of time with her grandparents.
"We were staining plaques and making trophies all summer long in the garage helping them out. I always say I started when I was 5," she said with a laugh.
In 1999, D&S Trophies moved to its current location on Downtown Plaza, where it's now been for 27 years.
In the early 2000s, Sharon got sick and Cyphers, in college at that time, changed schools so that she'd be closer to home and could help out. She also changed her major to graphic design.
"She passed in 2006 and she left me her half of the business," Cyphers said of her grandma.
She was in partnership with her grandpa until he passed away in 2016 and since then, Cyphers has run the business.
Changing the name of the business was something she considered briefly, but opted to keep it the same as it was well-known by that point. That's not to say she didn't change anything though, as there have been many upgrades and additions.
"When we first moved down here, it was just trophies and we had a diamond-dragging engraver, which is exactly what it sounds like," Cyphers explained. "We added screen printing, embroidery, updated to a laser engraver."
There's a reason they were acknowledged as the best specialty store as the business can customize and personalize nearly anything and everything.
"We do family vacation shirts, cups, cutting boards, blankets, hats. Basically if it can be printed on, we can personalize it," Cyphers said.
D&S Trophies customizes the uniform pieces -- shirts, hats, name tags-- for dozens of business in Fairmont and around Martin County and even beyond.
"Channel Inn, Jake's, Ambiance, name tags for El Agave, Day Plumbing, Devenish, most of the businesses in town," Cyphers said.
As for what it means to her, she pointed out that a lot of the businesses have been around for so long that she's seen some ownership changes, but that the support has stayed.
"It means a lot to have their business now and still do. Most of them aren't just customers but they're friends, too," Cyphers said.
In addition to supplying the gear for businesses, D&S Trophies also makes the fan gear
for school districts in Martin County, including Fairmont, Martin County West, Martin Luther, Granada-Huntley-East Chain and Truman.
"We get requests from other schools, too, on an individual basis, or for a specific team. We actually have coaches that come from Mankato to get awards. We ship awards to Redwood Falls," Cyphers said.
It's one thing to make this gear for local school students and their supporting fans, but D&S goes a step further and offers it up for free each year for some students in need through its annual Give Back program.
"For Fairmont, Granada, Truman and Martin County West, we work with the school counselors and they determine kids who may be in need. Each kids gets a T-shirt, a sweatshirt and a hat or a T-shirt, jacket and a hat," Cyphers explained.
She said this can either be for students whose families can't afford to purchase the school gear, or for a student who needs some extra encouragement or also as a reward for good or improved work.
This will be the fifth year D&S has offered the Give Back program in which bundles are given to 100 students across the four school districts around Christmas time.
As a long-standing business on Downtown Plaza, D&S participates in nearly all of the annual events including Merry & Bright and Crazy Days and newer events Sip and Shop and Prowl the Plaza. Cyphers herself is also very involved in the Greater Plaza Area Council.
In a business such as this, there's something to do year-round between creating awards and customizing various orders.
"Basically April to the second week in January is 'run'" Cyphers said, before thinking about it more and saying, "There's not really a down time."
Of course, she credits a lot of the businesses' success to her grandparents before her and the help and support of her staff, of which she currently has two full-timers, and her family.
Looking back over the last 40 years, Cyphers is proud of where they are now and what they're able to offer to the community. She hopes to see the business continue to thrive for another 40 years.
"I don't see it slowing down any, that's for sure," she said.