Pella Corporation's Communications Team Earns Top Honor at PRSA Iowa PRIME Awards

Pella Corporation PRSA PRIME

Pella Corporation has been named the PRSA Iowa PRIME Award winner for Communications/PR Team of the Year, with an additional Merit recognition in the Event/Observance category for the company's Founder’s Day event, Pella Lives Purpose: 100 Years and Beyond. The awards, presented by the Public Relations Society of America Iowa Chapter, recognize outstanding achievement in public relations and communications across the state. 

Pella's centennial year presented a once-in-a-century opportunity and challenge, to share 100 years of purpose, innovation and community with audiences across the country while celebrating internally at 47 Pella locations. The communications team, alongside colleagues across the organization, rose to that challenge, executing a comprehensive, nationwide effort to honor the milestone in a way that was both far-reaching and deeply personal. That effort spanned months of coordinated planning across internal and external channels – from traditional mailers and save-the-dates for retirees, to enterprise-wide communications on Pella Connect, Yammer and Microsoft Teams for team members.  

On Founder's Day itself, more than 8,000 attendees gathered across 47 locations nationwide, with programming running across three shifts to ensure every team member could participate. Media outreach extended the celebration far beyond company walls, with a national wire release generating 557 published stories and a potential reach of over 213 million.  

The launch of Pella's new brand ambassador program added an authentic, employee-driven dimension to the moment, with ambassadors generating enthusiastic social engagement within just days of enrollment. What could have been a single day became a reflection of the company's culture: inclusive, purposeful, and built to last. 

"This recognition is a testament to the incredible people at Pella who made our 100th anniversary something truly special," said Karmen Gardner, Vice President, Corporate Communications & Employee Experience, Pella Corporation. “Our communications team and so many others across the company worked tirelessly to ensure that Pella's centennial story reached every corner of the country and resonated within every one of our locations. To be recognized by PRSA Iowa for that work is an honor that belongs to all of them." 

The Founder’s Day merit recognition highlights the team's centerpiece event of the centennial celebration: a purposeful, company-wide observance that brought Pella's history and future into focus for team members, community members and stakeholders alike. The event exemplified the collaboration and creativity that defined Pella's entire 100th year communications effort.  

The PRSA Iowa PRIME Awards recognize excellence in public relations and communications throughout Iowa. The Communications/PR Team of the Year award honors teams that have delivered stellar results and achieved meaningful goals. The Event/Observance category recognizes communication programs built around special events, commemorations and celebrations.