What are the Cardinal Crystal Grooming Achievement Awards?

The Cardinal Crystal awards program for competitive groomers honors those professional groomers by recognizing outstanding achievement in six different categories.  The awards pay tribute to a variety of specific qualifications for each category in addition to technical merit. The Groomers qualifications must be listed at the time of nomination and are verified before they are eligible for the ballot. 

The Cardinal Crystal Awards were conceived in 1988 by Tony de Vos, President of Cardinal Laboratories and Shirlee Kalstone, then owner of the International Intergroom trade show for competitive grooming, for the purpose of establishing standards of grooming excellence and recognizing professional skills in the competitive grooming industry.

Who Can Nominate a Competitive Groomer?

To nominate and vote in the Cardinal Crystal Grooming Achievement Awards you must be a professional groomer conducting or working in a grooming business (salon, mobile, or in-home shop); a competitive groomer; a judge of grooming competitions; and instructor of a grooming school or program; a member of a grooming association; a journalist who covers the field of grooming or has published a book or text book specifically on grooming; a free-lance groomer who trains, educates, presents seminars or works for a manufacturer, retailer or catalog in a grooming capacity or as a grooming expert; a bather who works for a grooming establishment, a retired groomer who follows competitive grooming or a member of the Cardinal Crystal Grooming Academy, which is comprised of past winners. Grooming students are not eligible. If you have a question about your status to nominate or vote, please send it via email to Awards@CardinalCrystalAwards.com  If you have not voted before, please send an email to submit your grooming status for verification or your vote will not be counted.

Who sponsors the Crystal Awards?

Cardinal Laboratories is the official sponsor of the awards and MacFadden Communications is responsible for marketing and operations of the award. Cardinal has licensed the Brand Development Group of MacFadden Communications, publisher of Pet Business & Grooming Business, to market and promote the Cardinal Crystal Grooming Achievement Awards.

When and where do the awards take place?

The Monrovia, Calif.-based World Pet Association will host the event for the first time at SuperZoo, the national show for pet retailers and one of the industry’s leading events hosted in Las Vegas Sept. 13-15, 2011. SuperZoo has become a destination for the world’s leading groomers through the production of the Groomer SuperShow, which offers the latest trends, techniques and innovations, as well as national grooming contests.

Have new categories been added to the Crystal Awards?

There have been two new categories added to the Crystal Grooming Achievement Awards -- one for retail pet store groomers and one for a mobile groomer associated with a retail pet store. Those categories have been largely ignored in the past if the individual groomers were not competing in grooming contests.

The Categories: 

The American Groomer of the Year

Criteria:  Grooming ability, professional spirit and attitude, integrity, courtesy and good sportsmanship, condition of the dogs presented in competition, knowledge and application of the correct breed standards for appearance, humaneness to animals and, especially, the groomers wins, awards and accomplishments in the competitive ring during the year previous to voting.

The International Groomer of the Year

Criteria: This award commends an outstanding groomer from a country other than the United States. Criteria is the same as it is for the American Groomer. Grooming ability, professional spirit and attitude, integrity, courtesy and good sportsmanship, condition of the dogs presented in competition, knowledge and application of the correct breed standards for appearance, humaneness to animals and, especially, the groomers wins, awards and accomplishments in the competitive ring during the year previous to voting.

Grooming Contest Judge of the Year

Criteria:  This award recognizes the outstanding female or male from the United States of another country who has made a valuable contribution to the grooming world as a contest Judge.  Knowledge of breeds and their grooming procedures, knowledge of the rules of the contest being judged, good judgment of the competitor’s grooming ability, honest, integrity and courage of convictions.

The David G. Salzberg Award for Outstanding Contribution by an Individual or Organization

Criteria:  This category for Outstanding contributions to the competitive grooming industry and groomers in general is currently given in honor of David G. Salzberg, former owner of The Village Groomer in Walpole, Massachusetts, who was an example of an individual who personally inspired groomers and supported the advancement of the grooming industry.  The award specifically honors the Grooming Individual or Organization that has contributed most significantly to the advancement of the grooming industry through personal service or research during the past 12 months.
 

The Congeniality Award

Criteria:  The Congeniality Award pays tribute to the individual who has demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship, fellowship and camaraderie during the past 12-month period.

Retail Pet Store Grooming Salon of the Year with 5 stores or fewer

Criteria:  Awarded to the groomer in a retail environment who maintains the highest standards of professionalism and customer service. Through actions, conduct, and interactions with the public, this groomer has proven to be a positive reflection on the industry and has engaged in activities that promote awareness and appreciation for grooming services among the pet owning public.

Retail Pet Store Grooming Salon of the Year with 6 to 250 stores

Criteria:  Awarded to the groomer in a retail environment who maintains the highest standards of professionalism and customer service. Through actions, conduct, and interactions with the public, this groomer has proven to be a positive reflection on the industry and has engaged in activities that promote awareness and appreciation for grooming services among the pet owning public.

Retail Pet Store Grooming Salon of the Year

Criteria:  Awarded to the groomer in a retail environment who maintains the highest standards of professionalism and customer service. Through actions, conduct, and interactions with the public, this groomer has proven to be a positive reflection on the industry and has engaged in activities that promote awareness and appreciation for grooming services among the pet owning public.