CLEVELAND – December 2025 – Sonnhalter, a communications firm marketing to the professional tradesman in the construction, industrial and MRO markets, received a gold award in the “B2B Campaign” category at the 23rd Annual Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) Cleveland Rocks Awards competition, recognizing excellent communications programs and tactics.
The recognition celebrates Sonnhalter’s integrated public relations campaign in partnership with NIBCO to commemorate the company’s 120th anniversary and the grand opening of the Rex Martin Interactive Museum in Elkhart, Indiana.
The campaign blended strategic media outreach, social media engagement and storytelling to highlight NIBCO’s legacy of innovation, family leadership and commitment to education within the skilled trades. Through customized content, proactive editorial pitching, two key press releases and a high-visibility ribbon-cutting media event, the campaign amplified awareness among industry professionals, trade and local media, employees and the local community.
“We’re honored to once again be recognized by our peers at PRSA,” said Matt Sonnhalter, Vision Architect at Sonnhalter. “This campaign was incredibly special, not only because it celebrated a major milestone for NIBCO, but because it helped inspire future generations to explore careers in the trades.”
Annually, the PRSA-Cleveland Rocks Awards acknowledge Northeast Ohio’s outstanding communications programs, which incorporate research, planning, execution and evaluation. PRSA Cleveland Rocks Award winners demonstrate leadership in public relations and contribute to advancing the profession locally.
About NIBCO INC.
NIBCO INC. manufactures and distributes a full line of flow-control products and systems for applications in the residential, commercial, industrial, marine, irrigation and waterworks markets. NIBCO, a fifth-generation business with its headquarters in Elkhart, Ind., operates 15 manufacturing plants across the United States and around the world. Visit NIBCO.com for information on the complete line of NIBCO products.
About Sonnhalter
Established in 1976, Sonnhalter is the leading B2T marketing communications firm to companies that target professional tradesmen in construction, industrial and MRO markets. Sonnhalter’s brand identity highlights its expertise in marketing to the professional tradesmen. Its tagline, “Not Afraid To Get Our Hands Dirty,” promotes the employees’ willingness to roll up their sleeves and dig deep into clients’ businesses, also, it refers to the market it targets: the tradesmen who work with – and dirty – their hands every day. Sonnhalter developed the acronym “B2T,” which stands for “business-to-tradesmen” to capture the essence of its specialty. For more information, visit the company website at Sonnhalter.com.
About PRSA
The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) is the world’s largest organization for public relations professionals with nearly 32,000 professional and student members, and more than 100 Chapters nationwide. Serving nearly 300 members, the PRSA Greater Cleveland Chapter brings together public relations, communications and marketing practitioners throughout Northeast Ohio. Among the Chapter’s most important activities and duties is coordinating networking events and activities, developing and hosting professional development activities for members, serving as a resource for public relations students and providing recognition of excellence and best practices in all facets of the field of public relations. www.prsacleveland.org
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