The International Casual Furnishings Association (ICFA) named Gwen and Jack Raseman, and Allen E. Gant Jr., as recipients of its 2019 Lifetime Achievement Awards. The Rasemans, founders of Deck-N-Den Limited in Kalamazoo, Michigan, are the retail recipients, while Gant, chairman of Glen Raven, is the manufacturing recipient. “Family businesses are the heart of the casual home furnishings industry,” says ICFA Executive Director Jackie Hirschhaut. “ICFA’s 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award recipients exemplify the resilience, integrity and unique partnerships that characterize the successful family ventures in our industry.”

The Rasemans met in Germany and settled in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where Jack worked for his father’s business, National Storage. They added National Furniture to the operation and, when Jack’s brother took over the moving and storage business in 1974, Jack and Gwen changed the name of the furniture operation to Deck-N-Den Limited. Five years later, they won an Apollo Award for retail excellence and earned another in 1981.

Jack and Gwen were both active in what was then the National Association of Casual Furniture Retailers, or NACFR. Both served terms as president. Among their proudest accomplishments was helping to launch winter retail conferences to build professionalism among entrepreneurs. In 1997, Jack and Gwen retired and closed the store. They now live on Gull Lake in Michigan.

Gant, the long-time CEO of Glen Raven, the global provider of performance fabrics with over 3,000 employees, continues a rich family history. The company was founded in Burlington, North Carolina, in 1880 by Gant’s grandfather, John Q. Gant, as an apparel business. It became Glen Raven Cotton Mills in 1902. Gant’s father, Allen E. Gant Sr., invented pantyhose in 1953 and launched Sunbrella performance fabrics in 1960.

Gant Jr. joined Glen Raven in 1971, where he served in a number of positions, increasing his responsibilities until being named president and CEO in 1996. During his leadership, Gant tackled pressures from overseas competition that threatened many U.S. manufacturers. He transformed Glen Raven from a company focused primarily on apparel into one that created innovative performance fabrics for outdoor and indoor furnishings, the marine and shade markets, plus the automotive industry.

Upon his induction to the American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame, Gant said he was driven by Glen Raven’s motto: “Let endless possibilities begin.” An avid business and industry volunteer, Gant served on President George W. Bush’s Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations, the American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition, TextilePAC and the National Council of Textile Organizations. His honors include the UNC Kenan-Flagler Global Leadership Award, the Dale Carnegie Leadership Award, and the Award for Distinguished Citizenship from the North Carolina Chamber.

The Rasemans and Gant will be honored at the ICFA Awards Gala on Sept. 11 at the Hilton Chicago. ICFA members can order tickets here: http://www.ahfa.us/icfa-gala-res-2019. They are $85 per person or $800 for a table of 10. Non-member tickets are $110 each and $1,100 for a table of 10.