ICFA Calls for Design Excellence Entries
On June 06, 2016, In Industry News by Greg Thompson
HIGH POINT, NC - Entries are now being accepted for the 2016 Design Excellence Awards, the premier design recognition for home furnishings and accessories produced for outdoor living.
The competition is open to all companies exhibiting at the 2016 Casual Market Chicago, as well as outdoor fabric suppliers, who are not required to be exhibitors. The entry fee is $100 per product for members of the International Casual Furnishings Association, which coordinates the competition. Non-members may enter for $500 per product.
The entry deadline is 5 p.m. Friday, June 24, 2016.
Entries are sought in 11 categories: dining or…
Pride Family Brands Plans for Its 2017 Collections
On June 06, 2016, In Industry News by Staff
PRIDE FAMILY BRANDS HAS ANNOUNCED THAT DESIGN planning for its 2017 new-product debuts is on track to add, once again, multiple collections and hundreds of new items. Pride Family Brands is known for the depth of its introductions each season. To this end, its design and management teams recently met in the company’s manufacturing facilities in San Jose, Costa Rica, for a week-long 2017 new-product forum. At the gathering, prototypes of 2017 products set for introduction during the upcoming summer markets were unveiled.
Steve Lowsky, CEO, says, “Each season, we hear that retailers visit the Pride Family Brands…
Shay Geyer of IBB Design Wins Castelle’s High Point Furniture Drawing
On June 06, 2016, In Industry News by Staff
ATTENDING THE SPRING 2016 HIGH POINT MARKET came with an added benefit for Shay Geyer of IBB Design (Frisco, Texas). Geyer, a designer since 2001 and a furniture buyer, was the winner of the Trento sling dining set given away by Castelle®. Registration took place throughout High Point Market, allowing all designer visitors to the showroom a chance at the dining set (valued at $ 7,735). There was ample competition for the prize, as the Castelle showroom experienced record-setting attendance during the April market.
Steve Lowsky, CEO, says, “Pride Family Brands was thrilled with the expanded showroom traffic…
Summer Classics Promotes Schon Duke to Vice President of Sales
On June 05, 2016, In Industry News by Staff
SUMMER CLASSICS HAS PROMOTED Schon Duke to the position of vice president of sales for both Gabby and Summer Classics. Duke joined Summer Classics in April 2015 as vice president of sales for the wholesale division. In 2015, Duke’s teams launched multiple designer-friendly programs, which increased market share; reconfigured the company’s sales teams and territories, which resulted in exponential sales growth; restructured and grew Summer Classics’ annual national sales meeting and garden-party event; and launched a new program to ensure that Essentials products are in stock throughout the season.
Bew White, president of Summer Classics, says, “I am…
Foremost Groups Hires New National Sales Manager
On June 05, 2016, In Industry News by Staff
FOREMOST GROUPS INC. reports that Mike Runnells has been hired as its national sales manager for the outdoor division—specialty channel. In this position, Runnells will be directly responsible for developing and implementing Veranda Classics sales programs, managing the sales force, and serving a nationwide specialty customer base.
Runnells comes to Foremost Groups with over 40 years of experience in the outdoor-furniture and retail industry, including 14 years of owning and operating his own outdoor-manufacturing facility. He was most recently a Summer Classics sales representative for the Florida/Caribbean territory, where he showed outstanding success in sales leadership, in addition…
Design Outdoors Canada Scheduled for March 2017
On June 05, 2016, In Industry News by Staff
THE SECOND ANNUAL DESIGN OUTDOORS CANADA event (www.designoutdoorscanada.com) will take place on March 22 and 23, 2017, in Mississauga, Ontario, at The International Centre. March 22 will be a trade day, and March 23 will be a consumers’ day. Formerly known as the Outdoor Living Conference, the 2016 event (held in February) was a huge success.
Deborah Lalande, president of Bleu Venue Events and owner of Design Outdoors Canada, says, “This must-attend event is for interior designers, interior decorators, landscape architects, landscape designers, and outdoor-product vendors. New for 2017, we are thrilled to offer a day for consumers…
Evosus to Host Fourth Annual User Conference
On June 05, 2016, In Industry News by Staff
EVOSUS BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE, a fully integrated program designed specifically for the hearth/home industry, will hold its fourth annual user conference, Evosus Engage! This year’s conference will be held in Denver, Colorado, on September 22 and 23. This event gives Evosus users two days of in-depth education, networking, and direct access to product experts.
The goal of the conference is to create connections with Evosus experts and fellow users through networking and idea sharing, thereby introducing Evosus users to new features, new ideas, and process improvements. Evosus clients can register for the event at www.evosus.com/engage or can call…
Evosus Business Management Software Launches New Mobile Service App
On June 05, 2016, In Industry News by Staff
EVOSUS® BUSINESS MANAGEMENT Software, maker of an all-in-one software program designed specifically for the hearth/home industry, has launched a new version of its popular mobile service app for field technicians. Evosus Mobile Service empowers field technicians to find job information quickly, review customers’ work history, and close out jobs.
The app syncs in real time with back-office information, including job notes and pictures. It even has an offline mode for use in case technicians are out of cell-signal range. Evosus Mobile Service is currently live with over 100 companies throughout the United States and is available for Android,…
