Luxury casual-furniture designer and manufacturer Pride Family Brands recently reported that its in-season custom orders have surpassed those for the same period in 2011. The positive growth being experienced by the company is reflected in increases in custom-order sizes and the frequency of casual-retailer orders, as well as in the higher-end products selected.

“The custom-order segment of our business has always been significant,” Steve Lowsky, president of Pride Family Brands, explains. “In 2012, we are experiencing increases from retailers across categories and regions of the country. We feel, if…

Pride Family Brands, designer and manufacturer of casual furniture, announces that it has finalized an agreement withMMPI for the relocation of its company’s showroom to the 15th floor of the historic Merchandise Mart in Chicago, Illinois. Pride’s relocation (from its current location on the 17th floor) is part of the Merchandise Mart’s anticipated reconfiguration of the casual/outdoor-furnishing floors, intended to offer designers and buyers a seamless experience while shopping the outdoor showrooms.

Steve Lowsky, president of Pride Family Brands, says, “For years, Pride Family Brands has been committed to maintaining a major presence within the Merchandise Mart and is excited…

Cal Spas, the world leader in luxury home-resort products, has introduced its new UV-light purifying system, PureCure™. The PureCure purifying system is an eco-friendly water-clarity system that successfully purifies water by using the power of natural UV light to kill the bacteria, algae, and viruses often associated with traditional ozone and other water-clarity systems.

PureCure’s use results in smooth, silky spa water that leaves bathers feeling clean and fresh. This exclusive UV-light purifying system effectively destroys microorganisms without off-gassing or releasing harmful chemicals into the air or onto the skin.

“At Cal Spas, we are focused on offering…

Galaxy Outdoor recently hired Phillip Williams to head marketing activities for the company. With 15 years of experience in the print and advertising industry, Williams brings the company innovative marketing concepts that will help Galaxy Outdoor reach its audience. As CEO of Vista Grafix, a Nevada large-format–printing company, Williams helped both small retailers and national companies boost their visibility in the marketplace and gain brand exposure through print marketing and creative advertising efforts.

With a passion for marketing, Williams understands the needs of retail dealers, as well as how to…

Pelican Reef Wicker, manufacturer and distributor of high-quality casual furnishings since 1983, partnered with Panama Jack, in 2011, to be its outdoorfurniture supplier. This year, it will introduce two new collections at the ICFA Preview Show™(formerly Casual Pre- Market) in Chicago, Illinois, in July.

Allen Calzadilla, president of Pelican Reef Wicker, says, “The past five months have been sensational, with the introduction of Panama Jack’s Island Breeze collection. We are so excited to be able to give our existing and new dealers a chance to touch and feel the new Leeward Islands collection and get a peek at the upcoming…

Two industry leaders have come together to offer exciting new alternatives in flexible vinyl fabrics. Phifer Inc., the world’s leading producer of energy-saving fabrics, is the latest company to sign a Dow inside trademark licensing agreement with The Dow Chemical Company, the science and technology leader.

Phifer will be using Dow Ecolibrium bio-based plasticizers in several of its vinyl-coated fabrics in the window-covering, sun-control/shade, floor-covering, wall-covering, and outdoor-furniture fabric markets. Phifer rolled out the first of these applications in SheerWeave®sun control fabrics at Vision: The International Window Coverings Expo 2012, held in April in Chicago, Illinois.

Mark Edward,…

With the show still five months away, the 2012 International Pool/Spa/Patio Expo is off to a great start, as evidenced by the return of the big three companies: Pentair, Hayward, and Zodiac. The Expo will be held on November 6–8, 2012, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, with the educational conference taking place on November 3–8.

The participating companies, combined with other companies that made their choices in the early space draw, created the show’s most successful space draw since 2008; 322 companies were assigned 1,175 booths, taking 117,500 net square feet, or 82%…

The Merchandise Mart in Chicago, Illinois, the world’s largest commercial building and the epicenter of fine design, has announced that the Merchandise Mart’s casual/outdoor-furnishings floors will be reconfigured, offering designers and buyers a more enjoyable, seamless shopping experience.

Currently, shoppers must visit casual/outdoor-furnishings tenants (many of which are intermixed with different industries) on floors 15, 16, and 17. By consolidating these showrooms on floors 15 and 16, a casual-furnishings destination will be created, helping to reenergize this already vibrant industry.

John Brennen, executive vice president of Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc. (MMPI), says, “The colocation of the casual/outdoor furnishings…