Outdoor Lifestyle Vice President, Virginia Hamilton, announced that the company would celebrate the company’s 20th anniversary of business in the United States on April 19th with an afternoon ice cream party and celebration for their employees. According to Virginia, “It is through the service of our employees, and the loyalty of our customers, that we are able to mark this milestone”.

Fred Ilse is the President of Outdoor Lifestyle, managing operations in its US production facility. The company’s parent company is located in South Africa, and is managed by Fred’s brother, Hans. The United States state-of-the-art facility is approximately 70,000…

Wolfgang Schroeter, Founder and CEO of Napoleon Fireplaces & Grills, was presented with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal at the Barrie City Council meeting in recognition of his business and corporate philanthropy.

“It is such an honour to be presented with such a prestigious medal,” said Schroeter. “I’m thankful to the community that has supported us throughout the years and it is always a great privilege for us to be able to give back to that same community.”

The Schroeter family is known for supporting a vast array of local causes, including Rotary Club charities, Radio for Radiology and a…

Bella-Dura® fabrics are exceptional, state-of-the art performance textiles that truly (OUT) perform on every level.  And now the company is going one step further with the addition of M-J Ramos to its merchandising & design team.  With over 20 years of expertise in the in the manufacturing and distribution of luxury textiles and trimmings, MJ brings her extensive experience, impeccable eye, and design acumen to Bella-Dura. 

“MJ is an exceptionally talented individual with an incredible eye and intuition for design,” says Bella-Dura/Wearbest CEO Irwin Gasner. “Her past collaborations have produced many of the best-selling fabrics and trim in production…

Seen in action, the boxy blue-andwhite machine at top right seems to be pumping fluffy green cotton candy into pillow casings. Obviously, it’s doing no such thing, though the material the machine is dispensing is still pretty sweet, in its own way.

Known as polyester hollowfill fiber, this soft synthetic substance is made from recycled green-plastic soda bottles. We use it now for the plush padding in different HammockSource swing cushions, and in several newer styles of our top-end hammocks.

Not to mention that we’re using it to create more domestic jobs as well!

Our new fiber-blowing machine is just…

High-performance shade manufacturer TUUCI (Miami, Florida) was selected to provide an installation for the Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, for its trackside racing VIP area. H.C. Haynes, an Austin marketing representative for outdoor products, says, “Architects were originally considering a residential-grade product for this area, which is when I was brought into the picture. It quickly became apparent to me that the track needed a highly engineered product that would also have the aesthetics you associate with international racing, and that TUUCI was the only company qualified to take on the project.”

TUUCI’s CEO, Dougan Clarke,…

Ronald Skeean of Casual Image patio store (Marietta, Georgia) received a trip for two to the Westin St. John Resort & Villas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, thanks to Solair®Shade Solutions. Skeean was randomly selected to win the luxury vacation after entering Solair’s Virgin Islands contest, held during the 2012 Chicago International Casual Furniture & Accessories Market™. The contest sought to encourage patio retailers to learn more about the demand for awnings and the benefits that these stylish shade products offer homeowners and business owners alike.

Skeean and Casual Image have been active in the Solair retractable-awning program since…

Leading hearth and grill manufacturer Vermont Castings Group has announced that, after receiving interest from a number of potential buyers, it has partnered with a financial buyer which has signed a Letter of Intent to purchase the company.

“We are pleased to be moving forward with the sale of Vermont Castings Group to a high-quality financial buyer,” said Dan Clifford, president and CEO of Vermont Castings Group. “The combination of our strong brands and products, a solid team and an aggressive growth strategy with this additional investment will ensure continued success in both the short and long term.”

The company’s…

Sunbrella® fabrics featuring recycled content continue to expand with the latest addition from internationally acclaimed home-furnishings designer Richard Frinier. His newest creation for Sunbrella, Origins, takes advantage of the rich surface texture and mottled colorways that are making Sunbrella Renaissance fabrics increasingly popular with the design trade and consumers.

“We are living at a time when people are more interested than ever in reducing our carbon footprint,” Frinier says. “As a designer, it is important to design what comes next while also being mindful of what came before. Renaissance yarns provide a wonderful material for incorporating the lineage of…