Retailer, rep win GuildMaster's Amazing Race contest
Winners receive trip around the world or $10,000
Alex Lemonde-Gray -- Furniture Today, November 29, 2011
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Retailers Terry and Meg Troutman from O.P. Jenkins in Knoxville, Tenn., and Christie Blevins, a sales representative from Fort Worth, are the winners of GuildMaster's Amazing Race sales contest, the company announced.
 Christie Blevins |
Their prizes: A trip around the world visiting nine stylish cities, or $10,000.
More than 520 companies and 97% of GuildMaster's sales reps participated in the competition for a total of more than 2,600 entries.
"I can't believe I won," Blevins said. "I'm planning to travel with my husband and two sons to Italy. I have a big birthday coming up next year, and this is the perfect opportunity for me to spend time with my family and celebrate my blessings. I am truly grateful to have won."
The Troutmans own a fourth-generation furniture store that has been in Knoxville for more than 140 years. GuildMaster CEO Steve Crowder went to the store to inform the couple of their win in person.
"When we walked out of the store and saw Steve walking up in a tux on a red carpet with roses and a giant check we were amazed," said Meg Troutman. "It was a fun contest, obviously with a great reward for us as the winners. We do plan to travel at some point, but for now, we plan to use the prize money to continue to preserve the charm of our store that's been a fixture in downtown Knoxville for more than a century."
 GuildMaster’s Steve Crowder, right, and the staff of O.P. Jenkins pose with the $10,000 grand prize check in front of the Knoxville, Tenn., store. |
The Amazing Race contest ran on Sept. 6 to Nov. 18. During that time, each $1,000 in product purchased by a retailer or sold by a sales rep earned one entry in the contest.
"We were encouraged by the excitement that the race generated over the past several months among both our retailers and sales reps," Crowder said.
To identify the nine cities to which it would send contest winners, GuildMaster asked its Facebook fans to name their chosen "fashion capitol" cities and post photos on the company's Facebook page. The leaders were Sydney, Barcelona, Rome, Moscow, Monaco, Amsterdam, Milan and Buenos Aires.
This was the third GuildMaster contest of its kind.
"Now, we're working to come up with our next fun, innovative idea," Crowder said. "GuildMaster is known for setting the bar high and doing things a little differently. Brainstorming about the next great GuildMaster on Tour adventure has already begun."
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