ICFA honors manufacturers, designers and sales rep of year

Cinde W. Ingram -- Furniture Today, September 28, 2012

ICFA presents its annual awards for Manufacturer Leadership, Design Excellence and Sales Rep of the Year at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago ballroom.

CHICAGO — ICFA presents its annual awards for Manufacturer Leadership, Design Excellence and Sales Rep of the Year at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago ballroom.The International Casual Furnishings Association named OW Lee as Manufacturer of the Year along with recognizing Design Excellence, Manufacturer Leadership and Sales Rep of the Year during a gala ceremony Friday night at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago ballroom.

"O.W. Lee is very honored to receive this prestigious award from our retailers," said Terri Lee Rogers, co-owner and president of OW Lee. "This award touches each and every one of our employees, and we thank them for their hard work and dedication to our products and the company overall. We are so lucky to be a part of such a great industry."

One manufacturer was honored in each of nine categories for the design and quality of its products, along with its merchandising, customer service, ethics, communications and trade relations.

The following Manufacturer Leadership awards were presented:

OW Lee - Wrought Iron/Aluminum
Pride Family Brands - Cast Metal
Tropitone Furniture - Tubular Aluminum
Telescope Casual - Resin
Lloyd Flanders - Rattan/Wicker/Woven
Gloster - Wood
Treasure Garden - Shade
Woodard - Outdoor Lighting
Trans Ocean Imports - Outdoor Carpeting/Rugs/Flooring
Elaine Smith - Contemporary Casual

For Design Excellence, ICFA's Lillian B. Winchester's Best of Show Award went to Brown Jordan's Flight Adjustable Chaise, designed by John Caldwell.

"In 2012, the ICFA Design Excellence Competition saw a wealth of new entries which reflect the wave of new product introductions in our industry," said Joe Logan, executive director, ICFA. "Our manufacturers did an outstanding job in bringing exciting new designs to the marketplace for the 2013 season."

Brown Jordan's Flight Woven Adjustable Chaise by John Caldwell took top honors for Design Excellence in the category of Rattan/Wicker/Woven Materials Furniture.
Brown Jordan also won the Tubular Materials category for the Kantan Lounge Chair.

Design Excellence awards also were presented in the following categories.

Shade:
TUUCI - Plantation MAX F-1 by Dougan Clarke

Cast Metal Furniture:
The Veneman Group - Martini Barstool by Kara Karpenske - Kamarron Design, Inc.

Complementary Casual Products:
Gloster - Dansk Coffee Table by Philip Behrens

Wood Casual Furniture:
Gloster - Solana Dip Down Lounger by Povl Eskildsen

Outdoor Carpeting, Rugs & Flooring:
The HammockSource - Violet Pebble Yellow Outdoor Rug, Sawgrass Mills by Hatteras Outdoors

Wrought Iron/Wrought Aluminum:
Summer Classics - Verano Arm Chair

Outdoor Lighting:
Patio Living Concepts - Bamboo 120V LED Floor Lamp by Dale Klaus

Resin/Fiberglass Furniture:
Telescope Casual Furniture - Adirondack MGP Chair by Bill Vanderminden

Fabric:
Outdura Corporation - Crazy Horse Lemongrass by D2

Ward Usmar, senior VP of sales, TUUCI and incoming ICFA chairman, presented the Sales Rep of the Year Award to Dean Smith of Dean H. Smith Associates Inc. Smith thanked industry members and said he felt humbled and honored. He then recognized the companies he represents, which include OW Lee, Hanamint and Alu-mont, as well as retailers who he said "inspired and challenged us to do a good job."