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Gift For Life Honors Portman
December 6,
2011 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Community/Charitable Support on December 7, 2011
AmericasMart Atlanta Founder John Portman Jr. will receive a special "Legend for Life" honor from Gift for Life.
Gift for Life, the gift, stationery and home decor industries' leading charitable organization, will honor the architect and developer at its Jan. 29 gala event in New York City in recognition of Portman's more than five decades of entrepreneurship and service to the industry.
Portman, a 1950 graduate of Georgia Institute of Technology founded Atlanta Merchandise Mart, now AmericasMart, in 1957. The complex now has 7 million square feet and draws more than 548,000 attendees each year participate to its 15 annual markets. By stimulating trade and tourism, Portman helped established Atlanta as one of the nation's premier convention cities. Three major downtown hotels Portman designed and developed--the Hyatt Regency, Westin Peachtree Plaza, and Marriott Marquis--anchor the convention district.
In Atlanta, Portman's AmericasMart continues to be among standard-setters for showcasing new products and offering excellent customer service. Most recently, AmericasMart opened Building 2 WestWing in January 2009 to offer more than 1.0 million additional square feet of product space. The expansion, which spans across four buildings, solidifies AmericasMarts position as the nations largest home, gift and apparel marketplace.
He has served as a board member of the Atlanta College of Art, and is Trustee Emeritus of the Atlanta Arts Alliance. He has also served as a Director of the Atlanta High Museum of Art. The Georgia Institute of Technology, his alma mater, presented him their highest honor, the Exceptional Achievement Award, in 1986. His numerous architectural awards include a lifetime achievement award from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat in 2009, the Silver Medal Award in 1981 from the Atlanta Chapter AIA for innovative design, and AIA Medal in 1978 from the National American Institute of Architects for innovations in hotel design.
"Mr. Portman's innovative designs and trailblazing vision are forever imprinted on cities around the world but most importantly his impact on our business is unmatched," said Peter Schauben, founder of Gift for Life. "For more than five decades his marketplace has served as a crossroads for buyers and sellers intent on creating better business. Hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs owe him a debt of gratitude."