ICFA Honors 2016 Award Winners During Casual Market Chicago

September 23, 2016  by Jane Chero in Designer Weekly, Industry, Special Events   

The casual industry also paid tribute to the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award recipients.

Awards presented or recognized during the event included The Apollo Awards, recognizing retail excellence in the sales and marketing of outdoor furnishings and commitment to customer service. Winners in two

categories - single store and multi-store -  were selected from a group of 10 finalists through an online ballot. Village Green, Rockford, Ill., was named as the single-store category winner. ABSCO Fireplace and Patio, with stores in Birmingham and Pelham, Ala., was named the multi-store category winner.

The Design Excellence competition recognizes products in 11 categories for their overall design, as well as their marketability, innovation, color, construction and imaginative use of materials. The 2016 category winners included:

• Chaise Lounge: Jensen Leisure Coral Chaise

• Complementary Casual Products: TUUCI Equinox Cabana

• Dining Bar Chair: Lloyd Flanders Wildwood Dining Chair

• Dining Bar Table: Gloster Split Raw Dining Table

• Fabric: Outdura Spumoni Crystal

• Heating/Firepit: O.W. Lee Creighton 42-inch Square Fire Pit

• Lounge Seating with Cushion: Gloster Grand Weave

• Lounge Seating without Cushion: Seaside Casual MAD Fusion Chat Chair

• Rugs and Flooring: Trans-Ocean Ravella Akumal Ocean Rug

• Outdoor Lighting: Gloster Ambient Cocoon

• Shade: TUCCI Ocean Master Max Zero Horizon Cantilever

The Lillian B. Winchester “Best of Show” award, selected from among the 11 category winners listed above went to Gloster’s Grand Weave. In addition, Gloster’s Grand Weave was selected for the “Lilly” award in the Outdoor Furniture category. TUUCI’s Equinox Cabana received the “Lilly” for Outdoor Accents.

The prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award is reserved for individuals who have made exemplary contribution to the casual furniture industry and to their individual communities. The 2016 honorees were Joseph W. Watson and the late Merv Conn.

Ten leading manufacturers were honored for overall Manufacturer leadership reflecting the design and quality of their products, along with their merchandising, customer service, ethics, communications and trade relations. Winners, selected by ICFA members through online voting, were:

Brown Jordan

Castelle

Gloster Furniture

Jensen Leisure Furniture

Lloyd Flanders

O.W. Lee

Patio Renaissance

Telescope Casual Furniture

Treasure Garden

Tropitone Furniture

For the fifth year in a row, O.W. Lee was named “Manufacturer of the Year.” Like the Manufacturer Leadership winners, the Manufacturer of the Year is selected for the design and quality of their products, as well as outstanding merchandising, customer service, ethics, communications and trade relations.

The Sales Representative of the Year award selected from four finalists and determined through online voting was Bryan Echols, of Echols Enterprises Inc., Charlotte, NC. The award recognizes an outstanding representative within the casual furniture industry and is selected based on leadership, professionalism, exceptional service, communication skills, knowledge and product training expertise.