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Summer Classics' Pelham showroom.
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Pelham showroom.
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Summer Classics Garden Party - Impressions
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA
There's more than a little to love about southern hospitality and charm. First there are the people - warm, friendly, quick with a smile and a laugh.
Then there's the scenery - deep green with a lushness not to be found in northern climates.
If you happen to be at the Summer Classics' Garden Party, there's also the beauty of the 40,000 sq. ft. showroom in Pelham, on the outskirts of Birmingham.
The size of that showroom matches that of Restoration Hardware's present four-story flagship store on Boylston Street in Boston, not just in size, but in beauty.
Sure, it's a different type of beauty - not over-the-top with shabby chic colorless designs destined for a short life, but exuding a warm, colorful beauty in both product and presentation.
If all patio stores throughout the land were as beautiful in product selection and store design, this industry would be twice as large (or more).
No, that's not an exaggeration: This showroom is just flat-out gorgeous.
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Pelham showroom.
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Forget about the furniture (you already know it's well designed). Let your eye roam around the many rooms; look at the different floor materials (stone, wood, etc.), look up and up at the high ceilings with reproduction antique fans; admire the multitude of accessories, items you've never seen before but instantly covet; try to count the number of different colors that catch your eye as it travels around the room, and then into other rooms.
After you leave, your mind will travel back to vignettes and items that you've seen in this showroom.
At the end of the day, the Garden Party moves to the Mountain Brook Club, a private and elegant club that began in 1929. There are cocktails inside and on the terrace overlooking the golf course, then dinner and the presentation of awards (In recognition of 20 years with Summer Classics, Harold Hudson, senior vice president of National Accounts and now president of Parker James, is flying to England with his wife in a few weeks, and returning by ship).
Retailers, of course, are given ample time to shop the Pelham showroom during the day. All in all, the Summer Classics Garden Party is a very well orchestrated, and pleasurable, event.
- Richard Wright
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Dinner at the Mountain Brook Club.
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Summer Classics Hosts Annual Garden Party
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA
Summer Classics, one of the leading manufacturers of high quality casual and outdoor furniture in the United States, conducted its annual Garden Party last week where dealers were flown in to preview the new product line, learn some best practices from rousing speakers, and be present for awards given to dealers, vendors and staff. Awards are as follows:
- Sales Representative of the Year: Steve Bennett (TX, OK, AZ)
- "Whatever It Takes" W.I.T. Award: Beth Goggins, Customer Service
- SHOPS Dealer of the Year: Victory Furniture, Los Angeles
- A new "Connie Kasper - Outstanding Achievement Award for incredible years of service to the Customer Service Department
- 20 year Award: Harold Hudson, Sr. VP of National Accounts and recent president of Parker James
- 10 year Award: Jeremy Rago, former National Sales Manager, current Sales Representative for IN, IL, WI
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Bew White (R) presents award to Harold Hudson.
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"Our theme this year was for our staff, dealers and vendors to be more "intuitive." As an industry we need to be proactive with our customers by giving them what they need so they never have to ask for it," said Bew White, III, CEO of Summer Classics.
VP of Sales and Marketing Keith Norton said, "We had a record attendance, high energy and great participation from vendors. The talk of the show for product was our new Oyster finish, which dealers agree is right on trend."
Guest speaker, Michael Young, a Fashion TV mogul and TV Emmy Award winner, opened the Garden Party with a seminar on, "It's the Hard that Makes It Good," rousing the crowd to understand that overcoming the biggest problems leads to the biggest successes.
Guest speaker Stewart Welch, owner of The Welch Group, a fee-only Wealth Management firm, enlightened the audience with, "The Universe Rewards Action" teaching principles such as: 1. stay close to your numbers, 2. treat your business as a Fortune 500 company, not a personal checkbook, 3. attach yourself to a visionary, 4. delegate, and 5. ask customers what they want.
During the day, Summer Classics staff presented training on product, programs, and retail strategies. Dinners exuded luxurious southern hospitality and heartfelt speeches from vendors, staff and owner, Bew White.
Summer Classics is a premier innovator, manufacturer, and retailer of fine outdoor furniture in the U.S. For over a quarter century, the family-owned company has aimed to delight its customers by passionately designing patio furniture from the belief that timeless designs can and will be embraced for years. Life's best moments. Furnished.
Visit the website.
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ICFA's Manufacturer Leadership Award Winners HIGH POINT, NORTH CAROLINA The International Casual Furnishings Association (ICFA) has announced the winners of its 2013 Manufacturer Leadership Awards, selected through an online vote of the retail, designer and supplier membership.
One manufacturer is honored in each of 10 categories for the design and quality of their products, along with their merchandising, customer service, ethics, communications and trade relations. From the 10 category winners, a single Manufacturer of the Year was also selected in online voting and will be announced at the ICFA Awards Gala on Thursday, September 19, at the Field Museum in Chicago.
Category winners are:
Elaine Smith - Complementary Casual Products
Jensen Leisure - Wood Casual
Lane Venture - Rattan/Wicker/Woven Materials
OW Lee - Wrought Iron/Aluminum
Pride Family Brands - Cast Metal
Telescope Casual Furniture - Resin/Fiberglass
Trans Ocean Import - Outdoor Carpeting/Rugs/Flooring
Treasure Garden - Shade Products
Tropitone - Tubular Materials
Summer Classics - Outdoor Lighting
The September 19 gala will draw together all segments of the outdoor furnishings industry to recognize and celebrate top retail stores, manufacturers, representatives and product designs. Previously the awards were presented during two separate events.
Tickets for the gala - the premier event of the International Casual Furniture & Accessories Market - can be ordered from the ICFA website, for $65 per person or $600 for a table for 10.
In a special invitation to new attendees, first-timers may attend the gala for $55 per person, or $500 for a table of 10 first-time guests.
The evening begins with a 6:30 pm cocktail reception. Dinner, entertainment and the awards program follow the reception. Guests are invited to congratulate the evening's honorees while enjoying dessert and dancing after dinner.
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Renovations at the Chicago Merchandise Mart
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
The International Casual Furniture & Accessories Market/Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc. (MMPI) announced a redesign and renovation project for the 16th floor at the Chicago Merchandise Mart. This portion of MMPI's redesign plan will be led by Cannon Frank, an award-winning design firm specializing in custom interior design and was recognized as Chicago's Interior Design Firm of the Year earlier this year.
The redesign will incorporate new lighting designs, a fresh color palette for the walls and ceiling, and new floor coverings. The light fixtures will provide a brighter area for show-goers to peruse permanent showrooms. In addition, a neutral color scheme has been chosen for the common areas, hallways, trim and ceiling to complement the diverse range of hues seen in the adjacent showrooms. New floor coverings will adorn the corridors of the 16th floor, providing a modern, sleek style.
"We are reaffirming our commitment to the outdoor industry by providing new efforts of improvement for our clientele," says John H. Brennen III, executive vice president, MMPI. "The entire renovation will correspond nicely with more than 45 high-end permanent casual showrooms, and will provide a more luxurious shopping and buying experience for our tenants' customers."
The Casual Market is a four-day trade show dedicated to showcasing the best of new products and trends in the outdoor furniture and accessories categories. It is the only show exclusively endorsed by the International Casual Furnishings Association (ICFA) and provides attendees with 350,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space to explore at the Chicago Merchandise Mart. Buyers can register now for the Casual Market, scheduled for September 17-20.
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