FT. PIERCE, FLORIDA

 

Over the past three seasons, Ancient Mosaics has dramatically expanded its product offerings, moving from the niche market of outdoor mosaic tabletops to a full line of outdoor furniture and accessories.

 

The company introduced three collections of furniture in 2011, and went to the Casual Market in September with five new furniture groups, a broad array of tabletop and firepit table options and more than 100 cast-stone bases, urns, pedestals and outdoor accessories.

 

According to the company, for years dealers have requested that they manufacture a wooden farm table look in ceramic material. This year they brought just that to market, and it's striking.

 

"We have combined a beautiful Italian ceramic material together with our marble and travertine to create the appearance of a real-aged wood plank," said Tim Capron, Co-CEO. "The result is a product that meets our standards for durability and, unlike real wood, the tabletops require little maintenance and will not fade or discolor over the years."  

 

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COLUMBIA, MARYLAND

 

American Wood Fibers (AWF), a leading producer of wood pellet fuel and the largest manufacturer of wood shavings and wood flour products in the U.S, announced that the company has earned industry qualification under the Pellet Fuels Institute (PFI) "Pellet Fuels Standards Program." AWF is the first company to qualify both hardwood and softwood fuel pellet products and is one of only three companies to earn the designation, which indicates compliance with the most rigorous standards in the industry. AWF is now authorized to display the new PFI quality mark on its fuel pellet products.

 

"American Wood Fiber's qualification to the PFI Standards Program is another milestone in its longstanding commitment to consistent, high-quality products and delivering the best value available in all the markets we serve," said AWF president and CEO, Ed Leland.

 

The PFI Standards Program is an independent third-party auditing and qualification program which, for the first time in the pellet industry, provides uniform standards for manufacturing process control, quality assurance and product performance. The program was established in 2012 as a mechanism to assure consumers and retailers that pellet fuel consistency and quality matches the manufacturer claims.

 

The qualification, which applies to both AWF pellet-producing sites, in Circleville, Ohio, and Marion, Virginia, is the culmination of work done in conjunction with the PFI and Timber Products Inspections (TPI) over the last year.

 

"We're pleased that American Wood Fibers has joined the PFI Standards Program, demonstrating their commitment to producing quality fuel and supporting increased consumer awareness and satisfaction about the products they are purchasing from the pellet fuels industry," said PFI executive director Jennifer Hedrick.

 

Chris Wiberg, manager of Biomass Energy Services at TPI said, "American Wood Fibers has gone to great lengths to put in place a very robust quality management system within their facilities. As a result, their pellet production plants are now compliant with the PFI Standard and have been qualified by Timber Products Inspection. I offer my congratulations to the management and staff of these facilities for a job well done."

 

American Wood Fibers was founded in 1966 and is a leader in the field of specialty forestry products. In addition to the AWF fuel pellet division, the company offers industrial wood flour and natural bedding and litter products for large and small animals. AWF also manufactures for a large group of well-known private label partners. Headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, AWF has 10 manufacturing sites across the continental U.S.

 

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The Outdoor GreatRoom Company (OGC) is celebrating its 10th

Anniversary of outdoor living this year. The company started as an idea many years ago and is now flourishing as a business. After 10 years of hard work and countless challenges, this year has been one of growth and success.

 

It would be difficult to find a more challenging time frame to start a business than Outdoor GreatRoom Company did. The "Great Recession" of 2009 hit OGC hard. It was apparent that the company could no longer continue doing the same thing and expect different results.

 

"While OGC was almost taken out of business, we managed to put in place some key programs for sourcing, manufacturing in the U.S., and strategic product direction, which all contributed to our growth today. We had some key people who were willing to take a hard look at things and then put in the effort to make them happen," said Dan Shimek, founder and president of Outdoor GreatRoom Company.

 

OGC continues to focus on high-quality products such as stainless steel Crystal Fire gas burners, UL listing on all products, and increased category growth. These changes have resulted in back-to-back years with 25 percent+ growth and a profitable bottom line.

 

Outdoor GreatRoom Company thanks all of those involved in the company's success: employees, customers, suppliers, and dealers. OGC is enthusiastic about the future and confident they can help customers enjoy a nice level of growth in our product categories. OGC products are a great opportunity to grow business in a new market and fire up sales.

 

"Let's work together and make it happen!" - Dan Shimek

 

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Gary and Rhonda Deane with Terri Lee Rogers of OW Lee (center) at the annual sales rep dinner.

The Deans have been selling OW Lee since 2005 in Arizona and New Mexico, and added Utah and Colorado to their territory in 2009. Over the years they have successfully grown the territory and this past year enjoyed double-digit growth.

 

Gary Deane was also the recipient of the ICFA Sales Rep of the Year award in 2011. The couple's experience and reputation have been a contributing factor to OW Lee's growth in the Southwest territory.

 

The Salesman of the Year award is presented each year in recognition of outstanding performance in achievement of sales goals, excellence in customer service and comprehensive support of the management team in sales and marketing strategies.

 

OW Lee was founded in 1947 in Pasadena, California. They are the premier manufacturer of fine wrought-iron and wrought-aluminum outdoor furniture and firepits. OW Lee manufactures heirloom quality products in Ontario, California, and they are one of the few remaining companies in the outdoor furniture industry that still manufacture in the USA.