Summer Classics president and CEO, William Bew White, III, recently received the Allan J. McDonald International Entrepreneur Award for 2013. The award was presented to White by the Society of International Business Fellows (SIBF) at a ceremony on October 5 in Toronto, Ontario. Created by the SIBF Class of 1987, this award serves to commemorate Allan J. McDonald, who both supported the organization and made major accomplishments in the field of international entrepreneurship.

When asked to comment on receiving the Allan J. McDonald International Entrepreneur Award, White said, "I am truly honored by this award, particularly from this incredible international organization. Not that I can give advice to a group with this much expertise, but if I could leave you with two of my best practices for success, they would be:

1. Be Passionate! I am extremely passionate about what I do.
2. Surround yourself with support. You need at least one person that stands by you no matter what. And while I have several of those inside the company, I have one who's lived with me for 41 years, my wife Wendy. She has definitely stood by me through thick and thin, no matter what!"

Presented annually at the SIBF Summit, winners of this award are chosen for outstanding efforts in international entrepreneurship during the past year.

An organization for global business leaders, SIBF both educates and connects those who are involved in the international business world. Additionally, SIBF provides networking and mentoring opportunities to its members, who are active in business in more than 60 countries. Membership in SIBF covers all of the main sectors of business as well as the non-profit, government and education sectors.

Bew White has been in the indoor and outdoor furniture business for over 30 years. Over that period, he was a sales rep and from there started and helped operate four separate companies that have all been successful, Including Summer Classics, Summer Classics Contract, Parker James and Gabby. Summer Classics has grown to be one of the largest companies in its genre.

Started almost 35 years ago, the company has built an international presence, doing business first in Chile, then Mexico, China, Indonesia and Vietnam. White has recently opened a division in Asia to support product selling in China, Japan, India, Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore.

He started a contract division that sells over 1,500 clients in the hospitality, hotel, restaurant and assisted living fields. He also started a container-direct company that has sold to such clients as Neiman Marcus, Orvis, Restoration Hardware and William Sonoma.

White created an indoor furniture company in 2009, in the midst of the great recession, and now sells over 1,000 clients. The company also has seven company-owned stores and three licensees. Visit the website, call (205) 987-3100 or contact rob@summerclassics.com.

The home remodeling market continues to improve, with strong gains expected for the remainder of 2013 and the beginning of 2014, according to the Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA) released today by the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard. While the LIRA continues to project annual improvement spending increasing at a double-digit pace in the near term, a slowdown of this growth can be expected by the middle of 2014.
 
"The soft patch that homebuilding has seen in recent months, coupled with rising financing costs, is expected to be reflected as slower growth in home improvement spending beginning around the middle of next year," says Eric S. Belsky, managing director of the Joint Center. "However, even with this projected tapering, remodeling activity should remain at healthy levels."
 
"In the near term, homeowner spending on improvements is expected to see its strongest growth since the height of the housing boom," says Kermit Baker, director of the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center. "Existing home sales are still growing at a double-digit pace, and rising house prices are helping homeowners rebuild equity lost during the housing crash."

The Big Green Egg Company has announced several promotions and expanded staff positions as it looks ahead to 2014 and the continued growth of the Big Green Egg brand.

The Sales Department has been restructured, resulting in two new positions: Lou West, formerly Sales Manager, will assume a new role as Distributor Services Manager; and Jerry Stone, formerly Assistant Sales Manager will assume a new role as Business Development Manager. Each position will be responsible for key areas of the distribution network in terms of growth and support.

Jodi Burson, formerly Marketing Manager, has been promoted to Director of Brand Enhancement, overseeing Marketing, Promotions, Publishing and Advertising.

According to Managing Director/CEO Ardy Arani, " ... these strategic moves are important to align departments and resources more effectively with the services and support we provide to our distributor network, to maximize operational efficiencies and to more clearly communicate areas of key responsibilities.

"As the company has grown, we have developed extensive programs requiring both strategic oversight and tactical support and, with this team in place, I am confident that we have positioned ourselves to maintain the highest levels of quality and support across the entire Big Green EGGsperience."

Lou West, as Distributor Services Manager, will continue to oversee BGE's present Customer Relations areas, with expanded focus on Distributor Support Solutions; Customer Satisfaction; and related Distributor, Dealer and End-User support functions.

Jerry Stone, Business Development Manager, will provide resources and support to grow new and existing business opportunities for the Big Green Egg brand across the distributor network domestically and internationally.

Jodi Burson, Director of Brand Enhancement, will oversee all key areas of brand positioning across a variety of media and communications platforms.

These moves follow another recent staff addition, with John Meadows joining BGE as Product and Procurement Manager with responsibility for product and inventory optimization, logistical efficiencies and on-going product development.

Innovative Hearth Products (IHP), manufacturer of FMI Products and Lennox Hearth Products, officially launched the new Envy direct-vent gas fireplace to the retail marketplace in September. Envy incorporates new and enhanced fireplace technologies; improved design aesthetics including a new log set style; flame and glow presentation; increased energy efficiency; reduced emissions; enhanced safety features; and a fully developed line of accessories.

The new Envy fireplace, part of a family of six units, offers dealers in the high-end specialty hearth retail market a versatile selection of product inventory with two style configurations, to include traditional and contemporary. Both styles are available with a wide range of accessories and design options.

The Traditional Envy fireplace offers two realistic brick fireplace liners, including Champaign and Merlot, or an optional choice of a sleek porcelain interior for a transitional look. The contemporary style comes with a standard porcelain interior and five glass media options, including Rain, Sky, Midnight, Cloud, and Sunset. Each configuration can be customized to match any home's décor.

"The development and launch of Envy further increases our ability to provide dealers and retailers in the hearth retail market with technologically advanced and artistically designed fireplace options to upgrade their inventories," says Glenn Thomson, vice president of Sales and Marketing for Innovative Hearth Products. "The introduction of Envy will fill a void in our product portfolio, offering both form and function in a whole new way."

One of Envy's advanced features is IHP's coveted and exclusive FullFlame burner technology. FullFlame delivers a strong fire presentation in both high and low settings, thus emitting more or less heat and enabling Envy to be enjoyed all year.

The unique design of the patent-pending FullFlame independent burner allows for different air-fuel ratios to deliver lean hot flames to generate glow, while a richer mixture delivered through a separate channel provides tall yellow flames. "Even on its lowest setting, Envy continues to deliver the ambiance of realistic embers, glowing logs and dancing yellow flames," says Thomson.

Moreover, Envy comes standard with the added safety of IHP's integrated barrier. This new innovation was created to prevent direct contact with the fireplace's hot glass and is compliant with the latest version of ANSI Z21.88.

Retailers and buyers interested in learning more about the new Envy fireplace, or becoming dealers of IHP products, can visit the website for more information.

Brown Jordan, the leading luxury outdoor furnishings manufacturer and distinguished legacy brand, announces the debut of its design partnership with prominent Los Angeles-based designer, Michael S. Smith. Known for a refined aesthetic that blends European classicism and American modernism, Michael has won accolades for interiors and home furnishings alike, earning the praise of his high-profile clients, as well as numerous industry awards.

"Michael's first collections for Brown Jordan will provide a clear vision of our continued commitment to crafting the world's finest furniture," says Chris Carmicle, president of Brown Jordan Company. "Our collaboration with Michael reinforces our history of producing sophisticated design at the top-of-the-line of the casual furnishings market.

"Brown Jordan has always been an expression of luxury and our alliance with Michael reflects Brown Jordan's strategic commitment of continued investment in the highest-end products as we build a more comprehensive product offering and broaden distribution across all markets."

Michael Smith adds, "As a native Californian, Brown Jordan has always been central to my memories of the indoor/outdoor lifestyle. To this day, Brown Jordan is a significant part of my exterior designs. And now, after years of using Brown Jordan in my own projects, I'm so pleased to have the opportunity to collaborate with the finest maker of outdoor furniture in the world.

"This is the ideal partnership for me: As the premier maker of handcrafted outdoor goods, Brown Jordan is uniquely positioned to translate my designs into brilliant, quality furniture. I'm excited to meld interior beauty and exterior living with luxurious materials, beautiful finishes and timeless designs."

"We are thrilled to collaborate with Michael," said Stephen F. Elton, chief brand officer. "Few designers have his ability to blend classic elegance with the ease demanded by modern lifestyles, a combination that is a perfect fit with the Brown Jordan brand. With this partnership, we are building on over six decades of timeless design and look forward to presenting Michael's exclusive collections in 2014."

Considered one of the most original and respected design talents working today, Michael has earned the loyalty of an international roster of residential, hospitality and commercial clients and received many prestigious awards. He has been named three times to Architectural Digest's "The AD 100," and is the recipient of the Pacific Design Center's West Week "Stars of Design."

Elle Décor has named him "Designer of the Year" and also placed him on the publication's A-List. In 2010, Michael was appointed by President Obama to the Committee for the Preservation of the White House.

"Clearly," concludes Stephen Elton, "Brown Jordan's partnership with a designer of Michael's stature and talent can only enhance the legacy of our brand." Contact wrhiger@brownjordan.com, (310) 315-3018 ext. 133 and/or robert@michaelsmithinc.com.