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Icon Honors Winners Named

Gift and home companies recognized for Innovation, Contribution and Achievement

GDA Staff -- Gifts and Dec, 7/15/2011 12:05:00 AM

Atlanta - Last night, the second annual Icon Honors event was held in Atlanta, in conjunction with the Atlanta Gift & Home Furnishings Market. In a glittering gala attended by representatives from across the gift and home industries, the Icons were presented to in the categories of Innovation, Contribution and Achievement to members of the gift and home furnishings industry. In addition, a Lifetime Achievement Award and Medal of Excellence prizes were bestowed.

After a brief welcome from Jeff Portman, CEO of AmericasMart Atlanta, the evening's program was opened by a performance by the popular '70's group America, known for such hits as "Ventura Highway" and "A Horse With No Name."

Upon accepting the Icon for Lifetime Achievement Honor for her husband who died earlier this year, "Jake" Figi remarked to the audience how pleased Todd would be, but noted, "The greatest thing that you can do to honor Todd is to go out there and succeed at what you do."
Following are profiles of the winners. The program was sponsored by Americasmart Atlanta, the Gift & Home Trade Association and Sandow Media, corporate parent of Gifts & Decorative Accessories, Home Accents Today and their sister publications.

Americasmart Medal of Excellence Honor

Restoration Hardware
Corte Madera, CA
This multi-channel, multi-brand, multi-market business was founded nearly 30 years ago and ha been helmed by Gary Friedman since 2001.

Americasmart Medal of Excellence Honor

The Williamsburg Brand of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Williamsburg, VA
Williamsburg for The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation was the first company ever to license a product - going all the way back to 1930, with license royalties going back to the nonprofit Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.

Lifetime Achievement Honor

J. Todd Figi
J. Todd Figi, patriarch of a gift industry family and the founder of Figi Giftware, is the recipient of the Icon 2011 Lifetime Achievement Honor by unanimous action of the Icon governors at their sole discretion and initiation. The Honor affirms and celebrates Figi's life following his January 9, 2011, death at 66.

Innovation Honors

Snapretail
Pittsburgh, PA
Use of technology resources to promote products and services, reach customers and increase sales.
Because independent retailers increasingly are looking to social media and e-mail as mainline marketing channels but may need assistance in using these tools to sell gift and home décor products, Snapretail provides asolution: TrafficBuilder, an affordable, easy-to-use digital marketing system.
Brandwise
Lakewood, CO
Use of technology resources to sell product in conventional (in-store/in-showroom) and electronic environments.
In today's electronic world, getting connected is everyone's goal. Brandwise created BWconnect, the only wholesale shopping platform that keeps the rep/retailer collaborative relationship intact, is transparent and honors the existing rep/supplier commission agreement.

Ann Gish
New York
Brand-new (original, first-to-market) designs.
In the spring of 2010, the Ann Gish and her eponymously named Ann Gish Inc. went admittedly "outside my design box," and introduced affordably priced digital print chiffon pillows, a complete departure from her known upscale silk bedding and home textiles

Welcome Home Brands
Purchase, NY
Brand-new (original, first-to-market) designs.
Known for its traditional gifts, tabletop and housewares, Welcome Home Brands partnered with Japanese-based Temma Shiki, and became the first company to introduce an innovative line of oven-safe Paper Bakeware to the United States.

Contribution Honors

Homescapes Carmel
Carmel, CA
Store development (new/expanded/redeveloped/repurposed) to strengthen business community.
Brothers Thompson and Beau Lange, trying to develop a prime location for their gift and home retail store Homescapes Carmel, chose a location, which ended up not only revitalizing their business but the neighborhood as well.

A. Dodson's
Suffolk, VA
Cause-related product promotions and sales benefiting organizations in need.
Gift retailer A. Dodson's came up with Round Up, a program where customers are extended the invitation to "round up" their purchase to the nearest dollar. The money is then set aside to be donated to customer-voted charities.
Acacia Creations,
York, PA and Nairobi, Kenya
Development of cause-specific product benefiting institutions or organizations in need
Acacia Creations was established to provide income and training to help raise individuals and communities out of poverty in Kenya and Uganda. The company, whose U.S. headquarters is in York, PA, created Barefoot Trade Bracelets, with the proceeds helping send Kenyan children to school.

Achievement Honors

Todd Litzman
Lakewood, CO
Recognition of a single individual demonstrating distinguished achievement in an active career.
Todd Litzman clearly remembers the days of helping reps handwriting their orders. So he helped develop scanning. And he's been helping sales reps and companies in the gift and home industry every since.

Marcia Miller,
Stone Mountain, GA
Recognition of a single individual demonstrating distinguished achievement in an active career.
Marcia Miller started her company with six terra-cotta figurines 25 years ago. Today, Mud Pie boasts sales of $60 million with more than 5,000 products sold in more than 14,000 stores.

GHTA President's Honor of Excellence

David Kiersznowski,
Leawood, MO
In recognition of a company, or an individual, demonstrating the highest standards of excellence by making a significant contribution to the growth and health of the gift and home industry, as set forth in the GHTA Mission.
David Kiersznowski and his wife Demi founded Demdaco in 1997, and have continued to grow it through the acquisition of Silvestri in 2007 and Big Sky Carvers in 2010, while still holding true to their core values.

Full profiles of the honorees will be posted separately. Look for them coming soon.

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