ATLANTA — The International Casual Furnishings Association celebrated some of the industry’s best and brightest at the ICFA Awards Gala, held this week at Casual Market Atlanta.
This year’s ICFA Lifetime Achievement Award honorees were Terri Lee Rogers of OW Lee and Cathy Buzbee of Absco Fireplace & Patio.
Rogers has been president of OW Lee — the casual furnishings company founded by her grandfather, Oddist W. Lee — for nearly two decades. Under her guidance, OW Lee has repeatedly earned the ICFA Manufacturer of the Year honor, reflecting her unwavering commitment to quality, innovation and customer service excellence.
“A Lifetime Achievement Award naturally causes you to look back, but I’d rather look forward,” Rogers said. “I remain excited about the future of the casual furniture industry, the tremendous talent that we have, the creativity and the energy moving forward. And I am confident that the best part of the casual furniture industry is yet to come. So I accept this award with enormous appreciation and humility as I follow in the footsteps of my parents who received this award in 2008.”
Buzbee has been the driving force behind her family’s outdoor furnishings store for more than 32 years, helping transform the business from a single location to a thriving multilocation enterprise. During her tenure, Absco has been nominated for the ICFA Apollo Award seven times, winning the honor twice.
“This is especially meaningful to me because 20 years ago, my mother stood on this very stage and received this award. She was the very first woman to ever receive the Lifetime Achievement Award,” Buzbee said. “I am truly honored to have my picture on the wall with her. And it’s one thing about our industry — we’re all about generations and carrying it on throughout the years.”
Joy Odom of Absco Fireplace & Patio received the Dudley K. Flanders Leadership Award. The award recognizes an outstanding up-and-coming professional under the age of 45 whose actions demonstrate a quest for excellence and the potential for strengthening and building the outdoor furnishings industry.
“To be recognized for this award is more than I could ask for,” Odom said. “So I greatly appreciate the committee and everybody here that has believed in me.”
Kathy Jo Martin of Lloyd Flanders received the Mia Nault Unsung Hero Award. The award pays tribute to the manufacturer’s employees who serve as company liaisons with dealers and sales representatives.
“I want to share this with my own unsung heroes at home in the factory, who get my rush orders out, and from R&D, to the paint line, to the office support and to my team — I couldn’t do this without you guys,” Martin said.
Mike Madorsky won the Sales Representative of the Year Award. Madorsky is a third-generation casual industry veteran who represents Jensen Outdoor, Hanamint, Patio Renaissance, Prestige and Winston.
“I’ve been privileged. I’ve had unbelievable mentors, unbelievable teachers,” Madorsky said. “First and foremost, the retailers — your perseverance, which you guys do day in, day out. I’m third generation, and my dad was a rep. This is the business that we know, the business that we love. And what you do day in, day out — it’s just remarkable.”
Pamlico Sound by Soundstage’s Laguna won the Lilly Award for furnishings, while Sunset West earned the Lilly Award for outdoor accessories for its Margaritaville fabric collection created in partnership with Sunbrella. Pamlico Sound also won the Lillian B. Winchester Best in Show honor for Laguna, which integrates sound into woven seating.
“This is a highlight of my career personally and professionally,” said Joseph Savovic, president and CEO of Soundstage. “And I thank you for saying yes. I would say to all of us, let’s find ways to say yes to people that are coming along, people that need help. The small yeses turn into big yeses. The big yeses turn into monster yeses — find ways to say yes to one another and let’s all help one another.”
Jensen Outdoor earned the Manufacturer of the Year Award, recognizing quality of manufactured goods, design, merchandising, customer service, ethics/trade relations and communications.
“Thank you to our customers who partner with us — you are the reason that we truly love what we do,” said Bryan Echols, president of Jensen Outdoor. “Thank you to our team and our reps. Nothing happens without each of you and you can’t imagine how much we appreciate you. And thank you to Eric (Parsons) for assembling this wonderful team of people and all he has done to build Jensen and what it is today.”
“This is really humbling when you think about how many incredibly talented manufacturers are in this room,” Parsons said. “We certainly don’t intend to. We don’t work every day to try and win this kind of award, but everything we do is in support of it.”
Island Living & Patio won the Apollo Award for the single-store category.
“We want to thank all of you because we love coming here each year and giving you a big hug,” said Karen Brams, co-owner, Island Living & Patio. “You’re our second family, you mean the world to us, and you have shown us such love and support just like tonight. And we are blown away with everything you give us, and we are so appreciative of this community and the life it’s given us.”
Gasper Exterior Furnishings Studio earned the Apollo Award in the multi-store category.
“I want to thank first of all, the ICFA — Michelle, Candy, Siri, everyone does such a wonderful job,” said Eli Hymer, manager, Gasper Exterior Furnishings Studio. “The manufacturers — we would not be up here tonight without every one of you. To my husband who’s home, he says, ‘I want to come.’ And I said, ‘We’re not going to win, so we’re just going to save the money. Don’t come.’ And the most important thing, Bob and Paula Gasper, who are standing beside me — their family has been so welcoming.”
The ICFA Awards Gala was held at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Atlanta.
