CFR awards Manufacturers of the Year

By Courtney Mueller -- Casual Living, 4/1/2006 12:00:00 AM

Meadowcraft, the Birmingham, Ala.-based manufacturer of wrought iron casual furniture, was awarded the Manufacturer of the Year Award in furniture during the Casual Furniture Retailers Forum, held recently in Orlando, Fla. The Manufacturer of the Year Award in the accessory category went to Treasure Garden.

"There's nothing that we can say to express what this means to our company," said Rory Rehmert, vice president of sales and marketing, Meadowcraft. Rehmert expressly thanked Meadowcraft's faithful customers who stood by the company after it restructured in Fall 2002.

"We are so excited," said Jerry Camp, president and CEO. "We are excited to be here, to be in the industry and winning this award is icing to us. We are the clearest example of why you should thank your customers for being here."

Since joining Meadowcraft in 2002, Camp has focused Meadowcraft's energy on becoming a more aggressive, customer-focused company.

"It's about execution and it always is," he said. "The customer, we always feel, is No. 1 and it always is about good people."

Other finalists in the furniture category were: Gloster, wood; Lloyd/Flanders, wicker; Hanamint, cast aluminum, and Tropitone, extruded aluminum.

Umbrella manufacturer Treasure Garden won the CFR Accessory Manufacturer of the Year award, which was accepted by Margaret Chang, chief operating officer of Treasure Garden. "I feel so grateful to be nominated and winning the award," Chang said.

Other finalists in the accessory category were: Hatteras Hammocks, KNF Designs, Laneventure and Olympia Lighting.