SPRINGFIELD, Mo., Jan. 24, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Decorize, Inc. (AMEX:DCZ), a recognized leader in the home accents industry, announced today that Decorize designer J. Michael Sandel was awarded the Designer of the Year category at the annual ARTS Award ceremony held January 20th at the Dallas Market Center. Now in its 18th year, this annual program honors outstanding achievement in retailing, manufacturing, sales representatives and product design. Christi Proctor of television programs Trading Spaces and Trading Spaces Family hosted the evening's awards and led a distinguished panel of judges that included: Margaret Chambers, Chambers Interiors & Associates; Jane Kucko, associate professor of interior design and design chair for the merchandising and textile department at Texas Christian University; Mary Bloom, owner of Retail Detail; and Kelly Ryan Kegans, editorial manager of SIP Special Projects of the Meredith Corporation.
"It is an honor to be nominated by your peers in the industry," said Mike Sandel, Decorize Product Designer. "This award recognizes the talents of not only Mike, but the entire Decorize design team," stated Steve Crowder, Chief Executive Officer of Decorize. "We believe that the extraordinary talent of our design team is a competitive advantage for Decorize."
The ARTS Awards, presented at a gala event each January during the Dallas International Gift and Home Accessories Market, is the premier awards program of its kind for the home decorative accessories industry. Twenty-five categories exist under the headings Manufacturer, Retailer, Product Designer, Sales Representative, Rising Star, Academy of Achievement and Hall of Fame. Manufacturers are nominated by retailers, sales representatives, designers, suppliers, consultants and other industry officials.
Decorize, Inc., founded in 2000, is a recognized leader in the home accents industry. The company has developed a vertically integrated design, sourcing and logistics model that reduces costs traditionally channeled into home furnishings. Decorize has served more than 3,000 small and large retail accounts, including national brand names such as, Broyhill Furniture Industries, Bombay Company, Home Depot, Stein Mart, May/Federated Stores, Neiman Marcus, Rooms To Go, and Sears - The Great Indoors.
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements about the future performance of Decorize, economic trends, and other forward-looking statements in this release are made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including and without limitation, continued acceptance of Decorize's products, increased levels of competition for the company, new products and technological changes, Decorize's dependence on third-party suppliers, and other risks detailed from time to time in Decorize's periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Decorize provides no assurance regarding the actual outcome of the events contemplated by any forward-looking statements included in this release.