AmericasMart Atlanta

Press Release

Area Rug Retailers Honored at Most Spectacular Rug Retailer of the Year Awards Ever

August 31, 2006

ATLANTA, July 2006— The July 2006 Atlanta International Area Rug Marketsm—co-sponsored by the Oriental Rug Retailers of America (ORRA)—gave retailers an unmatched selection of merchandise that only the nation’s largest collection of area rug product could deliver. From July 16—19 area rug and home furnishings retailers shopped the Area Rug Center and discovered thousands of handmade and power-loomed area rugs in every style, at every price point in classic and contemporary styling well suited to any retail environment.

The crowning jewel of the summer Market was the 13th annual Rug Retailer of the Year (ROY) Awards. Each July, the ROY Awards salutes outstanding achievement among the nation’s premier area rug and home furnishings retailers. All ROY nominees are nominated by AMERICASMART area rug exhibitors and voted on by an independent panel of industry experts.

A capacity crowd was on hand at the Georgia Aquarium and its majestic Oceans Ballroom to recognize and celebrate the winners. The Georgia Aquarium is the world’s largest aquarium and arguably the most beautiful. Its Oceans ballroom is situated among the most spectacular and endangered sea creatures, including Beluga Whales and Whale Sharks. The evening’s festivities featured live entertainment, a lavish cocktail buffet catered by Chef to the Stars Wolfgang Puck, giveaways, as well as a Monte Carlo-themed casino evening.

The winners of the July 2006 Rug Retailer of the Year Awards are as follows:

Home Décor Store: Rugs As Art, Sarasota, FL

“…This store is without a doubt one of the finest in the country…its showrooms are spectacular and feature high ceilings, natural lighting and a superior assortment of top quality rugs and decorative accessories….it is a pillar of the communities for which it serves, as each year it garners many local, regional and national business awards…the “jewel” of the area rug industry…”

ROYs 2006/Add One

Outstanding Merchandising: The New Jersey Decorating Exchange, River Edge, NJ

“…this upscale retailer currently carries more than 150 vendors in a wide array of product lines…inclusive of furniture, fabric, draperies and decorative accessories…it also provides a complete design service and shop-at-home service for the customer…”

Creative Selling: Rugs Direct, Winchester, VA

“…began as an independent retailer in the late 1970’s…today it features two lovely showrooms, produces several catalogs and maintains a very active web site…the website is today the country’s largest on-line retailer of area rugs…diverse and extraordinary product offerings….”

Oriental Rug Specialist: Rug Masters, Inc., Charleston, SC

“…entered the rug business by developing a small rug cleaning and repair business more than 50 years ago…today it enjoys a vibrant retail component and continues to offer cleaning and restoration services…. located in a unique and charming southern city…the owners state that they feel fortunate to do business in a city where “art is truly appreciated…”

Furniture Retailer: FurnitureLand South, High Point, NC

“….a family-owned and operated business with humble beginnings…in 1969 the owner opened his doors with a few catalogs, a few showroom samples and a beat up old truck…he also sold, serviced and delivered the product himself…today, its one of the nation’s premiere multi-line retailers…features a 500,000 square-foot campus and a spectacular rug gallery…”

For more information on AMERICASMART-ATLANTA and its annual markets, please call 1-800-ATL-MART or visit AmericasMart.com.

AMERICASMART-ATLANTA is the largest wholesale marketplace of its kind in the world, and is a leading international market source for a wide variety of consumer goods. It hosts 23 wholesale markets and six Market Wednesdays that annually attract more than 548,000 attendees from every U.S. state and 80 countries.

Retailers attending its markets identify AMERICASMART as the gift/home furnishings/area rug wholesale marketplace most important to their business—as compared to all competing U.S. wholesale markets—in independent research conducted by Moore & Symons, Inc.

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