Dec 1, 2010

CHA Awards Committee Announces 2010 Industry Awards

Elmwood Park, NJ – The Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) Awards Committee is pleased to announce the recipients of the craft and hobby industry’s most prestigious service awards. Jim Scatena, President & Chief Executive Officer of FloraCraft Corporation was named as the 2010 recipient of the CHA Meritorious Award of Honor. Michael J. Dupey founder of Michaels Stores and owner of MJDesigns was named posthumously as the CHA 2010 Industry Achievement Award recipient. The 2010 CHA Special Recognition Award recipient is the Duncan family of Duncan Enterprises. All CHA Industry Awards recognize exceptional contributions to crafting and the world on behalf of the craft and hobby industry, CHA and its members.

The highest honor the Association can bestow is the CHA Meritorious Award of Honor. This award acknowledges an individual or group that has made a significant contribution to the Association and industry. This years’ recipient is Jim Scatena. Jim has a long track record of service to the craft and hobby industry. Jim served on the Hobby Industry of America (HIA) Board of Directors for seven years; chaired dozens of HIA committees; helped drive the industry’s first “Size of Industry” study which became a benchmark for all future industry research; was elected to the Association of Crafts & Creative Industries (ACCI) Board of Directors; played an instrumental role in merging ACCI and HIA into the Craft & Hobby Association; was elected to the CHA Board of Directors; and served as CHA Board Chair and Chief Governance Officer. Jim continues to be a leading voice in the craft and hobby industry.

The CHA Industry Achievement Award is granted to a CHA member who has contributed to the growth and vitality of the craft and hobby industry as a whole. This year’s recipient will be awarded posthumously to Michael Dupey, a brilliant trend-spotter and the founder of the modern arts and crafts superstore concept. Dupey founder of MJDesigns and Michaels Stores craft chains is credited with turning a small five-and-dime into the world’s largest craft retailer. The subsequent emergence of the craft superstore concept has left an indelible contribution to the cultural, financial, and social implication of crafting on society. Dupey’s ability to spot trends resulted in broad cultural impacts ranging from mass introduction of macramé and twister beads, to Beanie Babies and pogs. The Dallas Morning News referred to Dupey as the industry’s smartest retailer. Dupey passed away in April 2010.

The CHA Special Recognition Award is presented to an individual or group for an extraordinary contribution in an activity that showcases the craft and hobby industry in a positive way. This year the Special Recognition Award is presented to the Duncan family, owners of iLoveToCreate, a Duncan Enterprises Company for its dedicated service to communities across Central California. The Duncan family has established a legacy of philanthropy and service that includes Larry, Bob and Erma Duncan who have all dedicated their lives to community service. The service rendered by the Duncan family includes major support of Fresno State University academics and athletics programs and passionate support for the Boys & Girls Club of Fresno County. Additionally, the Duncan family has supported the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association, Children’s Hospital of Central California, the Fresno Metropolitan Museum, the American Red Cross, the Fresno Art Museum, the Fresno Rotary, the Big Brothers Big Sisters, and the United Way. Ongoing family support of these programs benefitted hundreds of thousands of students, at-risk kids and residents across Central California for over half a century.

The awards will be presented to the recipients or their at the CHA 2011 Winter Convention & Trade Show in Los Angeles, California during the annual show event held on Monday, January 31, 2011, from 6:30 pm – 10:00 pm. See www.chashow.org for more information and to register for tickets.

About the Craft & Hobby Association
The Craft & Hobby Association is an international not-for-profit trade association consisting of thousands of member companies engaged in the design, manufacture, distribution and retail sales of products in the $27 billion craft and hobby industry. For more information about CHA or its award-winning Conferences and Trade Shows visit www.craftandhobby.org.