Jan 22, 2016

Las Vegas Market reveals winner of 2016 Global Goodness Award

Las Vegas Market announced that Dunitz & Company — a supplier of exquisite handcrafted glass jewelry from Guatemala — has been selected from 12 finalists as the People’s Choice winner of the fifth edition of the prestigious Global Goodness Awards, recognizing furniture, gift and home decor companies for environmentally-friendly, sustainable and socially responsible activities. The 2016 Global Goodness Award will be presented at the upcoming Winter Market, which opens this Sunday, January 24 and runs through Thursday, January 28, 2016, at Las Vegas Market.

“Las Vegas Market recognizes the important role that corporate ‘good citizenship’ can play in developing a socially-responsible, environmentally-friendly and successful business, and we are pleased to honor companies who have a proven track record of dedication to making the world a better place,” said Dorothy Belshaw, president of Gift & Home Décor, International Market Centers. “As the leading furniture, home decor and gift destination in the western United States, Las Vegas Market celebrates inspirational companies who practice sustainable, socially-responsible, and environmentally-friendly sourcing and manufacturing, and shares their commitment to making a positive impact on the industry, and around the world.”

The winner, Dunitz & Company, is known for providing beautiful beaded and fused glass jewelry handcrafted by more than 100 women and men in Guatemala. Company founder Nancy Dunitz visited Guatemala for the first time in 1989, and dedicated herself to working with local artisans to develop designs that would appeal to the U.S. market. Dunitz & Company is a member of the Fair Trade Federation, a Gold Business Certified member of Green America and a founding member of Fair Trade Los Angeles.

The fifth edition of the Global Goodness Awards incorporated a social media component, the People’s Choice award based on industry feedback. The People’s Choice award was selected by popular vote on the Las Vegas Market Facebook page. The other 11 finalists for Winter 2016 edition of the Global Goodness Awards include: Alinea, a luxury furnishings manufacturer that supports artisans and a furniture trade school in Java, working with the Indonesian government to promote local small manufacturers and trade; bambu, a producer of handcrafted, modern home and housewares products made from renewable materials such as bamboo, hemp, cork, coconut, and organic cotton, and soy; COCO-MAT, a supplier of luxury bedding handcrafted of all-natural and sustainable materials, including coconut fiber, natural rubber, seaweed, horsehair, cactus fiber, goose down, wool, cotton and oak; C.R. Plastic Products, which partners with the Tiny Girl Big Dream organization to manufacture the colorful Friendship Benches and help children learn to work together and spread kindness; Enrico Products, which sources handmade tabletop and gift items constructed from reclaimed wood products in Thailand; and outdoor furniture supplier Fermob USA, a member of the Sustainable Furnishings Council and financial supporter of Mighty Shepherd Ministries, which houses, feeds and teaches orphans in India.

Other 2016 finalists include: GuildMaster, which specializes in distinctive styled, extremely high quality, handcrafted mahogany furniture and home décor pieces and supports a tree-planting program in Indonesia, recycles and reuses all waste paper and supports children’s orphanages; Mbare Ltd., an importer of high quality African art made from natural and recycled materials by artisans in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Swaziland, Niger and Senegal; Phillips Collection, a supplier of unique handcrafted furniture and wall décor created using sustainable, reclaimed and recycled materials; Recherché Furnishings, supplier of rustic home décor made from recycled and reclaimed materials, including more than 300,000 pounds of old fence wood, 75,000 soda tabs, and 35,000 pounds of used cardboard; and furniture and lighting manufacturer Versa Products, which uses the most efficient and environmentally friendly manufacturing processes, including locally sourced raw materials, recycled steel, closed-circuit powered painting system, non-toxic laminates and natural latex edging strips.

The Global Goodness awards program supplements an ongoing partnership Las Vegas Market has with the Sustainable Furnishings Council (SFC) to create One Good World, a guide to sustainable furniture and home décor products to help connect legitimate suppliers and retailers in this new era of sustainability and accountability. The effort includes a sustainable products locator program, showcasing relevant at-Market resources, expanded educational offerings addressing issues and opportunities connected with sustainability.

Las Vegas Market showcases Fair Trade, sustainable and socially-responsible products and producers within the HANDMADE segment of The Pavilions at Las Vegas Market, a collection of temporary exhibitors presenting unique handcrafted, artisanal products located in Pavilion #1; as well as in DISCOVERIES: The Antique Vintage Marketplace, a unique assortment of ethnic handicrafts, vintage and antique merchandise available for immediate delivery in Pavilion #2.