IMC execs Kevin Malkiewicz, Scott Eckman, Julie Messner pose for a pre-party champagne toast for Loloi's 15th anniversary with Cyrus Loloi, Steven Loloi, Amir Loloi, and IMC's Lee Hershberg and Bob Maricich.
Inside, RugNews.com spied top rug retailers from brick and mortar and e-commerce channels, buzz-worthy designers and most of the country's top 100 furniture retailers. Yes, buyers were everywhere. But so were top management and owners -- from Jeffrey Child of RC Willey to Jeff Harris of Furnitureland South, to Kyle Johansen of HOM Furniture.
A new High Point Market showroom packed with Loloi's 15th anniversary party attendees resonates with the music of award winning saxophonist Kenny G.
"It feels really nice to be 15 years young," Loloi founder Amir Loloi told RugNews.com. "I don't consider us 15 years old. We are young, energetic, and ready to go for many, many more years to come.
"We've become one of the most recognized brands in the industry," Loloi said. "We're thrilled to be where we are today, and plan to keep developing as a brand and a company for many years to come."
On stage with Kenny G to thank customers for the company's 15 years of growth are Amir Loloi and sons Steven and Cyrus Loloi.
Asked what has changed most since he started the company, Loloi said, "Everything is now more fashion-driven. Fashion and fast shipping -- the quickness you need to have products available to ship -- are the two biggest changes in the industry."
With hundreds of new products premiering in High Point and a special new gallery featuring Loloi's debut collection of framed textile art, we asked Amir Loloi to reflect on his favorite collections throughout the years, he said: "Oh my goodness; my collections all seem to be like my kids. I can't single one out. Every one of them has something special about it - special memories that you just can't forget. They all have performed at the highest level and have been part of our legacy."
Kenny G performs with new designs from Loloi's Skye collection as a stage set.
Indeed, Loloi took time out on Kenny G's stage to credit his sons, Cyrus and Steven, for their contributions to the company's legacy and growth in recent years. The admiration was mutual as each son took the microphone to thank customers and their dad, who later told RugNews.com, "I simply don't know if I could do it without them today."
Packed to capacity with A-list retailers and designers, the expanded Loloi IHFC showroom resonated with the sounds of Kenny G.
Recently, Loloi announced its plans for a new distribution center in Cartersville, Georgia, which will expand the company's distribution capabilities nationwide, and double their workforce.
And showroom expansion has also been on a roll. For the April 2019 edition of High Point Market, Loloi doubled the size of its IHFC Design Center showroom to 30,000 square feet, and with it the need for IMC to reconfigure hallways to accommodate the size. Last year, the company unveiled an expanded 16,500-foot World Market Center Building B showroom at Las Vegas Market, and its first stand-alone showroom (a 10,000-foot space) in the Dallas World Trade Center.
Cyrus Loloi, Amir Loloi, Kenny G, and Steven Loloi in front of designs from the new Rifle Paper x Loloi rug collection.
Loloi garnered multiple awards at the winter 2019 Atlanta International Area Rug Market, including two America's Magnificent Carpets Awards, and Best of Floor for visual merchandising among AmericasMart's fourth floor showrooms. Representing opposite ends of the price point spectrum with equally strong fashion looks, Loloi won in the Hand-knotted/ Flatweave category and in the Licensee category for its Rifle Paper x Loloi program.
Asked to reveal the company's biggest hits for 2018, Loloi said, "The achievements we have made with Magnolia Home and with ED Ellen DeGeneres, Justina Blakeney -- and now with Rifle Paper -- have resulted in some of the biggest hits we have seen."
Harold Moose and Jeff Harris of Furnitureland South flank Amir Loloi at the Loloi 15th anniversary party with special performance by Kenny G.
"Our mission has always been to lead the industry with innovative, beautiful designs that can be at home in a wide variety of spaces," Loloi explained. "This means there has to be an extraordinary attention to detail when it comes to designing and handcrafting our collections. It also means we're tirelessly working to always bring something new and fresh to our customers."
Loloi says his company's uncompromising devotion to quality has paid off. In its 15 years, the company has won five ARTS Awards for Best Rug Manufacturer, one for Best Outdoor Manufacturer and one for Green Manufacturer. It also has won 10 America's Magnificent Carpets Awards and four Atlanta Visual Display Awards for its sophisticated showroom design. In 2018, Loloi was inducted into the ARTS Awards Hall of Fame.