Page 18 - Lighting Magazine November 2019

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Michael Amini, the founder, Chair- man & CEO of Amini Innovation Corp., (AICO), will receive the
Academy of Achievement honor at the 31st annual ARTS Awards, taking place at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas on Friday, January 10, 2020.
The award ceremony coincides with the Dallas Total Home & Gift Market held at the Dallas Market Center (DMC) and acknowledges preeminent manufacturers, retailers, interior designers, product designers, and sales representatives.
“Michael’s legendary energy and lead- ership are matched, if not surpassed,
by his generosity,” says Cindy Morris, President & CEO of DMC. “He has built a well-respected company, designed award-winning products, partnered with celebrities, and mentored countless leaders, but most importantly, he has
selflessly helped others via the City of Hope and numerous industry programs. Michael is an extremely deserving honoree.”
“It’s a distinct privilege to honor some- one who has gained the respect from a business community as well as recogni- tion as a significant humanitarian,” adds Sharon Davis, Executive Director of ART. “Michael’s passion for the industry has been clearly seen in his drive to help transform the American Home Furnish- ings Hall of Fame into a prestigious industry organization driven to honor our industry’s past and celebrate its future. He is a true ambassador for the best virtues of our business.”
Designer, philanthropist, investor, and world traveler, Amini founded his company in 1988. Today, it boasts a 320,000-sq.-ft. facility in Pico Rivera, Calif., with 86 shipping and receiving
docks and hundreds of employees. Last May, Amini broke ground on a nearly 500,000-sq.-ft. logistics center in Vietnam, which will also serve as a warehouse and manufacturing facility.
AICO’s product lines now include complete bedroom and dining collec- tions, high-fashion upholstery, a line of top-of-bed fashions, lighting, artwork, and rugs. Amini collaborated with high-profile celebrities such as Jane Seymour in 2010 and Kathy Ireland in 2017, expanding his brand into both glam and casual home furnishings. In 2018, the newest series Michael Amini Jane Seymour LIVING was introduced.
Amini has served as President & Chair of the American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame. He has been recognized as Supplier of the Year by Furniture/Today as well as several Top 100 retailers,
and he was awarded the “Pillar of the Industry” honor in 2007 by the Interna- tional Home Furnishings Representatives Association. In 2008, he received the American Heritage Award from the Anti-Defamation League for a lifetime of achievement in promoting civil/human relations.
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“Michael’s legendary energy and leadership are matched, if not surpassed, by his generosity.” —Cindy Morris, President & CEO of DMC
16 enLIGHTenment magazine | november 2019
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MICHAEL AMINI TO RECEIVE ARTS AWARDS’ ACADEMY OF ACHIEVEMENT HONOR