2012 Lifetime Achievement Awards Winners
Don Bottemiller, Homecrest Industries
John Miles, Homecrest Industries
The prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award is reserved for individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the casual furniture industry and to their individual communities. The 2012 honorees were Don Bottemiller and John Miles, both of whom are retired from Homecrest Outdoor Living. Bottemiller spent his high school summers working at Homecrest, a company started in 1953 by his father, Mert, and his uncle, Al. In 1966, after college, three years in the Air Force and two years at Control Data, Bottemiller joined the family business, replacing the company’s retiring purchasing agent and shipping supervisor. He also served as plant engineer and coordinated the construction of several additions to the factory before being asked to serve as president in 1973 when his father and uncle sold the business to Sperry and Hutchinson Company in New York. In 1980, he partnered with John Miles, who had joined the firm as vice president of marketing and sales, and purchased Homecrest back from S&H. The business enjoyed steady growth over the next two decades, expanding in both domestic and international markets. Throughout his career, Bottemiller contributed eight utility patents to Homecrest. He is still active in the company and remains a member of the board of directors. Miles was named president of Homecrest’s Crestmark International Division in 1983. He retired in 2001.