ICFA ANNOUNCES 2025 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD RECIPIENTS – Douglas Sanicola and Harold Hudson to be honored at the Awards Gala on September 17
Douglas Sanicola, owner of Outdoor Elegance in La Verne, Calif. with his wife, Sharon, and the first retail chair of the outdoor industry trade association, and Harold Hudson, vice president of strategic initiatives at Gabriella White and a past chair, will each receive the distinction as part of the evening program at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The Lifetime Achievement Award was created in 2002 to distinguish industry executives whose ideas have advanced the growth of the casual furniture industry and whose actions and accomplishments have served as role models or inspiration for others. Acknowledged by their peers, the honorees’ achievements must have stood the test of time.
Douglas Sanicola’s Legacy – A Marketing Master Who Shares His Magic
In 2001, Douglas Sanicola found himself owning a nursery and outdoor furnishings business that used to belong to the F.W. Woolworth Company as a part of the lease option for two acres of property he wanted. That site became the home of Outdoor Elegance, the 24,000-square-foot showroom in Southern California that promotes a lifestyle of poolside luxury, hours of relaxation and enviable barbecue skills. The secrets to his unqualified success have been shared with his colleagues and benefited the industry from the day he joined the ICFA in 2011, through his tenure as the first retail chair of the ICFA Board of Directors in 2017. His continuing impact on the industry is immeasurable, as recognized by the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award.
“I wasn’t sure about going into the casual furnishings business, but after I did my due diligence by traveling the California coast from south San Francisco to San Diego and visiting every store along the way,” Sanicola remarked, “I told my wife, ‘We are going to make a successful run at this because I understand marketing and merchandising. I had just finished a very lucrative financial career creating and selling the unique concept of 125 percent loans to a major national bank. That experience was like earning a Ph.D. in marketing, and I was ready to apply those skills to my new business.”
That finance expertise also served him well as he made the significant investment in 2008 to demolish the existing structure and create the current showroom, warehouse and office building, which is a destination for discriminating outdoor living customers across the West Coast. “We started work on Valentine’s Day, and by October, we moved in,” he reminisced. “It was the biggest challenge of my career. We had to work outside, using 90- by 50-foot tents, storing inventory, dealing with the elements, fencing, security, staying open and serving customers. The funding went smoothly because of my background in finance. The banks had never worked with anyone with my experience in non-interest loans.”
With the showroom space to demonstrate the impressive merchandising skill he’d learned from his father, who owned an Army-Navy store in Los Angeles in the 1960s and ‘70s, Sanicola and his team created an environment that enhanced the appeal of the upscale outdoor lifestyle and provided all the components that one would need to embrace it. “My Dad sold corduroy Levis when they were popular. He taught me how to fold them exactly right and display them stacked in a way that created a textured wall of color. This attention to detail and ability to engage the customer’s senses are lessons that boost sales in our industry,” he said.
Sanicola credits good friend Terri Lee Rogers, vice president of O.W. Lee, for introducing him to the ICFA in 2011. He found the first meeting to be meaningful and highly educational. He immediately got involved, wanting to learn all he could about an industry he still considered unfamiliar despite his retail success. He served on the Retail Council, held several board positions, was among the judges for the Design Excellence Awards, and in 2017, he was named the first retail chair.
“I considered this a wonderful opportunity to encourage other retailers to join and become active members. Previously, there had been some trepidation among them that they would be giving away trade secrets by sharing data with competitors rather than benefiting immensely from exchanging information, challenges and solutions. The board and I worked hard to dispel that hesitance and promote the many benefits of membership for retailers of all sizes across the country.” Sanicola was so effective that after he cycled off the board, he was asked to return when the next chair could not continue. He was back in the ICFA’s top leadership position during the pandemic and forced to host the 2020 Awards Gala from his hotel room in Chicago. “Zooming with my wife and son by my side was heart-wrenching, but we came through it. We are a strong, cohesive organization where everyone gets along because we are tugging on the same rope,” he said.
Understanding and listening to the customer are integral to the success of Outdoor Elegance and the rest of the industry. “We are always changing up our showroom, introducing new products, and finding ways to offer experiences that delight our customers. Education is everything. We do not sell based on price; it is all about creating an outdoor living space that suits the consumer’s preferences for relaxation and hospitality. Whether they buy one piece a year or a full outdoor space with multiple seating areas and a professional kitchen, they get the same top-quality experience. We always give customers three business cards upon delivery – one to keep and one to give to their neighbors on each side who will be impressed by their cool new outdoor furniture!”
Anticipating every desire of its customers, including the rapidly growing hospitality sector, Outdoor Elegance offers comprehensive residential and commercial cleaning and care services. “It’s like detailing your car,” he explained. “You made a significant investment, and you want to retain its value and good looks.”
Outdoor Elegance’s marketing activities reflect how personal contact continues to attract its high-net-worth customers. “Over the years, we have hosted more than 30 events annually, welcoming local civic groups, clubs, customers and neighbors. Some are cooking classes, like authentic Iberico recipes, featuring seven different dishes cooked by a master chef of Spanish foods. And let’s not forget our annual ‘People’s Choice Award’ contest with 10 manufacturers cooking and strutting their stuff in a barbecue cookoff for customers.”
Sanicola encourages his outdoor furnishings retail colleagues to target selected interest groups with events, products and reasons for them to engage with their stores regularly. “Build word of mouth; always educate yourself about new products,” he advised. Ten years ago, nobody had a fire pit! Listen to your clients and never mislead them. Get a sense of their unique idea of comfort. I recently sold a chaise lounge to an elderly customer who just wanted a place to spend his last days in nature. I was privileged to help him,” he said.
“We want people to come in, look around, have a drink, and if they want to wear comfortable styles, we will even sell them a Reyn Spooner Hawaiian shirt, the world’s most collected aloha shirts!” This new product line pays homage to his dad’s merchandising philosophy. “It’s not upselling,” he related. “It’s completing the order! He would sell the customer T-shirts, socks and underwear with their Levis. We sell professional outdoor kitchens, day beds, club chairs, pergolas, pillows, throws and anything else to complete our customers’ orders. And as we see from their repeat visits, they are always pleased with the results.”
Sanicola admits he and Sharon have slowed down a bit. The couple’s two adult sons, Joseph Sanicola, design consultant, and Carlos Ibanez, marketing manager, are joined by Angela Troxcil, general manager, Rob Decker, sales manager and Carlos Pancan, operations manager, in handling more of the day-to-day management at Outdoor Elegance. “I am always available, but I let the reins out and let them make their own decisions. The team says they try to think like me, asking, ‘What would Doug do?’ I will not come down or scare them to death if they get it wrong. My door is always open for everyone on our team. We are a family company with integrity and deeply held values.”
Sanicola enjoys looking back and seeing his footprint in the industry. “Our work is continuous,” he said. “We still face sticker shock from new customers and must ensure our sales teams understand how to sell our products’ value and differentiate them from the “big box” items. As the ICFA continues to provide exceptional opportunities for networking, education and collaborative marketing support, we will prevail.
“The Lifetime Achievement Award is an unexpected honor. I am thrilled to be the 2025 recipient, along with my dear friend, and fishing and hunting companion, Harold Hudson,” he said.
Harold Hudson’s Legacy – Winning a Triple Crown for Exceptional Leadership
“I was driving in Pasadena after participating in the City of Hope’s West Coast Golf, Tennis & Pickleball Tournament, where I had received their International Home Furnishings Industry Group Lifetime Achievement Award, when I got a call from with some remarkable news. It was one of the few times in my life I was speechless.” And so, the current vice president of strategic initiatives learned he would receive the ICFA’s 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award.
“These two accolades, coming a few months apart, along with the immense honor of serving as the Chair in 2021, are three of the most significant industry accomplishments I could imagine. I am always grateful to serve, and overwhelmed and humbled by this recognition from my colleagues,” he said. “When you add the privilege of working with Bew White, III, the owner and founder of Summer Classics, helping him build our company’s success for the past 31 years, and serving all our valued customers, my career has been full of joy.”
Hudson’s illustrious career path veered before delivering him to his home at Summer Classics. “I graduated from the University of North Alabama in 1981 with an accounting degree. My first job was in the defense industry in Huntsville, Ala., where I was the group controller. We wrote software for many U.S. Department of Defense weapons systems, and my unit was being relocated to La Jolla, Calif. This ‘southern boy’ did not want to leave the south.”
Thankfully, another option presented itself. “The husband of one of my wife’s friends was the banker for Summer Classics, and he introduced me to Bew. That meeting in 1994 began my second and beloved career in the casual furniture industry, starting with my role as controller and then operations manager.”
Hudson served active membership and board positions with the Hearth Products and Barbecue Association and Casual Furniture Retailers Association, the predecessor of the ICFA. He served on the ICFA Nominating and Executive Committees leading up to overseeing the Board of Directors. “Helping our retailer members get back to their pre-Covid level was my number one priority,” he remembered. “Our strategic initiatives for 2021 and 2022 promoted their recovery and compelled more retailers to join as they recognized the value of this dedicated support. We pledged to create and enhance the networking, educational and philanthropic opportunities that make ICFA engagement vital to professional success for every segment of our membership. It was a challenging time, but through the hard work of the board and our exceptional staff, we came back strong.”
Hudson faced another challenge as one of the self-named “Gang of Five,” who researched and facilitated the weighty decision to move the annual trade show from Chicago to Atlanta in 2023. “Our team represented a good mix of members. Each worked hard, traveling to the sites and carefully considering all the proposed options to make the best decision for our organization,” he said. “The economics of the move, including extensive savings in showroom rental costs and quantifiable marketing support, resulted in anonymous approval. The benefits of Casual Market Atlanta become more apparent to our members with each event,” he said.
Hudson’s perspective on change within the industry comes from his experiences with consumer tastes and product line changes. “Outdoor furniture was mostly wrought iron and cast aluminum when I started. Then came resin, wicker, teak and more options than I can count, he said. “At Summer Classics, we had a slogan many years ago of ‘bringing the indoor furniture outdoors.’ In those days, your product line was typically a dining set, a rocking chair and an Adirondack chair. Today, there are so many varied materials that can withstand the outdoor elements. I have had customers ask, ‘Why is your sofa more expensive than an indoor sofa?’ I respond, ‘Take your indoor upholstered sofa and set it outside for 30 days.’”
As for the future, Hudson contends, “Seeing the changes in the last 30 years and trying to project into the next 10-20 years is hard. New mediums and more action chairs. The biggest question for the next 10-20 years is how many national football championships will Alabama win?” said the diehard ‘Bama fan in complete seriousness.
Hudson credits his family with providing the support that has made all his professional accomplishments possible. “My parents were educators. My father was a high school football coach and athletic director for 35 years. My mother was an eighth-grade English teacher. She passed away this past February at 94 years old. Two days before she passed, she corrected my English usage of lie/lay. They taught all of us to be honest and kind, and to maintain a strong work ethic.”
Howard married his best friend, Amy Hudson, 32 years ago and the couple has two adult children. In his leisure time, Harold enjoys reading, gardening, flyfishing, home improvement projects and pestering his wife. He plans to obtain his Master’s Gardener license.
Harold’s words of wisdom for those starting careers in the casual furnishings industry and hoping to earn a legacy like his are simple and uncharacteristically succinct: “Listen to the customer. I like to talk, but when it comes to a customer, shut up and listen, and take care of their needs the best way you can. This advice will serve you well in business and any other relationships you value.” The mantra for his life? “Fear God, tell the truth, make a profit.”
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The International Casual Furnishings Association supports and promotes the growth of the outdoor and casual furnishings industry through professional education, networking and development. It is the only trade organization committed to promoting the sales of its members’ quality products and services. It is a powerful partnership of manufacturers and importers, retailers, sales representatives and designers of outdoor furnishings plus suppliers to the industry. For more information, please see www.icfanet.org.