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CALHOUN, Ga. — July 30, 2014 — Home accessories brand Surya has announced the winners of its #SpottedwithSurya Instagram contest, which ran from May 28 – July 15, 2014. Chosen by Surya’s leadership team, the lucky winners include:

To enter the contest, designers and retailers were asked to post to Instagram a photo of a Surya tote bag in an interesting or unusual location. Entries were judged on creativity and originality, with winning entrants receiving free Surya products. All of the entries can be viewed here.

“Each year, we distribute thousands of colorful and eco-friendly jute tote bags at markets and other events,” said Satya Tiwari, president, Surya. “The bags continue to be very popular and we are pleased to be able to offer market attendees a versatile and fashion-forward way to carry items both at market and in their daily lives. We were impressed with the creativity shown by all of the entrants and with the variety of places – both near and far – that people take our bags. We congratulate the winners.”

Launched in 2013, Surya’s Instagram page has more than 4,300 followers. Designers and retailers are invited to continue to post to Instagram images of Surya tote bags in interesting locations using the hashtag #SpottedwithSurya.
 

CALHOUN, Ga. — July 24, 2014 — Surya has appointed Jim Levine to the newly created role of vice president of Surya Outdoor. Levine is a veteran of the casual furniture industry where he has spent the last 32 years overseeing business operations, sales and marketing, supply chain management and product design for a variety of outdoor product lines.

In his new role, Levine will be responsible for expanding Surya’s outdoor product offerings while also building and overseeing a sales force focused specifically on retailers in the outdoor products category. Surya’s outdoor lines currently include rugs, pillows and poufs, with ceramics, hurricane lamps, tabletop products and outdoor mirror and lighting categories set to debut at the 2014 International Casual Furniture & Accessories Market in September.

Levine was previously owner and CEO of Porch & Patio, a casual furniture store that he grew from a single retail location to a seven-store chain, and also served as vice president at Robb & Stucky Patio, where he managed retail operations. He most recently headed up importing and manufacturing for a startup outdoor furnishings company. Levine has received and/or been nominated for the Apollo Award, the highest award given to a casual furniture retailer, five times.

“Under Jim’s leadership, we look forward to significantly growing our range of fashion-forward outdoor offerings to support our goal of becoming the premier provider of coordinating accessories for the outdoor living segment,” said Satya Tiwari, president, Surya. “Jim’s wealth of experience in the outdoor industry combined with our ability to quickly bring to market products for a variety of lifestyles and budgets, and strong focus on service will be instrumental in expanding our presence in this valuable segment moving forward. We are excited to welcome Jim to the Surya team.”

Levine will be based in Florida and report to Seth King, vice president of Sales.
 

CALHOUN, Ga. — July 10, 2014 — Twenty Surya employees and their family members recently participated in a Habitat for Humanity home build in the Calhoun, Georgia area. The Surya team rolled up their sleeves, volunteering their time and energy on a Saturday to help landscape the new home, which is scheduled to be completed by early fall. The project is part of an initiative by Habitat for Humanity of Gordon County, Georgia.

“At Surya, we are unified in our commitment to serving the communities in which we live, work and serve each day,” said Satya Tiwari, president, Surya. “Participating in the Habitat for Humanity project not only provides us with the opportunity to support our neighbors in Calhoun but also builds our team spirit through a shared undertaking that will make a lasting difference.”

Tiwari, who grew up in a small village in Northeastern India understands the importance of helping local communities. Each year, Surya sponsors a number of initiatives in the villages where its weavers reside, including providing 7,300 schoolchildren in rural India with nutritious lunches via Akshaya Patra and donating high school scholarships for 200 Indian girls through East Meets West. The company also sponsors educational and vocational training for 160 students through Project Mala.

Surya looks forward to participating in a local Habitat for Humanity project again in the near future, with plans to volunteer on an ongoing basis.

To learn more about Surya’s commitment to social responsibility, visit www.surya.com/social-responsibility.

About Habitat for Humanity of Gordon County
Habitat for Humanity of Gordon County is a nonprofit housing ministry that builds affordable, structurally sound homes for low income families in the community. Partner families are selected based on their need, ability to repay a no-interest mortgage, and willingness to partner with Habitat. They invest hundreds of hours of labor—sweat equity—into building their own homes and the homes of others. Because the houses are built with volunteer labor and some donated materials, mortgage payments are very affordable for partner families. Their mortgage payments provide the funds to build even more houses in the community. For more information, visit www.gordonhabitat.org.