Already known for its considerable presence in the world of indoor home accessories, Calhoun, Ga-based Surya has long been planning a move into the outdoor realm, largely in the accessory category.

With the help of industry veteran Jim Levine, vice president, Surya Outdoor, the company plans to unveil much of its outdoor category at the The International Casual Furniture & Accessories Market, scheduled for Sept 16-19, 2014, at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago.

“There is a growing awareness in the home furnishings industry that outdoor products are very salable,” enthuses Levine, who joined Surya in April 2014, the result of a long search for someone with considerable outdoor furnishings experience. “Surya is making a strong push into the outdoor industry. We already have a customer base that is buying rugs, so we’re giving this customer more products with pillows, poufs, lighting, ceramic planters, wall mirrors, and more.”

With the accessories business relatively “fragmented,” Levine believes specialty retailers can now come to Surya for many of their needs. “We ship everything in 48 hours,” he says. “And we’re building a million-square-foot facility in Georgia to house all this inventory…We are going after specialty retailers.”

After the ICFA Show in Chicago, the rollout will continue at the High Point Market, Oct 18-23, in High Point, NC.

www.surya.com