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SURYA LAUNCHES THIRD ANNUAL "MILES FOR MEALS" FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN 8.28.14

Aims to raise $50,000 to feed daily lunches to more than 3,300 school children in Northern India

CALHOUN, Ga. — Aug. 28, 2014 — Home accessories brand Surya is gearing up once again for the company’s annual fundraising campaign in support of Akshaya Patra, one of the world’s largest NGO-run meal programs. On Saturday, Oct. 4, more than 45 Surya employees and partners will participate in a half marathon event in Cumming, Ga., to help provide meals for thousands of school children in villages in Northern India where Surya’s weaver community resides.

Since its inception in 2012, Surya’s Miles for Meals program has raised more than $70,000 for the non-profit organization, which serves a freshly prepared, nutritious lunch each day to more than 1.4 million children throughout rural India. The program not only helps to address hunger and malnutrition, but also provides an incentive for children to stay in school so that they have the opportunity to thrive as adults.

“My father, Surya founder Surya Tiwari, started his career as a teacher in a small village in India and recognized early on the role of education as a catalyst for social mobility,” said Satya Tiwari, president, Surya. “We are very conscious of the health and educational challenges in rural areas and, like Akshaya Patra, want every child to have access to food and education and the chance to break the cycle of poverty. Through the Miles for Meals initiative, Surya and our customers and partners can make a real difference in the lives of thousands of children and their families.”

In response to the strong support for Miles for Meals last year, Surya has raised the bar even higher this year, setting a fundraising goal of $50,000. Donations are tax-deductible and can be made through Oct. 30, 2014 via the following site: http://www.razoo.com/story/Surya-2014. It costs just $15 to feed one child for the entire school year.

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

View images of the Akshaya Patra lunchtime meal program.

SURYA NAMED TO INC. 500 | 5000 LIST FOR FOURTH STRAIGHT YEAR 8.21.14

Three-year revenue growth of 131 percent earns brand a spot on Inc. Magazine's 33rd annual list of fastest growing U.S. companies

CALHOUN, Ga. — Aug. 21, 2014 — Surya has been named for the fourth consecutive year to the Inc. 500|5000 list, an exclusive ranking of the nation's fastest growing privately-held companies. The home accessories provider is ranked 2,818 on the 2014 Inc. 500|5000 list, moving up from a ranking of 2,884 last year.

Focused on providing the widest selection of coordinating home accessories across a range of styles and price points, Surya has grown from $2.7 million in sales in 2004 to $82.3 million in 2013 while realizing consistent double-digit year over year revenue increases since 2004. Amidst a challenging economic climate, the company has continued to expand into additional home accents categories to help simplify the shopping experience for its designer and retailer customers. Surya currently offers more than 30,000 products across categories that include rugs, pillows, throws, wall decor, lighting, accent furniture, bedding and decorative accents, with 75 percent of large furniture retailers currently selling Surya products to their customer base.

“We are always looking for ways to better serve our customers while at the same time pushing the envelope to drive innovation within the industry,” said Satya Tiwari, president, Surya. “Being named to this prestigious list for the fourth year in a row is a testament to our commitment to deliver exceptional products and merchandising solutions that help our customers to grow their home accessories business. We are honored to be in the company of so many similarly-minded organizations and look forward to what the future will bring as we execute on our goal to become a $1 billion company within the next ten years.”

Earlier this month, Surya broke ground on a new $33 million corporate office and distribution facility located in Cartersville, Ga., which will measure one million sq. ft. when completed in late 2015. The expansion will not only enable the company to consolidate shipping and distribution for more efficient logistics and operations but will also accommodate the addition of more than 200 jobs within the next few years.

Inc. Magazine publishes the Inc. 500|5000 list each year to celebrate the most dynamic private companies in the United States. Surya will be recognized at the 33rd Annual Inc. 500|5000 Awards Ceremony to be held on Friday, Oct. 17 in Phoenix, Ariz.

The complete list of 2014 Inc. 500|5000 honorees can be found here.

Methodology
The 2014 Inc. 500|5000 list of fastest growing companies measures percentage of revenue growth from 2010 to 2013. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2010. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for profit and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of December 31, 2013.
 

SURYA INVITES DESIGNERS AND RETAILERS TO "STEP INSIDE" NEW VIRTUAL SHOWROOM 8.18.14


CALHOUN, Ga. — Aug. 18, 2014
— Surya has launched an interactive, 360 degree virtual tour of its 30,000 square foot Las Vegas Market showroom. Using Google Business View technology, the tour enables designers and retailers to conveniently access and browse Surya’s latest product offerings across all categories via any web-enabled computer or mobile device.

During the recent Las Vegas Market, Surya worked with a professional photography team to develop the virtual tour, which features high resolution panoramic views and intuitive navigation to offer a seamless showroom experience. Surya website visitors simply have to click on the virtual tour link under the Las Vegas showroom listing and can then “walk the showroom” at their leisure, viewing products from a number of angles and zooming in on items of particular interest.

“We understand that not everyone can make it to every market and that those who are able to attend often have very busy schedules, making it a challenge to visit every showroom,” said Satya Tiwari, president, Surya. “We wanted to provide an easy way for designers and retailers to not only see our large product assortment but also to view creative merchandising and display ideas that they can apply within their own spaces. Our ultimate goal is to offer a simplified shopping experience for our customers and, by enabling us to ‘bring our showroom to the customer,’ this innovative tool helps us to achieve that goal.”

Surya continues to leverage technology to make it easier for customers to access products, including an enhanced website that features the ability to zoom in on product images to see fine details and a convenient iPad®/iPhone® app that enables 24/7 access to the Surya catalog and current inventory. Over the course of the year, Surya plans to create virtual tours for its Atlanta, Dallas and High Point showroom locations also and will update all tours on an annual basis.

Click here to take a virtual tour of Surya’s Las Vegas showroom. View highlights from the tour.
 

SURYA NAMED WINNER OF GLOBAL GOODNESS AWARD 8.14.14


CALHOUN, Ga. — Aug. 14, 2014 — Rug and home accessories provider Surya recently was honored with a Global Goodness Award for its charitable outreach and promotion of sustainable practices. Sponsored by Las Vegas Market, the semi-annual awards program was launched in 2013 to recognize furniture, gift and home decor companies who demonstrate eco-friendly, sustainable and socially responsible activities.

Surya actively supports economic opportunity for the more than 50,000 weavers and artisans that it employs in Northern India, and empowers women by providing fair wages and a safe working environment. Recognizing the role of education as a catalyst for social mobility, the company annually sponsors high school scholarships for 200 Indian girls through East Meets West and vocational training for 160 students through Project Mala. Additionally, Surya partners with Akshaya Patra to provide 7,300 children in rural India with nutritious lunches to help keep them in school and participates each year in the “Miles for Meals” half-marathon to raise additional funds for the organization. Surya’s sustainability initiatives include the use of natural dyes and sustainable materials such as wool, cotton, jute and sisal across its product lines, along with recycled materials such as denim, leather, tires and sari silk.

“At Surya, one of our core values is to ‘make a difference’ by positively impacting the environment, society and communities in which we operate whenever possible,” said Satya Tiwari, president, Surya. “Through a focus on social stewardship, both in India and locally in Calhoun, as well as the use of environmentally-friendly materials and processes, we are changing lives for the better every day. We are truly honored to receive this important recognition.”

Award winners were selected by a panel of independent judges that included Claire Johnson, Managing Editor, Giftware News; Julie McCallum, Editor in Chief, Gift Shop Magazine, and Caroline Kennedy, Editor in Chief, Gifts and Decorative Accessories.

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

SURYA BREAKS GROUND ON ONE MILLION SQUARE FOOT FACILITY 8.06.14

Expansion expected to bring more than 200 jobs to North Georgia over next several years

CALHOUN, Ga. — Aug. 6, 2014 — Surya broke ground yesterday on its new one million square foot warehouse and office headquarters in Cartersville, Ga. Attendees at the groundbreaking ceremony included Surya Founder Surya Tiwari, Surya President Satya Tiwari, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal, Bartow County Commissioner Steve Taylor and Consul General of India Ajit Kumar, along with Surya employees and members of the Cartersville-Bartow County Department of Economic Development. Work at the building site was scheduled to start today, and the facility is expected to be completed by August 2015 with a target move in date of late 2015.

“To optimally serve our customers, we need to not only have the best infrastructure possible for our warehousing operations and logistics but also a central location where our sales and marketing, design, creative, customer service and other teams can easily collaborate,” said Satya Tiwari, president. “Our location is ideal because we are able to support economic development in the community by bringing new jobs to the area while making our company more attractive to Atlanta talent due to the shorter commute time. This expansion is beneficial on many levels and we look forward to what the future will bring as we execute on our goal to become a $1 billion company within the next ten years.”

The new facility is located 15 minutes south of Surya’s current U.S. headquarters in Calhoun, Ga., which will continue to be used for warehousing some of the company’s more than 30,000 products.

Click here to view images of the groundbreaking ceremony.