AmericasMart Atlanta, Georgia Retail Association and Florida Retail Federation Align

Home Textiles Today Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 10/24/2011 2:00:00 AM

ATLANTA - The AmericasMart here along with the Georgia Retail Association and the Florida Retail Federation have joined forces to give the Southeast region's major retailers preferred access to marekt events.
     Jeffrey Portman Sr., AmericasMart president and coo, and Rick McAllister, president and ceo of the Georgia and Florida entities, described the move "a historic alliance giving top retailers from the Southeast's fastest-growing states preferred access to the nation's single-largest home, gift and apparel wholesale marketplace."
     Highlighting the new alliance is the Georgia Retail Association (GRA)--Florida Retail Federation (FRF) AmericasMart Business Center open for the exclusive use of GRA/FRF members shopping AmericasMart's 13 annual markets. Located on the sixth floor in showroom space 677B of the mart's Building Two West Wing, the Business Center affords members private lounge facilities and networking opportunities, with GRA/FRF staff associates present during market to address questions and field member input regarding various business, education, service and legislative initiatives.
    Additionally, the alliance "opens the door to new education, innovation and business-growth opportunities for thousands of Federation and Association members" who as credentialed retailers currently attend or are open to attend AmericasMart markets.
     "This alliance affirms our Southeastern heritage and celebrates the inspired innovations of those retailers who serve our region's diverse and burgeoning population," said Portman, adding that the new partnership comes in tandem with the 50th anniversaries of both AmericasMart Atlanta and the Georgia Retail Association.