Gift for Life has presented its 2025 Industry Achievement Award to Ivystone CEO Doug Cofiell during the 74th Annual Retailer Excellence Awards in Dallas.
Gift for Life’s Industry Achievement Award recognizes overall excellence and contribution to the gift and home industry, whether as a thought leader or industry influencer. In honor of Cofiell, gift and home industry colleagues have donated $38,355 to World Central Kitchen, which helps to serve hot, healthy meals to in-need communities around the world. The 130-plus donors include a wide range of manufacturers, sales agencies, retailers, media, market centers and industry suppliers.
“It’s weird to get an individual award when it’s not about the individual, it’s about the people around you,” said Cofiell in his acceptance, adding that “resilience” is one way to describe the people in the retail industry given the current economic stressors this year.
“After spending the past few years working within one of the companies Doug leads, I can say with absolute certainty: he embodies the kind of leadership this award was created to honor,” said Gift for Life Chair Emalee Hoffman, who is vice president of sales at CMA Gifts which is owned by Ivystone.
The Industry Achievement Award has been presented at Gifts & Decorative Accessories’ Retailer Excellence Awards since 2009. Past honorees in recent years include Dorothy Belshaw of ANDMORE (2024); Todd and Jannetta Litzman of MarketTime (2023); and Warren Shoulberg (2022).
Donations will be accepted through the summer gift and home markets in Atlanta, Las Vegas and New York City, and can be made online at www.giftforlife.org/donate.
