We could not be prouder to share that Steve Ellington, who is retiring in January after a 41-year career at Glen Raven, including more than 15 years as president of Trivantage®, was honored with the Chairman’s Award at ATA’s annual meeting during Advanced Textiles Expo. Steve was not expecting the award, which made the surprise ceremony even more special for those of us who have been honored to be a part of this industry legend’s team.
Steve has made a significant contribution to the growth of Glen Raven’s global business since joining the company in 1983. He served as president and general manager of Glen Raven Custom Fabrics – Global and was instrumental in the acquisition of Dickson-Constant, which established Glen Raven as a global company. He was also instrumental in forming Trivantage, one of Glen Raven’s largest global subsidiaries, and has led our company since its founding in 2008. Steve also has served on ATA’s board of directors and is a former board chair, and in 2022 he was recognized as an Honored Life Member of ATA for his distinguished contribution to the textile industry.
The Chairman’s Award, formerly called the President’s Award of Merit, is only given when the ATA chairman of the board feels there is an individual worthy of special recognition for their unique contribution to the industry. Previous recipients of this prestigious industry award include Allen Gant, Jr., former CEO of Glen Raven, and Roger Gant, Jr., also a former Glen Raven CEO who led the team that created Sunbrella®. Perfect company indeed.
We also demonstrated Awning Composer®, an easy-to-use rendering software designed to move products to production in half the time, and shared real-time show floor highlights on our social channels: Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Be sure to check out our Revival Blue, and give us a follow on all of our channels so you won’t miss the latest news and information on project applications, fabricator experiences, and more.
In a recent interview for Glen Raven’s customer magazine, Raven, Steve was asked what’s next for him in 2024 and beyond. His answer indicates he won’t be going far:
“In the short term, I’ll unplug, relax, and refocus. Longer term, I suspect I’ll remain involved in an industry that has been so good to me. Once textiles are in your blood, they become part of who you are. I don’t see that changing.”
Cheers to our mentor and friend!
