CHARLOTTE, NC -- The Association of Closet and Storage Professionals presented its Fourth Annual Pioneer Award to CLOSETS magazine at the 7th Annual Closets and Home Organization Conference and Expo.

ACSP President Jeff Klein (from left) presented the coveted award to Laurel Didier, publisher of CLOSETS; Steve Reiss, vice president of Vance Publishing Corp.; and Rich Christianson, associate publisher of CLOSETS.

In presenting the award, Klein thanked Vance Publishing of Lincolnshire, IL, for its partnership with the association and cited CLOSETS magazine's multiple efforts in helping to advance the closet and storage industry through its bi-monthly publication, website and annual Closets & Home Organization Conference & Expo.

CLOSETS, sister publication to Custom Woodworking Business and Wood & Wood Products,  was launched by Vance Publishing in fall of 2003. The first Closets Conference was cosponsored by CLOSETS and the National Closet Group (NCG) in 2005 as part of the Texas Woodworking Show in Dallas. The ACSP was born out of the NCG in 2005 and has been co-sponsor of the Closets Conference & Expo ever since.

In 2010, CLOSETS was named the official publication of the ACSP.

The ACSP established the Pioneer Award years ago to acknowledge people who have contributed to the closet industry, who are visionary out-of-the-box thinkers and who exhibit a willingness to take risks in order to bring value to the industry. Previous recipients have been Mike Carson of Closet Works of Elmhurst, IL, and Charles Costa of Sidelines Inc. of Scottsdale, AZ, and Neal Balter, founder of California Closets.