Chute Gerdeman Founders Honored as Retail Design Leaders

COLUMBUS, OH—Elle Chute and Denny Gerdeman, co-founders of the leading retail design firm Chute Gerdeman Retail, have been recognized as industry leaders by readers of a leading trade publication. DDI magazine honored Elle Chute as one of four industry Luminaries in its second-annual Portfolio Issue. Chute and three other winners were recognized for their exceptional accomplishments, leadership and influence in the retail design industry.

DDI singled out Chute for her “unrelenting pursuit of excellence and numerous award-winning store designs that have helped raise the bar for the industry.”

According to the magazine, Chute is most noted for co-founding (with Denny Gerdeman) “a uniquely talented team that has consistently created great design.” In acknowledging the honor she said, “Our team is really who deserves the credit, not me. I see being nominated as a Retail Design Luminary as an honor for our team, and I’m really proud of them. I basically feel this is an award for them.”

Denny Gerdeman was also recognized in the publication with his inclusion on the annual list of industry Influencers.

In describing this year’s line-up of Influencers, DDI Editor-in-Chief RoxAnna Sway commented, “This year’s Influencers have raised the bar with exciting design projects, new ventures and bold ambitions. They not only continue to strive for excellence, but they continue to attain it, and often surpass it, creating a new standard that motivates and challenges the industry as a whole.”

The magazine singled out Gerdeman for “immersing himself in the customer, the product and the brand each and every time he approaches a new project.”

He commented: “For me, pioneering new ideas and concepts at retail is like being a child playing in a giant sandbox.”

In addition to the Luminary and Influencer Awards, Chute Gerdeman was named one of the Most Exciting Design Firms, following last year’s recognition as Designer of the Year. Also, Chute Gerdeman’s M&M’S World® New York store was listed as one of the Best-Designed New Stores and the Best-Designed Entertainment Store.


About Chute Gerdeman Retail

Since 1989, Chute Gerdeman Retail, based in Columbus, OH, has created retail brands, their identities, their environments, and every other customer touch point, including brand communication materials, merchandising fixtures, and packaging. The firm’s client list includes: M&M’S® (Mars), Walt Disney Imagineering, Target, Levi Strauss, 7-Eleven, Sheetz, Chili’s, Einstein Brothers Café, KFC (Japan), Marriott Vacation Club Resorts, Smithsonian, Kohl’s, Club Libby Lu, Pepsi-Cola, CompUSA, Nationwide Arena, Philips Arena and Lowe’s. In 2006, the firm was voted “Designer of the Year” by readers of DDI (Display & Design Ideas) magazine in addition to the numerous awards it has received for design leadership. The company’s work for M&M’S World® Orlando was recognized as “International Store of the Year” by the Institute of Store Planners, a professional design organization. For more information, go to www.chutegerdeman.com