Event to Honor Mark Eichhorn, Marcus Lemonis and Esther Suen
ROSEMONT, IL (February 3, 2025) —Mark Eichhorn, CEO, Anchor Hocking Co., Marcus Lemonis, executive chairman, Beyond and Esther Suen, vice chairman & managing director, Simatelex Manufactory Co. Ltd., will be honored for their philanthropic endeavors by the Housewares Charity Foundation (HCF) during its annual Housewares Cares Gala on Monday, March 3 during The Inspired Home Show® 2025 in Chicago.
Eichhorn will receive the Industry Humanitarian Award, Lemonis the Humanitarian of the Year Award and Suen the Lifetime Humanitarian Award.
The Gala will be held at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago beginning with a reception at 6 p.m. The reception will feature tasting stations by James Beard all-star chefs. Proceeds will benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), HCF’s legacy charity, as well as the James Beard Foundation, World Central Kitchen and Feeding America.
Since the first gala in 1998, HCF has raised more than $56 million and has been credited with donating more than $33 million to BCRF, along with significant contributions to more than 25 other charitable organizations. BCRF was founded by Evelyn H. Lauder in 1993. Ms. Lauder, a champion for advancing the world’s most promising research to eradicate breast cancer, passed away in November 2012 in New York City.
Since 2000, HCF has funded 132 BCRF research projects. Over the years, housewares-supported breast cancer advances have included:
- New targets for aggressive triple-negative breast cancers.
- Immunotherapy strategies to prevent and treat metastasis.
- Liquid biopsy technology to detect inherited forms of breast cancer.
The star-studded evening will include a live auction along with the honoree tributes. QVC program host David Venable will emcee the program.
Mark Eichhorn
Mark Eichhorn has spent the majority of his career in the housewares industry, including more than 25 years with Anchor Hocking Co. Starting in public accounting with Deloitte & Touche in 1977, Eichhorn was recruited to join Anchor Hocking shortly after it was acquired by Newell Brands in 1987. Anchor Hocking is the leading manufacturer of glass tableware in North America and currently distributes one of the largest collections of leading consumer brands in the housewares industry, including Corelle dinnerware, Corningware ceramic bakeware, Chicago Cutlery, Lucaris, Fire King and Ocean glassware, Visions cookware and Oneida kitchen tools and gadgets.
Eichhorn has spent the last 30-plus years at the helm of several well-known housewares companies. In addition to Anchor Hocking, he has served as president and CEO of Rubbermaid Home Products and Columbian Home Products. Eichhorn has attended 28 IHA Shows, has served on the board of directors of the International Housewares Association and currently serves on the board of The Cookware & Bakeware Alliance.
Marcus Lemonis
Marcus Lemonis joined the Beyond board of directors as co-chair in November 2023. He honed his entrepreneurial spirit while working at his family’s automotive dealership. At age 25, Lemonis seized the opportunity to reshape the way recreational vehicles and outdoor equipment were sold. Under his leadership and vision, Camping World would grow to become the nation’s largest RV retailer.
Lemonis next set out to host his own TV show. The hit CNBC series The Profit, in which Lemonis helped turn around and improve businesses, ran for eight seasons. It spawned spinoffs including the Street of Dreams, featuring Lemonis educating himself and viewers about the financial workings of key industries.
Esther Suen
Esther Suen joined Simatelex in 1986 and was named managing director in 1997. The family-owned private OEM was founded by her father in 1969 and manufactures household appliances for well-known brands in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific, including Cuisinart, Keurig, Breville, Newell, Hamilton Beach, Presto, SEB, Zojirushi, Philips and Nespresso. Under Suen’s leadership, the company has experienced rapid growth and has become one of the largest electrical appliance manufacturers in the southern part of China.
At one time, the company employed more than 30,000 factory workers in Guangdong Province. In 2018, in response to the tariff impact on Chinese-made products, Suen set up a factory in Batam, Indonesia, which has become one of the company’s major production locations. Despite her demanding business schedule, she is an avid golfer and art enthusiast. She has served as a member of the Council for the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre and also is actively involved in charitable work through her family foundation, particularly in the areas of culture & education and medical research.
Getting Involved
To attend the gala, sponsor an ad in the gala journal, make a donation or learn more about HCF, its honorees and its charities, please visit housewarescharity.org/ or contact Paul Murphy at 508.272.0717 or pimurphy11@gmail.com.
-30-
About Housewares Charity Foundation
The mission of the nonprofit Housewares Charity Foundation (HCF) is, in the spirit of goodwill, to raise funds annually for designated charities and help unite and promote the philanthropy of the home and housewares industry. In a collaborative effort among industry manufacturers, retailers and allied industry partners, HCF hosts an annual charitable dinner during The Inspired Home Show. The goals of the dinner are to raise funds for charities, unite our industry and honor its leaders.
To download photos of 2025 HCF honorees:
housewarescharity.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/HCF_honorees_25.zip
