The Board of Directors of the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA) have selected licensing agents Debra Joester and Joanne Loria, co-founding partners of The Joester Loria Group, for induction into the LIMA Licensing Industry Hall of Fame.

Joester and Loria will be honored at the annual LIMA Awards Ceremony on June 17, 2014 during the industry’s main event, Licensing Expo 2014, in Las Vegas.

Joester, the company’s president and CEO, and Loria, its EVP and COO, are recognized as visionaries  in the licensing business, having presided over numerous highly successful, award-winning global brand extensions and breakthrough initiatives for some of the world’s most recognizable brands and emerging trends.

The agency’s achievements include winning LIMA awards for Jeep as Corporate Brand of the Year in 2004, 2006 and 2008; American Greetings’ Care Bears, which won four LIMA awards, including Best Character Brand of the Year in 2004; Animal Planet as LIMA Corporate Brand of the Year in 2010; and Eric Carle’s Very Hungary Caterpillar, named 2012 Art Brand of the Year.

Joester ‘s notable achievements include the brand extension of Animal Planet to a successful pet product brand and, most recently, merchandising for viral sensation, Annoying Orange. She has also served on the LIMA Board of Directors and as an Association officer.

Loria is credited with creating  retail licensing programs for Parents magazine and South Park, and was instrumental in crafting the re-launch strategy for Hanna Barbera’s classic cartoon archive.