Decosit 07 -3
8/16/07
12:35 PM
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THEMATIC TRIM
MILL CONSOLIDATION
NEW REGAL STAFFERS
Herb Kahan, CEO, Castellano Beltrame creates conceptual trim to stay ahead of the international competition See page 6
Stanley Fradin, president, Rockland Mills, is acquiring and consolidating their machines to their South Carolina plant See page 10
Regal Fabrics has welcomed Gil Tavares as v.p. of sales and other former quaker employees See page 12
Decosit News BRUSSELS
The Official Show Publication of Decosit Brussels
Published by Sipco Publications Inc. www.sipco.net
F&FI Stand #P9/B33 September 8-11, 2007
Europeans Say Green is the Law, a Way of Life and Business by AnnMarie Marano
RUSSELS, Belgium — After surveying the Decosit Brussels exhibitors to see who is manufacturing “green,” we found that European producers are way ahead in the game of catch-up called “saving the earth.” “All we produce
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is eco-friendly as the Dutch environmental standards for textile industries are
Right: Raymakers’ Richard Oussoren and velvet chair
among the most stringent in the world,”
said Richard Oussoren, managing director, Raymakers, Helmond, Netherlands. The Belgians also staked their claim on environmental stringency. “First of all, it should be said that as a rule, any weaving mill in Belgium has to meet very high standards of environmental care, simply because that is part of Belgian legislation,” said Luc (Continued on page 8)
Arben International Enters Retail Furniture Sales Russian Fabric Wholesaler Unveils “Libet” Outlets
“Arben is Fabrics,” reads the slogan for the company. Arben celebrated its 13th birthday in November. Arben’s product is primarily highend fabrics for the more well-to-do segment of by Eric Schneider the population. “We like the retail business. We EW YORK, New York — Arben Interna- have a 10,000-square-foot fabric showroom in tional, a leading Russian fabric wholesaler Moscow that has been very successful for us.” with sales of $100 million has entered the ‘Galleria Arben,’ nearly 10 years old, proupholstered furniture business at retail under vides interior design services through profesthe name ‘Libet.’ sional designers and design Arkadiy ‘Archie’ studios. This Arben diviTchernov, principal of sion furnishes apartments Arben International said his and houses with upholstery goal is to build a $400 milfabrics, draperies, and bedspreads. Arben publishes its lion business that would own catalogue, Galleria include all 16 divisions of Arben, and sends it to Arben — including the designers. “Many profesrecently established retail sionals say our collection is furniture business and perunique in the world haps take it public by 2012. because of the range of Libet has 15 outlets in exhibited fabrics — their Kiev and 60 in Moscow. Mr. & Mrs. Archie Tchernov quality, quantity, variety of “We expect to have 250 outlets by 2008,” he said. Libet will sell sofa fabrics textures, and the price, ranging from $30 to from the Arben inventory as well as the inven- $300 per meter.” Arben is also a distributor of upholstery to tory of other Russian wholesalers like Soyez M, Amethysts and others, Tchernov said. the Russian furniture (Continued on page 6)
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THE FIRST EVER GREEN ISSUE This issue of Decosit Brussels News is dedicated to those who are making our earth their top priority. Read on to see what environmentally safe practices are paving the road in Europe and beyond.
Imatex Wins Copyright Case Against Sanpere S.A. never supplied Sanpere Belladonna Multi 50L/700/J in LICANTE, Spain — a 280 cm width and that Marco Guggi, export Rubens was a copy of our manager of Imatex, reports design, we decided to approach that the company won their Sanpere S.A. to find an amicacase against Sanpere S.A. earli- ble solution to the problem.” er this year, with the court of Guggi said that eventually, Alicante ruling on February 28, Sanpere S.A. told them that 2007, that Sanpere S.A. had Rubens was not a copy and that copied Imatex’s paton the market there tern Belladonna were many similar Multi 50L/700/J. designs to Imatex’s Belladonna Multi Despite efforts by 50L/700/J. Sipco, Sanpere failed “To close the to provide a statecontroversy they ment regarding the suggested to return case before the time all goods woven in of publication. Belladonna Multi In March 2005 50L/700/J as they our Spanish agent Marco Guggi did not wish to use was scouting some retail shops and eyed our pat- them any longer. We were tern in a coordinated book of totally surprised by this Sanpere S.A., but noticed it was response, especially considerbeing marketed in a 280 cm ing the long history of Sanpere S.A. in Spain and the fact they width,” Guggi said. “The article name was are members of a consortium Rubens. He purchased a length where the associates in view of of Rubens and sent it to us for their high morals agree not to further investigation. After copy third parties. At this point having determined we had (Continued on page 6) Sipco News Network
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