Fabrics & Furnishings - Spring 2017 Issue by Fabrics & Furnishings International

at P Fre rop e co ost pie e& s Evt eks

Volume 27, Number 2

Spring 2017

The Global Home & Contract Sourcing Newspaper

Cruise by Richloom Contract Dedicates Resources to Burgeoning Cruise Industry Under Spangler’s Watch Veteran globalist enthusiastically runs the new division with dedicated sales and design team, Petruzzelli and Craft. Sipco News Network

EW YORK, New York— Richloom Fabrics Group has created a new division under the banner of Richloom Cruise by Richloom Contract. The company expects to intensify its market share of the 875,000 cabins on the water each year and

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also the public spaces in cruise. “Refit requires four to six-week turnaround on installation of new interiors while new build requires a two to three-year period,“ says Glenda Spangler, Vice President of Global Sourcing and also the brainchild of the new division that will display its new brand and product line-up for the first time at the Sea

by richloom contract Trade Show March 14-17. Spangler, who joined Richloom 29 years ago, says that the company has been successful in developing products like R-Bed, Kelly Hoppen (Continued on Page 45)

Cruise Team - Lisa Craft, Alex Petruzzelli, Glenda Spangler

STI Expands Production

Selwyn Neiman Celebrates with 70 Retirement After new looms 50 Year Run

Sean Gibbons, STI CEO & President

Escolys Debuts Studio 51 Collection PAGE

Selwyn and Lynn Neiman

ROMO, Major International Fabric Wholesaler, Moving into New UK Home

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16 Owner, Jonathan Mould says The warehouse will have approximately 280,000 Sq ft, including mezzanine floors

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w w w. F a b r i c s A n d F u r n i s h i n g s . c o m

Jean Paul Depraetere, Principal of Studio 51 Collection, a new high end division of Escolys with Maria Filatova who picked the fabric selected for Flandria, the Moscow based upper end upholstery wholesaler

RANGE AS ASSORTED AS YOUR

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AN OPTION FOR EVERY

I M AG I N AT I O N A CHOICE FOR EVERY

I N S P I R AT I O N Visit us at: INTERNATIONAL OBSERVATORY rd th Date: 3 - 5 , May 2017 Venue: Spazio Como, Grand Hotel Di Como (7 minutes walking distance from Villa Erba)

INTERTEXTILE 2017 Date: 23rd - 26th, August 2017 Venue: National Exhibition and Convention Center No. 168 Yinggang East Road, Shanghai, China

MOODS 2017 Date: 6 - 8th, September 2017 Venue: Tour & Taxis Havenlaan 86c, BE 1000 Brussels th

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Contents Table of Contents F&FI Spring 2017 | Vol. 27, No. 2

STI’s Revolution® Outdoor Fabric Puts Mill Under Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Whyte & Ivory Builds Drapery Lining Business in USA and UK. . . . . . . . . . . . 14 ROMO, Major International Fabric Wholesaler, Moving into New UK Home. 16 Escolys Debuts Studio 51 Collection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Coulisse Brings Brand to Asia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Departments

Photo Galleries Heimtextil

Showtime

Korori Follows Mastercraft Trail at Ramtex. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Flokser Buys Microfibres Assets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Tchernov Reboots His Business After Ruble Decline. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Neutex Unveils First Designer Collections at Proposte. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Major Design Archive Owner Dimitrios Apostulou Retires. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Piero Agnetta, Global Consulting Pioneer, Says Do Your Homework. . . . . . . . . . . 30 William Clark & Son Unveils Digitally Printed Irish Linen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Standfast & Barracks Inspires Young Artists. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Karapinar, Tuzcu, Karaaslan Give ON-EM Product Makeover. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Folia, P/K Lifestyles Merge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Continuous Modernization, In Stock Position, Pushes Aznar Sales Forward. . . . . 42 Boyteks Develops Magnetic Upholstery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Saletex Grows Its Window Blind Business; Custom Curtains Still Rule. . . . . . . . . . 42

Warwick's 50th Anniversary Bash in Melbourne More from Australia

Selwyn Neiman

Contract/HospitalityNews ‘Richloom Cruise’ by Richloom Dedicates Resources to Burgeoning Cruise Industry

Cover 44

Maxwell Fabrics Names Zoë Drummond Design Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Father/Son Team at Magitex Upgrades Fabric

RM Coco Buys Wesco. Restructures Lines, Opens First Corporate Showroom. . . . 48

Offering to Reach More Designers

Aquaclean Group Opens Singapore Branch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Homtex Launches DreamFit Hospitality Brand to Hotel

Thomas W. Hilb, Heritage House Founder Passes On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Trade

EDITORIAL & PUBLISHING The Global Home & Contract Sourcing Newspaper

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520 West Avenue, Suite 701, Miami Beach, FL 33139 USA Website: www.fabricsandfurnishings.com Telephone 001.917.251.9922 | ISSN: 1523-7303 Publisher & Editor | Eric S. Schneider Art Director | Roxanne Clapp, RoxC LLC Corporate Secretary | Gail Goldman, PhD. CORPORATE CONSULTANTS Printing | Interprint Web Printing Distribution | APC Web Design | Artisian Designs E.U. Legal Counsel | Herman Nayaert

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ART DIRECTOR Roxanne Clapp Tel: 001.813.991.1860 E-Mail: rox@sipco.net

WEB DEVELOPER Rocco Cerullo, Artisian Designs Tel: 001.954.914.4758 E-Mail: recerullo@artisian.com

U.K. | Jennifer Castoldi USA/HIGH POINT | John Lowe

Fabrics & Furnishings International is shipped via air mail to 82 countries.

Walking the Trail of Inspiration Techtexil

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Calendar

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EDITOR & PUBLISHER USA & EUROPEAN COMMUNITY Eric Schneider Tel: 001.917.251.9922 E-Mail: eric@sipco.net

SIPCO NEWS NETWORK Belgium | Jan Hoffman

Design

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Subscriptions to Fabrics & Furnishings International are US$125 prepaid for four issues. Mail or fax orders (US Dollar, Check or International Postal Money Order for payment ONLY) to Sipco Publications, Inc. 520 West Avenue, Suite 701, Miami Beach, FL 33139 USA. Subscribe online at fandfi.com/subscribe Subscriptions in India Get & Gain Centre is the official subscription agent for Fabrics & Furnishings International in India. The price of a subscription in India is $200.00. Please contact Get & Gain Centre, 301, Sagar Shopping Centre, 3rd Floor, Opposite Bombay Bazaar Store. 76, J.P. Rd., Andheri (W) Mumbai – 400 058. INDIA Tel. 091-222677/23. 2677 6023 Contact: Vasant Jain mobile. 09820720189 or Manoj Jain. 09664198254. Email: info@getdesignbooks.com/vasant14feb1967@gmail.com

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STI’s Revolution® Outdoor Fabric, Plus Overall Growth, Puts Mill Under Pressure to Return to Four to Six Week Delivery Cycle 70 Additional looms, expanded on site yarn production coming soon, says Gibbons. Sipco News Network

IGH POINT, North Carolina —The Revolution Brand of performance fabric by STI is putting additional strain on its manufacturing capability as it scrambles to add more production in Kings Mountain, N.C. Revolution is a new growth engine for this very successful weaver started in 1993 by the 50 year old CEO, Sean Gibbons. STI is a DBA. Kings Plush, Inc. is the corporate name. The company started as a velvet mill...but “STI” is a relic of when "we made fabrics for aircraft, trains, buses–Specialty Textile Interiors." STI sounded good, and we were already known by it,” so we kept it. “We’ve gone from zero sales in Revolution to 250,000 yards a week in just two years’ time,” he explains. “This is our fastest growing business and accounts for half of all of our new business today,” he remarks. STI is generating $150 million in sales as an upholstery weaver including its Muebletex S.A. cut and sew business founded in 2006 and based in Nicaragua according to Gibbons. This puts STI a stone’s throw away from overtaking Valdese Weavers Inc., the largest mill today

in the USA. Both STI and Valdese are on the F&FI list of the Top 10 in the world. Valdese recently sold its business to its employees in a leveraged buyout less than a year ago. STI is still a private company but it is well on the radar of several Chinese mills which have come to recognize STI as a ferocious competitor in the USA. “We are going from 500,000 yards per week to 750,000 by the end of 2017,” Gibbons states. STI is adding 70 new Dornier Jacquard looms with Staubli heads and Dobby looms with Staubli heads. We just installed 30 looms and will add 40 more when the new building is completed. The expansion represents an investment of $17 million, he says. “We need to take care of our customers that we’ve been doing business with for 20 years,” Gibbons says in pointing to the new expansion. Most of STI sales are geared to residential but this could change once capacity catches up to the order rate. One downside of the tight delivery situation for STI is that is it has been prevented from further pursuing sales in the contract/hospitality market. It currently has only one customer in

Valley Forge, Inc., the Pompano B e a c h , FL based hospitality colossus. STI in effect, has become a STI Team: Glen Read, Designer; Bill Gibbons father of Sean Gibbons, CEO and his victim of its son Anderson Gibbons, Sales & Social Media Strategist (three generations, Gibbons own success Family); Danielle Bellomo, Social Media & Marketing Manager and R. John Kay, as it tries President to reduce STI has a Chinese trading standard lead-times to its customers on Chinese goods cut and sewn in company in Shanghai to enable it from eight weeks back to four to six Nicaragua," Gibbons adds. In addition, STI has a growing to handle China based fabrics which weeks. STI has demonstrated a cut and sew leather business. The it sources, develops and finishes voracious appetite for expanding Nicaraguan factory was doubled in with quality control in piece dyed into new business segments and size in 2014 when Angelo Lassandro varieties with foam, felt or nonis becoming a global player in the was hired from Natuzzi. Under woven backings. STI also prints in Spain and upholstery business in sourcing and Lassandro’s watchful eye, hides are imported from Brazil and Italy and Turkey on cotton and cotton/ making deals. Since 2006, STI’s Muebletex cut in Nicaragua. “Cutting leather polyester goods but 90 percent of operation started cutting Chinese is a very different business than everything sold by STI is made in fabric into kits for export back to the cutting textiles,” Gibbons points out. Kings Mountain, Gibbons stresses. About two years ago, STI States to what is now 12 furniture If that’s not enough, STI acts as North American agents for JBS, launched its first foray into outdoor manufacturing customers. Muebletex also buys fabrics which is described as the largest fabrics under the ‘Revolution’ from Richloom, Culp, Gum Tree, protein company in the world, performance brand which is Z Wovens, Marlatex and Merrimac raising pigs, beef and chicken. JBS competitive to Glen Raven’s for those same customers where also owns leather tanneries in Brazil, Sunbrella® and Crypton® which the goods are cut and sewn in Italy, Vietnam and Argentina which boasts no pfc (polyfluoride Nicaragua. "There is no duty levied provides product to STI customers. (continued on Page 32)

Whyte & Ivory Builds Drapery Lining Business in USA and UK Makes Exclusive Distribution Deal with Rowley Company Sipco News Network

ELSON, LANCASHIRE, UK—In six years, Whyte & Ivory has become a sizeable importer/distributor of drapery linings and curtain fabrics in the UK and USA. Starting this year, Whyte & Ivory made an exclusive distribution deal with Rowley Company

Peter Hamilton

of Gastonia, NC, for the distribution of the core range stocked in the USA. Rowley Company is one of the leading US distributors of drapery and workroom hardware. “W&I is free to distribute its linings through other wholesale partners on an unbranded basis,” says Peter Hamilton, Managing Director. “We’re actually looking for a total of 50 great customers to achieve our goals, a business of about $25 million in sales.” He says that W&I imports container loads a week of hospitality sheers from China and Pakistan. W&I bought its own UK warehouse facility in 2011 and expanded the space by 65% in 2015, Hamilton says, “and we now carry over 500,000m of fabrics in wide and standard widths.” “W&I Distribution is exclusively through editors, wholesalers and jobbers, space created when our competition was forced by the recession in 2008 to break the

established structures and try to cut out their customers; now our customers,” Hamilton explains The W&I Focus is on the UK. The linings sold are US style drapery linings, interlinings and blackouts, contract sheers and contract linings and blackouts. These include stocked and custom decorative FR blackout ranges distributed by other leading fabric editors and into most of the world’s important hotel brands, Hamilton explains. Although the primary business of W&I lies in the UK market, W&I has traded in the US since 2010 and incorporated Whyte and Ivory LLC in the US in 2016. It works with a third party warehouse in Hickory, NC, where “we hold approximately 200,000m of a core range of drapery linings and sheers selected for the US wholesaler and jobber market,” says Peter Hamilton, Managing Director and a business partner with his wife

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In their spare time, and "we don’t have much," says Hamilton; wife Anne is an avid baker and "I restore and race historic (Formula 3 and Formula 2 racecars built by Tecno in Bologna; cars from the late 1960’s- early 1970’s, mostly in the UK, but occasionally in continental Europe at iconic circuits." Hamilton is an Engineer by training, so racing vintage cars “keeps that gene happy.” Anne Collins. She started W&I in 2010 when she was an independent agent for Hanes Mfg. USA. Collins

moved to the UK 12 years ago from her native Minnesota, via North (continued on Page 28)

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Letters F FI NE W S

Letters to the Editor

MARX’S AT TRUMP’S INAUGURATION

“Really terrific Once in a life time….great wonderful fulfilling never do it again” ~David Marx, President Express Air Freight, Jamaica, NY

Dear Eric, It was very nice to see you again at Heimtex. Here’s our new showroom in Iran, our new showroom south of Lebanon (Saida) and the latest brands we now represent exclusively, such as Eijffinger, The Sign, etc… Thank you for sharing with us and the world your fantastic magazine. All the best, GP

Letters Karen and David Marx

Philip Skaff and his son ‘GP’ from Skaff wholesalers in Beirut. The pair have expanded into Egypt and Iran and now have 15 branches in the Middle East

ROMO, Major International Fabric Wholesaler, Moving into New UK Home Sipco News Network

OTTINGHAM, UK — The new ROMO warehouse will house eight automatic stacker cranes for single width fabrics and two automatic stacker cranes for wide width fabrics. There will also be about 20 single width cutting machines and six wide width machines, according to Jonathan Romo, Principal. “We are planning to have moved in and be up and running before the end of 2018,” he says. The new building will include 60,000 square feet of offices and design studios and 15,000 square feet of atrium/ cafe space. Mould, a sports car enthusiast, has ordered “what will probably be my last super car. He The new should have a new

Ferrari 488 in Scotia Blue around during or just after Proposte this year. “The Ferrari should keep me going until I am 70; then I guess as senility really kicks in I will go to a Tesla with autopilot.” Mould has a great sense of humor. We expect him to retire on his 100th birthday—like the rest of us! ROMO is the creator of ROMO, VillaNova, Zinc, Kirkby Design, Black Edition, Mark Alexander brands. F&FI

ROMO warehouse

Escolys Debuts Studio 51 Collection First Effort from Helene Depraetere Sipco News Network

NGOOIGEM, Belgium — Escolys has developed a new upper end upholstery brand of 40 designs called the Studio 51 Collection. Each design represents a different quality and taps into a higher price level for this mill than previously, according to Jean-Paul Depraetere, Principal. “It’s our attempt to grow the business,” he says of the family owned mill which has endured through several generations. “This is a reaction to requests form our customers for more decorative fabrics, especially from these customers outside of Europe in Southern markets, particularly in South America,” he says. He expects the new Studio 51 Collection to also appeal to higher end UK furniture producers. The brand features more novelty yarns in linen and viscose blends and more natural fancy yarns. The collection was designed by Helene Depraetere, Jean Paul’s daughter who has been with the company for two years. “This represents a team effort between Helene and our designers,” he says. The collection is priced eight to 12 Euros a meter and represents a trade up for the mill which was selling product in the six to seven Euro per Jean-Paul Depraetere with Maria Filatova, meter range. General Manager of Flandria who picked The ‘51’ part of the this design from Studio 51 Collection (continued on Page 28)

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Warwick

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Warwick

Warwick 50th Anniversary Party …and the After Party

Michael Park from Inform Upholstery & Design (VIC) with Glenis Waddell Highly Sprung Upholstery (VIC) (Warwick customers)

Mark Eastmure from Eaststyle (VIC) with Wayne and Vivien Constable from The Sofa Shop (SA) (Warwick customers) Robyn and Tom Warwick, Chairman of the Board, Warwick Ltd.

Chris Paton from Excel Wally T. Baynes, Furniture (VIC) and Kara President, Weaves of Asia, Lippner from Contour Makati City Philippines Furniture (QLD) (Customers) with Alely Tombo, Warwick distributors Cam Warwick, coPresident with pal Gregory Davidson, Director, Studio 210, a bedding designer from Shanghai

Jon Andrew Ovenstone, Principal of Warwick UK, London with Leighton Warwick, Joint Managing Director, Warwick

Nava Claucen, designer and Warwick customer with boss John Knowles, a well known developer of luxury senior housing in Melbourne

Melbourne, home of Warwick Ltd.

Mandeep Wadhwa Principal and Managing Director of Seasons Ltd., New Delhi, India with Graham Raux, Raul Brothers, Suwarapola, Sri Lanka and Mohit Agrawal, Warwick India Bree & Peter Berg from Peter Berg Design (suppliers) As if we didn’t drink our fill at Warwick’s 50th Anniversary Bash, there is always another bottle of Australian red to drink!

Wombat and Handler

Melbourne was always known for its honey. Here's the need to prove it! Long Billed Corella

Koala Bear is a wild animal. Don’t mess with it!

Gail Goldman, Secretary, Sipco Publications Inc. with kangaroo

Vintage Jaguar 4 door saloon with traveling kitchen. Seen in Tasmania

Wallabies

Back in the USA with Publisher's grandson Jack Schneider, six months old www.fabricsandfurnishings.com

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F FI P H O T O G A L L E R Y

Heimtextil Heimtextil 2017 Edition Produces Optimism in World Markets David and Jonathan Auger, C&M Textiles, Montreal, Canada

FRANKFURT—The 2017 version of Heimtextil produced nearly 3,000 exhibitors and enough traffic to produce optimism in the hearts of manufacturers and customers alike. Nobody was complaining with the four day exhibition. Customers from al over the globe came to the show looking for anything that was new and different. There were more digital prints and printing equipment on display as well as some new faces we haven’t seen before. Heimtextil made a concerted effort to increase contract/hospitality emphasis. More architects and interior designers came to the show to see all types of interior products and design trend exhibits.

Birgit Roloff, Assistant to Detlef Braun, General Manager, Messe Frankfurt GmbH. The pair turned up at Villa Kennedy Hotel for the press party

Shaleen Jain, Director, Taj Vinyl, Moscow, Russia; Hiru Jounkani, Partner,, FSS Global, LLC, Dubai; R.R. Kankani, Joint Executive President, Birla Home Decor, India

Mr. & Mrs. Gert Jan Haarsma, Sourcing Expert based in Holland and New York

Hazem Tahssin, CEO, D’Avila, Alexandria, Egypt based wholesaler with Mohammed Ahmed Alguthmi, Marketing Manager, Export Division, Al Guthmi, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Fabric Innovations, Coral Gables, Florida (USA) Team: Melissa McCourtie, Sourcing Manager; Deborah Herman, Principal of the 27 employee hospitality supplier; Kiria Fernandez, Regional Sales Manager; Eric Shamrock, Sourcing & Design Director

Philip Skaff and his son ‘GP’ from Skaff wholesalers in Beirut. The pair have expanded into Egypt and Iran and now gave 15 branches in the Middle East

Andrea Maharaj, South African agent with customer Stuart Graham, owner of the Port Elizabeth, South Africa wholesaler by the same name

Sanjay Arora, Principal, D’Decor, Mumbai, India with Avinash Kalwani CEO and dad Kenny, principals of York Furnishing Fabrics, Dubai and Vikesh Nanwani, Principal of Amardeep, Jakarta with his son.

Jonathan Rosenblatt, Director of Design, Command Wallcoverings, Wayne, NJ The parent company is Fidelity Industries, Inc. which recently bought Rainbow Mfg. a large format panel producer.

Wayne Leslie, Group Managing Director, The Basford Group, Victoria, Australia wholesaler with Sunil Her, Marketing Director, Casa Chonburi Co., Ltd., Chonburi, Thailand

Nader Oubari, Jabtex International Principal with daughter Professor Laila and Claus Rosenmans, Richloom agent in Dubai

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Tomomi Nakagawa, Managing Director, Tomorrow Decor Ltd., Osaka, Japan

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Coulisse Brings Its Brand to Asia Sipco News Network

NTER, NL — Coulisse has extended its brand into the Asian market through its Indonesian distribution partner ‘PT Imaji Nata Kirana’ during the ID12 bi-annual design event in Jakarta this past September. Coulisse kicked off the “Be Inspired by Coulisse” event with a talk show at the ID12 exhibition, organized by twelve senior interior designers and architects, including the designer Rinaldy a. Yunardi who created three hats in the shape of a lamp with Coulisse roller blind fabrics. The next day, PT Imaji invited thirty young designers for lunch and organized an interactive ‘idea exchange’ session focusing on the collaboration with architects in the afternoon. With various tailor-made collection books, the Coulisse brand was also introduced in Malaysia and

One of the hat creations with Coulisse fabric designed by Rinaldy a. Yunardi.

Thailand. The soft launch in Jakarta in September was followed by a launch party this past November, in Surubaya, Indonesia. Jenfilia Suwandrei Arifin, Director of PT Imaji, explains: ‘Since we first introduced Coulisse in Indonesia we have had only very positive response to the brand… These coming years we want to further expand on that positive vibe. Perhaps even by opening a Coulisse showroom next year.” For the Thai market, Coulisse developed the Royal Blue Book. This book of Coulisse window covering fabrics was created in collaboration with BIW, the Coulisse joint venture partner in Thailand. After the success of Coulisse’s launch in Malaysia in 2014, a new factory and showroom in Malaysia were recently built and officially opened in October 2016. In the new showroom Coulisse’s partner Elyza’s presents a high-end double roller collection under the name ‘Elyza’s by Coulisse.’

Coulisse’s partner Elyza’s presents a high-end double roller collection, with Teh Kiong Hui, Dave Chang and Elyza In addition to the Indonesia and Thailand launch, Coulisse has introduced its brand in China with new corporate showrooms at the Shanghai World Financial Center, a landmark building designed by architects of Kohn Pederson Fox. and in the Galaxy Soho building in Beijing. This building was designed by the late architect Zaha Hadid. “They are the perfect locations for Coulisse to create more visibility with architects and interior designers throughout China,” says Dave Chang, Asia Pacific Director for Coulisse. F&FI

New showroom

Korori Follows Mastercraft Trail at Ramtex Sipco News Network

IGH POINT, North Carolina — Ramtex owner Danny Korori has moved from the temporary spaces at the Textile Tower to his own space in the old Mastercraft Fabrics showroom on Wrenn Street. This 20 year-old Los Angeles based converter of decorative upholstery jacquards, plains and specialty fabrics is holding the ‘hard’ opening of its new showroom here next Showtime June 4-7. Industry

watchers feel that Korori is on a roll for the new showroom design and for more business and is becoming for her ability to bring product a more serious player in High Point from different mills into a totally coordinated presentation. F&FI with the new showroom. Ramtex is a middle to high end converter and importer of coordinated plain and patterned upholstery and specialty textiles for bedding and drapery imported from China, Turkey, Taiwan and Indonesia. Melissa Andersson, Ramtex Creative Director Melissa Andersson is being given high marks Danny Korori

Flokser Buys Microfibres Assets Sipco News Network

INSTON SALEM, North Carolina—Effective, February 9, The Bankruptcy Court has approved the sale of Microfibres Inc. assets in Pawtucket, Rhode Island and in Winston Salem to Flokser Textile in Istanbul, Turkey. Flokser is one of the major produc-

Spring 2017

ers of finished flock in the world market and this acquisition will enhance their position as a more dominant player in this arena. Its principal business is artificial leather but flock is a growing business. Flokser will bring out new flock lines in the next six months and will most likely consolidate the Microfibres operations in the USA

and China. The purchase price was just under $6 million including the real estate that houses the finishing equipment in Winston Salem and the flock production lines in Pawtucket. The market expects Flokser to close Pawtucket and bring the US operation under one roof in Winston-Salem. F&FI

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Whyte & Ivory Builds Drapery Lining Business in USA and UK Carolina, where she was a Product Manager, then Export Manager, at Hanes Fabrics. Before joining his wife in the new business, Hamilton was the Managing Director of Edmund Bell prior to its sale by Hanes Mfg. (European Operations)

"Hamilton drove this blue car in the opening F3 race scenes in Ron Howard’s “Rush” and Anne and I can be seen walking around the paddock in those pre-race scenes-me with yak hair sideburns!"

Anne Collins and Peter Hamilton to the Atherton Family in 2007. Hamilton then left Edmund Bell to become Managing Director of a drapery lining start-up at J Rosenthal & Sons in Lancashire. “We had great support from Harry Rosenthal who helped us import and allowed us use of warehouse space. We bought out the fledgling drapery lining division I had started at J. Rosenthal,” Hamilton states. “We sold everything--from our road cars and a racing car, to watches and jewelry to rustle up the $100,000 we needed to start the new business. Our distribution model makes us rather “under cover” as a brand, but we respect our place in the supply chain.” F&FI

(continued from Page 16)

Escolys Debuts Studio 51 Collection name refers to the geographical latitude of Ingooigem according to Depraetere. “Our mill is located between Northern and Southern Belgium. We understand the taste level of the North in Holland, Germany and Scandinavia as well as the taste level in the Southern part of Europe—French, Italian and Spanish due to our location,” he says. F&FI

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Tchernov Reboots Business After Ruble Decline He brainstorms the future of the fabric business Sipco News Network

RANKFURT, Germany—To say that Archie Tchernov was under assault with the devaluing of the Russian Ruble is an understatement. He shared his thoughts with F&FI during a Bru sponsored retirement party for Selwyn Neiman during the last Heimtextil fair in Frankfurt. Selwyn is the father of Gary and Jason Neiman, the two founders of Bru. Tchernov clearly remembers that when the Russian Ruble dropped 200 percent over a threemonth period in 2014, he had to reinvent himself or die. He chose to survive and worked diligently to that goal for the past three years. Tchernov, based in Moscow, is the owner of Galleria Arben and Algemene, a Belgian Weaver. He was also forced to sell off his furniture stores in 2013; “We had 650 stores at that time. We sold them all.” “During this period of the falling Ruble, we unfortunately bought

goods for Galleria Arben in dollar terms but then sold them in Rubles. This meant that we lost money on every sale we made at Galleria Arben. In order to survive, we had to recall all of our sample-books from the market, replace thousands of samples and start over again with different products.” Archie’s vendors also eventually worked out solutions for his financial problems and payment terms. He was able to crawl out of a deep pit! Today, he is buying from 20 mills in China and offers sourcing services to other wholesalers and manufacturers. In the process of the reinvention, Archie came up with some innovative perceptions and concepts he is trying to build upon: “The middle man is getting cut out of the market. Robots will replace labor. Everything is done cheaper and directly. Images are getting easier to store. There are two worlds; before the internet and after the internet. We are getting as much infor-

Gary Neiman, owner of Bru Textiles with good friend and customer Archie Tchernov mation in a week as we got 200 years ago in a year! Digital weaving is a possibility in order to get closer to the end consumer in the same way it has worked with digital printing. In this way, I want to empower the consumer to use our Algemene archive with the fabricator of the end product. There would be no waste or closeouts with jacquard weaving if we could do this.” F&FI

Neutex Unveils First Designer Collection at Proposte Sipco News Network

UENCHBERG, FDR— Neutex Home Deco will exhibit at Proposte 2017 in Como, Italy 2017 for the first time. At Proposte, Neutex will launch its first Designer Collection to capture the high-end jobber and contract market according to Joseph Wheeler, Export Director. The collection features drapery fabrics in both narrow and wide width as well as wide width sheers. The collection combines a number of weaving techniques with technical finishes included clip yarn "Fil Coupé" and Crash Optics, Wheeler points out. “The wide width sheers highlight Leno Weaves with polyes-

ter, linen and wool blends. With our Designer Collection we are really allowing our team of designer's let their creativity loose without limits which may inhibit a design from entering our regular collections. We are definitely aiming at the high end of the market with this collection." Neutex scored double digit sales increases in 2016 which Wheeler says is continuing into 2017. "Our commitment to design, quality and client relationships are the key pillars to our growth," says Neutex CEO Jochen Rieger. “Neutex Home Deco is one of the very few companies which has been admitted to Proposte following their first submission to the event,” Rieger says.

"Our parent company and investors hold a strong commitment to our Italian Partners and Italy." In 2015 the Südwolle Group (member of Erwo Holdings which also owns the Hoftex Group - parent company of Neutex Home Deco GmbH) purchased a 100% share of Safil S.p.A. and an 80% share in GTI (Grupo Tessile Industriale). These companies employ over 700 people (primarily in Italy) which generate about 100 million euro in annual revenue. Neutex Home Deco GmbH is a member of the publicly traded Hoftex Group AG whose primary shareholder is Erwo Holding AG. F&FI

Major Design Archive Owner Dimitrios Apostulou Retires

Dimitrios Apostolou

Spring 2017

NEW YORK, New York— Dimitrios Design Archive, a collection of decorative textiles, artwork and wallpapers amassed over a 40-year period has been put up for sale. The owner, Dimitrios Apostulou is retiring. Dimitrios has supplied

designs to leading international designers and stylists for the fashion and home industries such as Ralph Lauren, Versace, Clarence House, Scalamandre, and Dufour. Over 8,000,000 antique textile documents, original paintings, yarns dyes, jacquards, brocades (continued on Page 30)

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NEW

FROM WEDNESDAY UNTIL FRIDAY

6-7-8 SEPTEMBER

2017

moodbrussels.com #moodbxl indigobrussels.com #indigobxl MoOD & Indigo Brussels are organised by Textirama vzw, Poortakkerstraat 9d, BE-9051 Gent, Belgium +32 9 243 84 50 / info@moodbrussels.com / info@indigobrussels.com

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Piero Agnetta, Global Consulting Pioneer, Says Do Your Homework Before Going to Iran; Know Thy Customer; Know the Culture Sipco News Network

MILAN—Piero Agnetta, principal of L.M. Consulting s.r.l. who has been involved in the fabrics industry for nearly 30 years has become a specialist in the Iranian textiles market. He is one of the first Europeans to enter the country and he expects to begin selling fabrics in Iran this year. He was also a fabrics pioneer in South America and Russia. “The Iranian consumer loves imported fabrics,” Agnetta says. “In Iran the local industry including fabrics are old fashioned,” Agnetta says. “The majority of the fabric in Iran comes from China and Turkey. Now the rich Iranians are starting to buy furniture and fabrics from Europe especially from editeurs and expensive manufacturers,” he says. “In Tehran, an apartment can

easily cost 9,000 Euros per meter!” Agnetta says doing business in Iran is not very easy. “The customer is used to bargain down the price starting at 25 percent off. They will promise to buy big quantities but when you reach an agreement you must ask for 30 percent in advance as an LC, sometimes from Austrian or Dubai based banks.” “The customer requests that because they are trying to eliminate paying import tax to Iran. because that is also the final destination. Agnetta suggests it is wise to visit the country first because it takes such a long time to make a deal and it is better to see your customer face to face. “In Tehran, there are two big locations; The Bazaar and the Furniture Bazaar. Also there are some big independent shops as well.” “Consider that very few Iranians speak English. The taxi driver can

Piero Agnetta: When he’s not traveling, he’s cooking drop you someplace and nobody understands you. The best way is to find a taxi driver who speaks English and pay him $100 for the day.” Before your trip to Iran, you must plan extremely well, he says. “And remember, all your expenses must be paid in cash because credit cards are not accepted!” “In Tehran, there are a lot of decorators who can help you distribute your product. There are two styles; modern like Prada and Armani or Classic in the Russian style. The important thing is the structure and the quality of the finish of the fabric.” F&FI

(continued from page 30) Tehran

William Clark & Son Unveils Digitally Printed Irish Linen Sipco News Network

ANCHESTER, United Kingdom — Evans Textile Sales Ltd. is marketing a collection of digitally printed Irish linen to the market under the direction of Carol Bennett, Sales Director of the 100-year-old firm. The new linens are the result of Evans’ acquisition three years ago of William Clark & Son, a 276-year-old Irish linen weaver based in Northern Ireland. Clark produced linens only for the apparel market prior to the acquisition and this new collection represents its first home furnishings efforts, Bennett says. The new home fabrics are priced at 69.60 pounds at retail. “We took their linen manufacturing expertise and combined it with our knowledge of the home furnishings market,” Bennett explains. The first collection was launched in the UK this past September and now Bennett is looking to extend its reach into the USA and Japan markets. There are 34 sku’s in the ‘Earthed’ collection by William Clark & Son. The next collecCarl Bennett tion will feature jacquard construction. F&FI

Major Design Archive Owner Dimitrios Apostulou Retires from Africa, Asia, South America— including the Coco Chanel wovens collection and wovens are included. The comprehensive collection features pieces from 1100 BC through the mid 20th century. A small sampling includes pre-Colombian tribal wovens, hundreds of mill trial sample books, Kashmir shawls, original Chanel wovens and knits, yarn dyed stripes and plaids, ikats, Japanese Indigos, and thousands of original paintings. “I’ve collected unique textiles from all over the world,” Dimitrios says. “it has been an incredible run, but it’s time to close my doors,” Apostulou. explains. Prior to migrating to America in 1969 and becoming a U.S. citizen, Apostulou was a navy officer serving the king of Greece during the Greek Revolution. F&FI

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Iran Facts The Islamic Republic of Iran with an area of 1,648,196 sq. km and nearly 80 million population, the second largest population of the region after Egypt, is located in South- West Asia. Tehran itself has 20 million people. The country neighbors with Turkey and Iraq in the west; Afghanistan and Pakistan in the east; Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan in the north and Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and Oman in the south through the Persian Gulf and the Oman Sea. Therefore, The Islamic Republic of Iran, as a strategic country, has got common borders with many states. Country Profile • Region: Middle East & North Africa • Income category: Upper middle income • Population: 80,3 million expected to balloon to 100 million within 15 years • The world’s 18th largest economy by purchasing power parity (PPP) • The world`s 29th largest economy by nominal gross domestic product Iran Economic Outlook: • Iran is the second largest economy in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region after Saudi Arabia, with an estimated Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2014 of US $ 406.3 billion. • Iran’s economy is characterized by a large hydro-carbon sector, small scale agriculture and services sectors, and a noticeable state presence in manufacturing and financial services. • Iran ranks second in the world in natural gas reserves and fourth in proven crude oil reserves. • Iran major export products: petroleum products, agricultural products, hand-woven carpet and handicrafts, minerals, textiles and clothing, leather, food products, chemical products. • Iran major import products: non-electrical machinery, iron and steel, home furnishings, chemicals and related products, transport vehicles and electrical machinery, tools and appliances. Major Profitable Investment Areas: 1) Construction & Building Materials 2) Housing, Furniture, Home Textile, Housewares 3) Agriculture & Technologies 4) Emergency Services, Transportation 5) Beauty and Skin Care, Cosmetics 6) Services to the Healthcare Industry 7) LED & Technologies 8) Telecoms and Media, Advertising F&FI

Spring 2017

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Standfast & Barracks Inspires Young Artists Sipco News Network

ANCASHIRE, United Kingdom—Two of the UK’s leading textile artists have been inspired by fabric printers in northern England for their latest exhibition. Michael Brennand-Wood and Caroline Bartlett were commissioned to create artworks exploring the fascinating heritage of Standfast & Barracks, one of the UK’s biggest fabric printers. Michael’s piece, ‘Ghosts in the Machine,’ will hang in the Lancaster factory’s dye house and will also be exhibited at Lancaster City Museum in March and April 2017 alongside Caroline’s site specific work. They were commissioned by new arts/heritage charity ‘Mirador’ which wanted to explore the fascinating history of the site which

once made carriages for royalty; was an internment camp during the war which poet Robert Graves wrote about in ‘Good-bye To All That’ and for the past 90 years has been a fabric printer. Standfast & Barracks has an international clientele in the homeware and fashion markets, including leading designers like Ralph Lauren. Funded by Arts Council England, the exhibition in Lancaster will also include a garment designed and made by young Lancashire textile designer Katie Duxbury; a recreation of Standfast’s clock tower by makers Bonkers & Clutterb*cks; a piece by Cumbrian Minecraft expert and camera-less photography by Darren Andrews. For more details go to www. miradorarts.co.uk F&FI

Michael Brennand-Wood in front of his finished work which is in the dye house at Standfast & Barracks in Lancaster, England.

(Continued from Page 14)

STI’s Revolution® Outdoor Fabric chemicals) on the filament polypropylene yarn. It’s priced at $4-$7 a yard and is selling off the charts to the jobber and furniture manufacturer according to Sean Gibbons. However, STI has gone one better. It has designed a website which is offering Revolution on a direct sale basis to the consumer by the yard with a three-yard minimum. Sean’s son Anderson (23) and his colleague, Danielle Pellomo (22) are manning the web business. Since the mill started in 1993, Gibbons took on five equity owners: John Kay, President; Mark Hovis, Chief Operating Officer of STI; Sean’s wife and her two sisters. STI is still a privately held company with close ties to SunTrust Bank. Sean’s father Bill is called the ‘chairman’ and Sean says he could not have been as successful without his father’s contacts in the furniture industry. Bill is President and owner of Phoenix Textiles, an independent company which produces furniture trimming. About the same time Revolution brand started, STI bought Brentwood Mils from Perry Skeen, still President of the company in the higher end decorative jacquard business. Brentwood makes most of its line in the USA but about 20 percent is produced in Turkey in acrylic chenille; “our own designs but we’re partners with a mill over there,” Gibbons explains. Kathy Dotterer is Director of Design for Brentwood. A new line of Revolution chenille will be produced at Brentwood branded Revolution

Plus, a finer denier, multipurpose, machine washable fabric geared for slipcovers. Initially, “STI produced 100

STI is adding 40 new Dornier looms in 150,000 square foot manufacturing plant expansion at Kings Mountain, NC percent cotton plaids and checks as a boutique mill out of the mainstream in the 90’s but this market started to shrink. In 1999, we switched to polyester warps and olefin chenille. Ultimately, STI became a powerhouse resource to the furniture industry and a low cost competitor to American suppliers. Ultimately, STI became a tough competitor to Chinese suppliers as well. “From 1999 to 2005, STI had spectacular growth to about $35 million in sales. “We offered a better value and could deliver faster than suppliers like Quaker, Culp, Mastercraft, Phillips and Carolina Mills,” he adds. Only STI remains of this original group although Culp is a serious player in leather and ticking today. In 2005, STI bought its first

jacquard looms and hired Glen Read, then a young designer from Mastercraft who put wheels on the STI design bus. “We added polyester chenille flat yarns and boucle’s for the promotional market,” Gibbons remembers well. Microsuede put us at a disadvantage at the time so by adding jacquards, we got new customers.” It was around that time that all the major U.S. mills died and $2 billion in sales shifted to China leaving STI as one of the last men standing in the USA. “I was on vacation in Utah July, 2007, when I got a dozen emails abut Quaker folding its business and this was followed by the financial downturn that hit us in 2008. F&FI

Karapinar, Tuzcu, Karaaslan Give ON-EM Upholstery Management, Product Makeover Sipco News Network

URSA, TK—Onur Karapinar expects to bring new life to ON-EM Upholstery. He assumed responsibility for managing ON-EM after the passing of his father and ON-EM founder Sagip Karapinar in 2016. Onur was in the label business and is adding the upholstery operations to his portfolio. “We are starting from scratch with this business,” Onur explains. “We want to build 10-15 countries into new export markets for ON-EM,” he adds. ON-EM has agents in place and will bring new yarns and constructions to the business, We also have a new General Manager involved along with a Chief Designer. They’re being challenged to do new designs.” Part of his transition to President was to rehire Cenk Tuzcu, the previous partner and founder of ON-EM who was previously with Carina for nine years as sales manager.

Tuzcu came back to ON-EM this past November. The other team member is Sefa Karaaslan, longtime friend and owner of Armado, a Poznan, Poland based upholstery distributor that was started 25 years ago. He was with the company for 20 years. At the same time, Nafi Seferoglu, an original partner, left ON-EM to become involved with Onna Tekstil, a commission weaver, also in Bursa. ON-EM, with 16 jacquard looms, produces residential and contract upholstery on a 70/30 basis. The range is priced from $4 to $20 a yard with the most expensive products featuring Trevira® yarn, Onur says. F&FI

Cenk Tuzcu, Onur Karapinar and Sefa Karaaslan, Principals of ON-EM Upholstery mill

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Spring 2017

F FI P H O T O G A L L E R Y

Australia!

Alexis Keeton, Swing Dancing Studio owner and Johnny Keeton Studios next generation

Sydney Harbor Opera House is a Unesco World Heritage Site

Yarra River, downtown Melbourne

Hobart Koala bear

Kangaroo and her Joey Tasmanian Devils

Melbourne graffiti zone

Sipco Publication's Secretary Gail Goldman and Eric Schneider, F&FI owner in Melbourne's graffiti zone

Green mouths

Tasmanian winery

Wallaby in Tasmania

Folia, P/K Lifestyles Merge Sipco News Network

EW YORK—Folia, the freestanding division of P/Kaufmann Inc. which holds the license to distribute Ralph Lauren decorative fabrics has been merged into P/K Lifestyles. P/K Lifestyles also sells Waverly branded products to the retail trade. P/K Lifestyles specializes in sales of fabrics under $10 a yard. The move is expected to produce greater efficiencies for P/K and also reflects the reduced demand for the Ralph Lauren brand in general. Pam Maffei Toolan is Vice President of Design for P/K Lifestyles. She will take over the responsibilities of Christine Kiebert-Boss, Vice President of Design for Pam Maffei Toolan

Spring 2017

Folia who has left the company. Howard Tooter was President of Folia. He is also the brother-in-law of Ron Kaufmann, the Chairman of P/Kaufmann. Tooter is secretary of the corporation and has been with the company since 1979. He is 71 years old. The change in Folia’s independent status as a separate division also coincides with the departure of Stefan Larsson, the Creative Director from Ralph Lauren Inc., the parent company of Ralph Lauren Home. Ralph Lauren Inc. had an 11 percent sales decline in its third quarter, 2016 according to financial reports. “There is a diminished demand for fabrics in the market,” one source said. “It’s just not selling through to produce meaningful re-orders,” one source noted. Typically, P/Kaufmann does not comment on reports or developments like this and the New York corporate offices were closed during the first day of a snowstorm. F&FI Caption

Fairy Penguins, Phillip Island

Tasmanian Wombat and handler

Sydney Harbour Bridge

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F FI P H O T O G A L L E R Y

Furnishings Textiles Industry Says ‘Good Bye’ to Selwyn Neiman at Zenzakan, Frankfurt Over 100 family members, co-workers and guests spent an evening with the founders of Bru Textiles, Gary and Jason Neiman to honor their father Selwyn at his retirement dinner after 50 years in the textiles industry. Derek Freeney, Selwyn’s partner and ‘third son’ led the festivities.

Selwyn and Lynn (center), parents to Gary (left) & Jason (right)

Selwyn Neiman and David Finer, President, Fabricut, Tulsa, OK. They are cousins!

Susan and Derek Freeney, FFA, Selwyn Neiman’s partner

Olivier Delhomme, General Manager, FR-One, Kontich, Belgium, the Bru owned fiber company with Bridget Moir, National Brands Director, John Dunlap, Auckland, NZ

Ben Moir, Managing Director, James Dunlop Textiles, Aukland, New Zealand with Izabella Ryzak, Bru Textiles Director and Dan Moir, Sales Director

Derek & Selwyn

“Half a century (50 years) is a longggg time – I am enjoying tonight’s celebration of 50 years plus in our industry!! Textile trading has been in our family or should I say in our blood for many many years – nearly 200 years. Gary and Jason’s grandfather Max Rostovsky was the doyen of furnishing textiles in his era in South Africa. He started his career in the 1920’s; he was well liked and respected by all who knew him. He left a legacy, which continues in our family. I have watched with pride the development of my two sons Gary & Jason; Bru which needs no introduction to you all. For nearly 25 years I have been fortunate to have Derek as my partner – together we built FFA (Furniure Fabric Agency) to what it is today. Derek! Thanks for your loyalty, respect and amazing effort and the dedication you have continually injected into our relationship, it has been a great journey!! I have always endeavoured to live by the principles of: ‘Not what you have in life, but who you have in your life!!’ Thank you to the thousands of wonderful people who have contributed to my career the past 50 years! When I look back on my working career in textiles I can quite confidently say that if I had my choice of career again, I would choose no other path. I have watched the furnishing trends of time come and go, and, come back again but always with a “twist” that makes our industry unique. As I have said 50 years is an eon (a long period of time) and I have decided to retire from my active involvement at FFA. Derek has taken up the gauntlet and continues to build on the success FFA has achieved. It has been an awesome evening and thank you for sharing this 50 year milestone in my life. Wishing you all an exciting and successful 2017 and future years in our industry. ~Selwyn Neiman

Geert Van Brussels, sales manager for Bru Textiles with Archie Tchernov, principal of Galleria Arben, Moscow

Chris-Jakob Schminnes, President of JAB with David Finer, President of Fabricut, Tulsa, OK

Gary Neiman, Principal of Bru Textiles, Kontich, Belgium with Mr. & Mrs. Rolf Anstoetz, Owners of JAB

Trevor and Matthew Helliwell, principals of Prestigious in Lancashire, UK with Selwyn.

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Deborah Newberger, sales manager, Rockland Mills, Inc. with Stephen Boyer, South African agent

Spring 2017

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Continuous Modernization, In Stock Position, Pushes Aznar Sales Forward Company Projects Ten Percent Sales Gain This Year in Fabrics and Yarns. Sipco News Network

ALENCIA, Spain—Aznar Textil is reaping the rewards of modernization with a state of the art intelligent warehouse and in stock position on everything it sells in both yarns and fabrics, according to Ana Rios, the Export Manager. Aznar sales were up 15 percent last year and a like amount in 2015, she says and Rios expects a ten percent gain in 2017. Everything, a total of four million meters in inventory is stocked for immediate delivery from the warehouse in Valencia, Spain via B2B service, 24 hours, 365 days a year, she adds. How credible are Rios’ claims for Aznar? “We have been doing business with Aznar for 35 years,” says CEO R. Bouman Egger Groothandel B.V. in Borger, Netherlands. Aznar offers us stability, fashion, honesty.” “The customer is informed online about every process which affects them,” Rios continues. We are an ISO certified organization.

Aznar automated warehouse

Our team is important; our customers are the boss, and reinvestment is a must.” In order to service Egger and other accounts like it, Rios depends on a ten-person export staff in the field. “Our company is integrated from design to production to delivery to the customers’ house,” Rios says. “Our minimum order is one roll, utilizing the b2b service with online ordering and checking. Everything is done based on the idea of doing all as simple and easy as possible.” “We’re consistently reinvesting in our business with new looms and higher level products,” says Eduardo Aznar, the seventh generation family owner. Eduardo’s father created the brand Bon Drap(r) which means ‘good fabric.’ Currently, Aznar owns 40 jacquard looms with Staubli heads. “We focus on windows primarily with the 320 cm. width goods that we produce. We sell to jobbers and editeurs and manufacturers of ready-mades and some furniture manufacturers,” Aznar says. As part of the service, Aznar owns an independent confeccion company which works not only for Aznar but for other companies in Spain. “Everything we sell is in stock in our Valencia warehouse. For the past 40 years since export was developed, we are selling to 85 countries with most customers in Europe and the USA,” Rios explains. Aznar focuses on sales of its

Boyteks Develops Magnetic Upholstery Sipco News Network

URSA, Turkey--Boyteks has developed a magnetic yarn to give therapeutic properties to its upholstery fabrics. It’s part of a larger program to offer customers different finishes including CleanInk, a finish which allows the user to remove ink from a pen with nothing but water. In the case of Magnerest, the magnetic force registers three to four hertz and is designed to help the user relax.,” says Gokmen Kara, Marketing Manager. “This gets us into a new price range at $20 a meter.” The treatment adds about $3 per meter to the cost of the fabric, he adds.

Magnetic therapy is not new according to Kara but this is the first time it has been used in textiles, he says. The fabric was introduced at Heimtextil in January. The yarn used is processed at three locations according to company officials. The polyester yarn is made in Holland and is sent for special coating in Sweden and then on to Turkey where it is magnetized by a special machine and to give it the special magnetic properties woven by Boyteks in Bursa. Magnerest comes with point of sale materials for the furniture retailer. F&FI

Ed de Vries, Director, Egger Textiles, a wholesaler in Borger, Holland with Eduardo Aznar, General Manager, Aznar Textil, Valencia, Spain with his Export Director, Ana Rios and R. Bouman. CEO, Egge

Aznar Upholstery fabric

Aznar curtain fabric Eduardo Aznar, owner of Aznar Textil with customer Ana Berenguer, Easytex, Cancun, Mexico and Roberto Montagut, Export Area Manager, Latin America own yarns which are ecological and recyclable as well as sales of finished fabrics. Other yarns include polyester and linen blends with cotton and wool. Flame retardant yarns which meet IMO standards and are flame retardant for hotel use are available. Aznar’s turnover is about 30 percent contract and 70 percent residential. The line consists of fabrics priced from five to 16 Euros, all

wide width and stocked in Valencia, Rios says. For example, a wool, cotton, acrylic and polyester upholstery line is priced at 14-16 Euros. A curtain fabric is priced at nine11 Euros while an upholstery and decorative fabric in natural yarns is available at eight Euros per meter. Everything is yarn dyed. A piece dyed, solid color dobby Aznar Upholstery Fabric in line is priced at nine Euros in 30 wool, cotton, acrylic and colors. F&FI polyester

Saletex Grows Its Window Blind Business; Custom Curtains Still Rule Sipco News Network

ONTREAL, Canada — SALETEX, a 50-year-old wholesaler and converter in the US and Canadian markets is now generating 20 percent of its business in blinds and hard window treatments according to Roland Salem, the second generation owner. He spoke to F&FI at the last Heimtextil exhibition, his 42nd uninterrupted appearance there. “I have never missed a year at Heimtextil I am able to speak to my 15-20 suppliers all in one

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place. “Saletex buys from France, Italy, Turkey, Spain and China. “I have just one item left from China that I buy due to the fact that their minimums have gone up dramatically.” Saletex does 30 percent of its business in the USA and 70 percent in Canada. “About 25 years ago, we opened Sana Design with Rudy Nakhle as President for the blinds business and hardware trade. The company buys mechanisms from Louverlite in the UK and fabrics from various suppliers like Avon-

Moda in Spain. “Five years ag, we were forced into the manufacturing of blinds even though our biggest market is still custom curtains,” he says. Saletex offers a complete collection of fabrics for custom window treatments in 118, 141 and 165 inch widths to avoid the seaming process. He buys the sheer fabric from the French producer Malleval Cie., about 20 minutes from Lyon. He also buys 118 inch sheers from Sweden. F&FI

Spring 2017

F FI NE W S

Contract/HospitalityNews C/HNEWS I Magitex Father/Son Team Upgrades Fabric Offering

to Reach More Designers

The Greenfield family begins to leverage residential assets into growing hospitality business Sipco News Network

wholesaler is building momentum IAMI, FL—Magitex Décor, as a supplier of $15-$45 uphola six and one half year old stery cuts and drapery fabrics, importing lines from mills in China, India and Turkey. The line includes sheers, upholstery, vinyl and blackout fabrics which pass the California Flammability Code 701 and IMO for upholstery. The pair now have their eyes set on the hospitality business in Florida. Bob and Ari Greenfield show off a digital Most of their fabrics offer 100,000 double print with a one yard repeat in the patrubs for this reason. tern “We have access to

Trevira® yarn and plan to add a line of performance fabrics in the near term,” Bob Greenfield says. Ari Greenfield, the son (36) and his dad Bob (65) have carved out a mass market niche with designers and retail shops in Florida which is rapidly expanding to the entire East Coast and South America. A 15,000 square foot warehouse attached to their offices carries barcoded stock to the rafters. Within one year of his arrival in the USA in 2010 from Caracas, Venezuela, Bob bought the business. The original company focused on the Spanish speaking market in local Hialeah/ Doral with low end fabrics. Bob expanded the business and it rap-

idly became a converter and a jobber of better products. He was previously involved in the furniture and mattress business for 36 years. He made everything in his father in law’s factory except the mattress ticking. “I left everything over Magitex warehouse stocked to in Caracas when I came to the rafters America,” Bob says. “I still miss Caracas. It was a beautiful place to be.” He knew what to America when he was five after was coming politically so he got realizing how tough it was living out while he still could. He knew in Israel in the 50’s. He was educated in New York something about getting out of a tough place in time from his as a CPA and met his wife of parents. He originally was raised 41 years there. The pair went in Haifa, Israel by his parents, back to her native Caracas so he two holocaust survivors from Czechoslovakia. They took Bob (continued on Page 48)

C/HNEWS I Homtex Launches DreamFit Hospitality Brand to Hotels Minority Owned Firm Concentrates on High End Bedding Sipco News Network

INEMONT, AL—Homtex, a 27-year-old supplier of bedding to the residential market is

Gerald Wootten

turning its sights toward the hospitality bedding market with a new, “proprietary” line according to Jeff Casner, Vice President of Brands. “We are looking to carve out a niche in the higher margin, higher quality hospitality bedding market,” Casner explains. The company will market the new lines under the DreamFit Hospitality label with an emphasis on the four and five-star hotel business that is expanding rapidly worldwide. “These operators are looking for product differentiation and we can offer this customized

approach since everything we do is made in the USA for quick delivery,” Casner says. The company is privately held with one million square feet of manufacturing space in the USA with 300 employees. Casner has a team behind him, which includes Principal and Founder Jerry Wootten, and the President, Jeremy Wootten and Cindy Williams, Vice President, Marketing. Jerry Wootten is part Cherokee and is therefore the owner of a certified minority owed company. His son, Jeremy Jeff Casner, Vice President, Brands, Homtex with Jay Dash, is a Harvard graduate and is consultant and Moshe Cosicher, AIA Architect at Confirdante also President of Seams, the Hotels Hyatt Brand on Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL National Association for the Sewn Products Industry. In addition to bedding, the includes comforters, duvets, pil- sleep and decorative pillows. DreamFitHospitality program low shams, pillowcases and other (continued on Page 49)

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Spring 2017

F C FI NE W S /HNews (Continued from Front Cover)

Cruise by Richloom Contract Dedicates Resources to Burgeoning Cruise Industry for contract and now cruise. She has been involved in all of this development over the years. “I anticipate a 1,000 percent increase in our business within five years,” says Alex Petruzzelli, the new Director of Cruise Ship Division at Richloom He reports to Spangler and also to John Ringer, Vice President of Sales & Marketing. Petruzzelli, who speaks four languages is well known in the cruise industry having covered the market as an independent agent in the USA and Europe based in Southern Florida. He has represented Richloom since 2008 and now will take his new role as a fulltime employee of the company. Lisa Craft has also joined the effort as the Senior Designer for Richloom Cruise based in New York. She was previously with Sunbury Mills, the American jacquard weaver based in Sunbury, Pennsylvania. Sherri Mojica Director of Design for R-bed has been instrumental in creating bedding for the cruise industry for the past several years prior to setting up the new division. “We’ve been serving the cruise ship industry with our R-Bed and upholstery piece goods, dim out and blackout linings for eight years,” Spangler adds. She points out that all cruise product is certified for IMO and tested by Diversified, Intertech and Applied in the USA. Richloom now offers Trevira®CS partnering with mills in Italy and Turkey; Richloom’s R-Brand and its Fortress FR brand, also provides IMO certified product for cruise use.

tion. Previously, Richloom sold hospitality fabrics to the cruise industry but now dedicated resources will be used to develop purpose built products for cruise, Spangler emphasizes. “That means all products will meet the tensile strength and abrasion standards required by the cruise industry but even more importantly, a new aesthetic geared to cruise featuring a different scale and color of designs will be utilized,” she says.

Spangler sees the dawning of a new age in cruise design that will employ higher end boutique aspects of the hospitality industry on large and small ships alike as owners try to differentiate their ships “For the past two years, we have been doing IMO and wash testing on fabrics specifically made for the cruise industry with our customers in Italy, France, Germany and USA. These include major US and European

design firms which specialize in cruise interiors and turnkey firms.” “We will focus on refit and new build projects with the new division working with the ship builders, owners and designers,” she says. Currently, Richloom is involved with refit projects like Norwegian Pride of America; Pearl, Gem and Jade refits; Also, Carnival Vista Family Spa Cabins and Disney Wonder refit; also Carnival crew cabins. F&FI

Fabric patterns: Dunhill Whirlpool, Frijole Peacock, Despot Jade, Liaison Teal, Coppola Baltic

Sherri Mojica The new Richloom effort is in part spurred by the emerging market for cruise consumers in China, considered the largest emerging market for cruise in the world. “Richloom Shanghai is well located to capitalize on this growth, especially refits that will be done in China, Spangler points out. She had a hand in establishing Richloom Shanghai and well as the branch in India. However, she also says that the ships themselves are still built in Europe. Richloom will sell sheers, draperies, upholstery, vinyl’s and specialty fabrics which pass the IMO standards in the new effort. Products will be sourced from Italy, China, Turkey and India for cruise applica-

Spring 2017

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F FI D E S I G N

Walking the Trail of By Jennifer Castoldi

Inspiration J

ungle motifs continue to top the popularity charts. Jim Thompson went for the real thing with windows full of tropical greenery, among which a studded and velvet elephant sprang.

ubelli found a novel way to display fabrics… wrapped around large vases

long the design trail of Paris Deco Off professionals and design tourists could find streets ripe with textile collections for the picking. For the first time, during the 8th edition of the event which ran January 19-23, the Île-de-France Council partnered with Paris Deco Off. Here are some of the highlights.

he exhibition “Le Musée National Eugène Delacroix invites le Musée de la Toile de Jouy” was along the design trail and offered a look into the rich history of the world renowned toiles; the stairs leading up to the exhibition were decorated with current interpretations of the pattern.

ierre Frey was bursting with vivid colors and cultural flare.

he weeping willows and cherry blossoms seen at Dedar are part of an Asianinspired toile. Also at Dedar, black, white, and grey were given a touch of class with shimmering golden threads on fabrics and decorative pillows.

elievre Paris showcased a rather unique take on romantic cherubs that decorated the new collection from Jean Paul Gaultier.

eacock blues and greens were the highlight of Nobilis’ boutique showroom on rue Bonaparte.

ine paints and wallpapers in association with English Heritage came back to life from the archives at the masterful hands of Little Greene.

green thumb was behind the display at Zimmer + Rohde’s showroom where the new linen fantasy floral patterns were hung as a backdrop to living upholstery.

Jennifer Castoldi is the CEO and Chief Creative Director of Trendease International. Since 2004, Trendease has been providing cutting-edge and competitive design information to readers spanning over 170 countries. Trendease is an influential resource reporting on global trends and key international design events. Hundreds of images and forward-thinking articles are presented on www.Trendease.com each month, additionally videos and podcasts are available on www.Trendease.TV.

www.fabricsandfurnishings.com

Spring 2017

F FI D E S I G N

Technology, Exploration, and Silence By Jennifer Castoldi

eeping your finger on the pulse of the future of the business of fabrics and furnishings is becoming ever more challenging with so many technological advances and morphing consumer lifestyles. Trekking the trade show trail is a good way to stay abreast of the changes. This issue’s design column demonstrates how fiber optic and technical textiles, augmented reality, exploration and experimentation are evolving…and also our living habits are craving more peace and quiet from an increasingly fast-paced life.

ave you ever wondered what it would be like to live in space? What type of textiles would we have in our homes? Techtextil has been pondering this question and in May 2017 aims to answer the query by showcasing a feature area “Living in Space”, which will showcase the latest innovations in technical textiles coupled with a unique journey aided by augmented reality goggles. The future is here.

he ‘Delicate Structures’ trend at Ambiente: “Filigree structures and textures are inspired by nature. With the help of innovative manufacturing and finishing processes, they create refined, approachable surfaces. They invite the observer to touch them and provide distinctly sensual pleasure. Ice crystals, the surface effects of water, leaf structures, sand shaped by the wind – elaborately worked surfaces, 3D printing and laser sintering replicate natural phenomena, producing breathtakingly artistic designs.”

n September 2016 Jacky Puzey debuted on the MoOD Innovation Platform with her embroidered wallpaper, an opportunity that introduced her to German conductive embroidery company ZSK. With a few months to go, we anticipate something impressive to be launched at MoOD Brussels in September 2017 as a result of the new collaboration.

t Maison&Objet’s Inspiration area it was all about ‘Silence’; Trend Table member Elizabeth Leriche notes that, “Silence is the new philosopher’s stone; disconnection is synonymous with liberation and silence is the new and luxurious material that is a source of creativity, respiration, and harmony.” Nascondino by Pierre-Emmanuel Vandeputte is a novel piece of felted upholstery to aid in finding a moment of solitude, and the Buzzi Hub provides a quiet, comfortable environment for a conversation.

fter traveling to a number of international design events and cross referencing all we have seen there is a distinct design direction emerging for upholstery coming from Italy, France, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, and the US: pillow is the new look. The prefect spot to relax after an exhibition!

n design today there is a fascination with texture, imperfections, and aesthetics that, as a result, look like they could be inspired by the surface of the moon. ‘Waiting for the Sun’ is a hand-embroidered collection by Sabatina Leccia after being first drawn by hand by Alix Waline and digitally printed in England on high quality cotton.

n a separate room within Heimtextil’s Theme Park Retail set-up, optic fibers and light emitting textiles by Malin Bobeck of Stockholm, Sweden were proof that the textile market is branching into new directions.

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F FI NE W S

Maxwell Fabrics Names Zoë Drummond Design Director Sipco News Network

ANCOUVER, Canada — Zoë Drummond has been named Design Director of Maxwell Fabrics and Telafina brands, a wholesaler here.

Zoë Drummond

Maxwell is a Vancouver based fabric wholesaler with business also in the USA. Drummond replaces Jennifer Ames Apple, Director of Design and Development for Maxwell Fabrics and Telafina brand.

Oren Garaway

Apple left her position at Maxwell in June after 18 plus years. Drummond joined the company in 2006 and early on worked with Apple in a design capacity so she is really returning to that department. Prior to her design post, she

Jennifer Apple

was the North Carolina Operations Manager for Maxwell for two years based in Charlotte until November, 2016 when she took her new post. She moved back to Vancouver from Hickory last summer in preparation for her new position. She reports to Oren Garaway. Apple is the cousin of Oren Garaway, the President and son of Larry Garaway. Larry and his sister Darlene Ames ran a business called Vancouver Quilting prior to establishing the Maxwell operation. Apple is Darlene’s daughter. Apple joined the 60-year-old

company in January, 1998 and was most recently working with her cousin, Oren Garaway, President and third generation family owner. He joined the company business in January, 2002. Apple is now director of J. Apple Management & Design in Vancouver, a real estate firm. It is understood that Apple wanted to spend more time with her family and the travelling demands of her post at Maxwell were more than she wanted at this time. She was a regular visitor to international exhibitions like Heimtextil and Proposte. F&FI

Aquaclean Group Opens Singapore Branch Sipco News Network

(Continued from Page 44)

C/HN I Magitex Décor Builds East Coast Business could work for her father in the mattress business. “We made 1,500 mattresses a day and the factory is still running.” Bob had a knack for designing foam furniture in those days which he covered in $3 fabric in beige, brown a n d ecru.

Like his father, Ari was educated in America with a degree in Real Estate from N.Y.U. Ari and Bob Bob Greenfield’s mind is never too far away make a beautiful from his beloved Caracas. father/son team and to watch them work together is to watch two equals business with much potential. plugging away in a growing family F&FI

Barcoded stock at Magitex

RM Coco Buys Wesco, Restructures Lines, Opens First Corporate Showroom Sipco News Network

APE GIRARDEAU, MO— RM Coco has acquired Wesco Fabrics from its owners, Marla and Dick Gentry for an undisclosed purchase price. Wesco Fabrics is a third generation family owned wholesale home furnishings business in the midsized national jobber category with sales in the $5 million range. Wesco has an open line of fabrics as well as exclusives under the Gentry Collection. “Wesco has a

Michael Carr and Mark Knight

great name and a great customer base that will extend RM Coco’s reach especially in the Denver area,” says Michael Carr, Principal. Wesco covers Midwest, California, Colorado and some eastern USA markets. Showroom presence for Wesco will be complimented with RM Coco locations and vice versa. Wesco was Founded in 1946 by Joline and Harry Weiss in Denver, Colorado to sell venetian blinds and has since expanded to include deco-

rative fabrics, upholstery and furniture including a workroom. RM Coco says it will expand its customer base by 25 percent with the purchase and will also get into the blinds business since Wesco is a Hunter Douglas distributor. Further, Wesco picks up Wesco’s furniture business, a new opportunity according to Carr. Wesco’s drapery hardware lines will bend with RM Coco drapery hardware business, he says. The Gentrys, previous owners of Wesco say that most of the staff, sales team and product lines along with the Denver based showroom will remain intact. RM Coco will share the Wesco showroom at the Denver Design Center according to Carr. The workroom will be consolidated into the Cape Girardeau facility. The Wesco corporate location is not part of the deal so Wesco staff will con-

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INGAPORE—Marta Kokot, a Polish national and former Director of Aquaclean Poland, is heading Aquaclean’s new venture to develop South East Asian markets. This area includes a total of ten countries including Australia and New Zealand. Kokut has already moved from Europe to Singapore, her new Asian base. “The Aquaclean philosophy is not just about sales; it’s about building long lasting relationships with our market partners,” she says. “This venture reflects our will to be closer to our esteemed clients here to better understand their operations and adapt our value creation activities to grow together,” Marta will report to Aquaclean Group’s President, Rafael Pascual, based in Spain.” F&FI Rafael Pascual, General Manager, Aquaclean, Alicante, Spain with Marta Kokot, Director of Business Development for Aquaclean in Asia, a new position based in Singapore. She is newly married (December 31) and lives in Singapore

solidate around the Denver Design Center. In other developments, RM Coco will open its first corporate showroom in the Dallas Design District March 1 according to Carr who also says that Design Director Mark Knight will install his studio in the facility of 6,688 square feet. Knight has been commuting to work in the Cape Girardeau offices for the past year but he’ll now be spending less time on the plane. Sharon Wolpert will be the showroom manager. Up until this point, RM Coco had 45 agent showrooms. At the same time, RM Coco has restructured and re-focused its brands into three categories: Coco Classics with product

priced up to $50 a yard; Coco Suites with fabrics priced up to $70 a yard; and Coco Luxe by RM Coco priced at up to $150 a yard. RM Coco has also doubled the number of sample books in circulation, Carr says. In addition, RM Coco has signed a deal for the Tommy Bahama brand which Coco helped develop in the fabric business. “This is an 80 sku outdoor fabric line using solution dyed acrylics supplied by Sunbrella®, Carr says. RM Coco was purchased just over a year ago by the Carr Brothers, a distributor of work related apparel. It has completely restructured the business by purchasing 70 percent of its products from China, Turkey and India and the balance from the USA and Europe. F&FI

Spring 2017

F FI NE W S

Thomas W. Hilb, Heritage House Founder Passes On Sipco News Network

ORNELIUS, North Carolina —Thomas Werner Hilb, 66, a well-liked veteran textile entrepreneur with 40 years in the business, finally succombed to cancer December 17, after battling the illness for several years. He was born in Cincinnati, OH January 23, 1950. Services were held at James Funeral Home in Huntersville, NC. December 20. In lieu of flowers, his family asks that donations be made to the American Cancer Society. Hilb will be most remembered for his honesty, integrity and friendship to many in the home textiles world. He was very personable and a friend and mentor to many suppliers and competitors worldwide, especially in the USA, Turkey and China. In spite of his intense work ethic and heavy travel schedule, he found the time to love his family as a proud father and grandfather. Tom is survived by three daughters Katherine, Molly and Anne and two grandchildren, Charlotte and Lilly. Hilb’s biggest career success came with Heritage House Fabrics, a company he founded in 2003 as a drapery fabrics importer and distributor. He built it into a $20 million plus business which continues today under different ownership. Hilb sold the company in January, 2013 but stayed on for a time as a consultant.

Until his last days, Hilb was enthusiastic about the textiles industry and kept in touch with many colleagues advising them on the running of their business and helping them in the marketplace if he could. He did this even though his energy was failing and caused him to move back to Cornelius, NC after selling his home in Boca Raton. He found traveling back and forth difficult, he said at the time. Hilb was a veteran fabric man with a sharp eye for sourcing product at the right price and also the rare skill for making successful acquisitions, namely, ITC (2004), Belle Fabrics (2007) and Dana Mills (2011), the three companies he brought into the Heritage family under his reign in less than ten years. His acquisition strategy was always to continue the businesses he bought by producing running lines for existing customers. Hilb’s strength lay in his ability to make these smaller entrepreneurial niche companies prosper by supporting them financially and squeezing cost efficiencies out of the total structure. He consistently demonstrated his ability to make prudent purchases of textile assets and was successful in erecting a new state of the art warehouse in North Carolina to house his growing business. He once said that “we’re extremely well financed so a niche player could do well selling out and becoming a part of Heritage. We handle millions of yards of product

A REMEMBRANCE: SOFKA WRITES ABOUT, TOM HILB, SADLY LOST IN 2016

My Friend For More Than Forty Years

Tom Hilb with very little inventory shrinkage. We wring out efficiencies from warehousing and distribution.” Prior to starting Heritage, he was an executive with Richloom and Western Textiles, a converter no longer in business but who’s name continues as a division of P/ Kaufmann, Inc. Hilb learned the textiles business from his father, Werner Hilb who was a successful wholesaler in the Chicago, Ill. area. In better days, Hilb loved to play golf and go to Las Vegas with his buddies. For awhile, he ran a golf day at the Lake Norman Country Club near Charlotte, NC. for his suppliers and customers. Thomas Hilb will be missed by his many friends.

Ahmet Sapmaz, Sourcing Expert weighs in on Friend Tom Hilb

OMPANO BEACH, Florida–“Today, the textile world lost one of its pioneers, Tom Hilb. He was the founder of Heritage House Fabrics. Tom had a very special place in my life. He was a great father, a true friend, a mentor and a reliable supplier. He was someone that you could always trust and rely on. I already miss him. Rest well in heaven Tom … I will always love you. Your always friend Ahmet.”

I met Tom when he was in his mid twenties as he began working for his father, Werner Hilb and his company Hilb & Company. My early relationship with Hilb & Company was as a supplier of product and this relationship originated with Tom’s dad. Tom, recently a graduate of the University of Cincinnati desired to enter the textile business through his dad’s company.

Tom Hilb My relationship with Tom was immediate and solidly anchored in respect for his talent, loyalty, and friendly personality. I was connected and somewhat involved with many of Tom’s advances in the industry. In 1982 he came to work for Softex Fabrics, my family business. In late 82 he chose to move to Fabricut and was responsible for sales in their

contract division. Tom became a sizeable factor in the contract business and was soon recruited by Richloom Fabrics to advance their moves from residential to contract business. Tom then became a number one draft choice and through his talents became a vice president at Western Textile in the early nineties. He developed his skills and relationships with Turkish and Italian mills and developed that business for the United States contract market with great success. Tom was very entrepreneurial and always had his focus on some day being his own master and owning his own business. In the late nineties Heritage Fabrics was the realization of that goal. Tom became an industry notable for innovation, quality fabrics and customer service. Through all Tom’s decades he was my friend and I will miss our relationship in sharing the joys of golf, travels and our families. I write this as my testimonial to my best friend who is now lost to all of us including his precious three girls, Kate, Molly and Annie. ~John Sofka, Softex Fabrics

“One of his anecdotes was ‘leave me alone and I will make you a lot of money.’ ” ~ Jeffrey Erdheim

Tom Hilb with Ahmet Sapmaz

(Continued from Page 44)

C/HN I Homtex Launches DreamFit Towels are available through its Silver, NC plant as well as jacquard woven throws produced in Belton, SC. Casner says the company has exclusive patents on many bedding innovations it hopes to bring to the hospitality trade working with Jay Dash Consultants in Las Vegas. “We have a curated collection for

Spring 2017

the hospitality market—not everything we make. We have a one to two million-yard inventory of sheeting products manufactured and based in the USA that will back up our hospitality business. “Our innovative bedding allows housekeeping to make beds with a tighter fit, Casner explains. “In

the wash cycle, our bedding offers a 4.5 on the Martindale pill test which is higher than the industry standard of 3.5,” he adds. The elastic we use can endure 200 plus washings. We also have adjustable pillows. Everything we offer is designed to save time and money for the hotel trade.” F&FI

John Sofka and Tom Hilb during happier times. John Sofka’s birthday

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F FI C A L E N D A R March

March 27-30 New York Home Fashions Market March 13-16 Sea Trade Cruise Global Show

Showtime Showtime

Pindler, Moorpark, CA wholesaler: Sarah Bacon, Senior Designer; Elise Connor, Director of Design and Sean Quinn, CFO with Tom Notaro, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Sunbury Mills, Inc., Sunbury, PA.

Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

April

April 6-7 BD/West Los Angeles Convention Center

May

May 3-5 Proposte Villa Erba, Cernobbio, Como Italy

May 3-5 HD Expo Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas

Melissa Andersson, Ramtex Creative Director, Los Angeles, with customer Raymond Zoref, President, Burton James, City of Industry, CA

May 16-20 Evteks

Mr. & Mrs. Enrique Mejia Turueno, principals of Grupo El Buen Telar, Guadalajara, Mexico. Snr. Mejia buys $3 and less. Boyteks Marketing Manager Gokmen Kara to the right

CNR Expo Center, Istanbul, Turkey

May 22-25 INDEX, International Interior Design Exhibition

Lois Reese and Renee Smith, the purchasing and design team for Paul Robert Inc., high end upholstery based in Taylorsville, NC

27th edition of INDEX will be held in Dubai, World Trade Center. INDEX Design Series 2017 covers design, upgrade of residential, retail, and hospitality spaces in the Middle East.

June

June 4-7 ITMA Showtime-High Point, NC June 20-22 Heimtextil India Pragati Maidan, New Delhi

The Boyteks Team: Jamil Urroz,USA Sales, U.S. and Latin America based in Kenner, LA; Gokmen Kara, Ph.D., Marketing Manager, Kayseri, Turkey; Mustafa Yildirim, General Manager, Upholstery and Ticking, Kayseri based; Seyit Ali Koksal, Vice General Manager, Bursa, Turkey; Hakan Yilseli, Sales Representative, Bursa, Turkey

Meredith Elon, Senior Designer and Angela Boswell, Senior Vice President, Design, Ellery Homestyles, New York bedding maker.

Advertiser Index For more information about one of our advertisers, see the page number listed: Aqualean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

J. Queen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-23

Ateja. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36-37

Kravet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Aydin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Magitex Decor. . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Boyteks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-13

MoOD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Classical Elements . . . . . . . . . . 1

Neutex. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Covington. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

ON-EM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9

Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Decor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7

Proposte. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Demirtas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40-41

Richloom Fabrics Group. . . . 31

Dicitex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 & 51

Rockland Mills. . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3

DiNole. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Softex. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Express Air Freight. . . . . . . . 45

Yongshun. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-27

Angie Carroll Spencer, Fabric Purchasing Supervisor (left) and Holly McLaughlin with McCreary Modern, Inc.,Newton, NC and April Kelly, McCreary Modern fabric buyer (right) laughing it up with Tom Muzekari of Culp, Inc.

Sarie De Wet, Account Manager, (USA and South Africa) Klein Karoo ostrich leather, Oudtshoorn, South Africa

Andrea Sbardellati, Designer, Atenti, La Crescenta, CA based upholstery producer

Leathercraft , Hickory, NC team: Tara Boyd, Merchandising & Marketing Director; Staley Keener, Owner & President; Chastity Capito, Designer and Corey Damen Jenkins, New York licensed designer for Leathercraft

GM Fabrics. . . . . . . . . . . . 38-39

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Spring 2017