F&FI Spring-rebuild #1
3/20/07
4:59 PM
Page 1
NEW APPOINTMENT
OFF TO THE RACES
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Sue Huff, formerly of Arc-Com Fabrics takes on her new position of vice president and GM of Knoll Textiles.
Trade Link Company’s Bill Davis takes his Ascot Interiors Meeting to The Royal Ascot Racecourse this Sept.
Ron Kaufmann celebrates 50 years of P/Kaufmann and looks back on the company started by his father, Peter.
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The Global Home & Contract Furnishings Newspaper • www.sipco.net
Vol. 17, No. 2
Spring 2007
Shuford’s Davis Embraces Outdura®’s Growing Business Packaged Goods Pro Turns Talents to Outdoor Textiles by Eric Schneider
H
UDSON, North Carolina — Shuford Mills’ Outdura brand has grown 35 percent annually each of the last three years with sales in the $30 million range in 2006, according to CP Davis, CEO since last June of this STM Industries division. Fabrics & Furnishings International estimates that 82
CP Davis
million yards of solution-dyed acrylic fabrics are produced annually in Europe and the USA. That makes this about an $800 million business at mill cost if you consider the average price of acrylic fabric sold is $7 a yard. “We now have goals in the $50$75 million range for this business,” Davis said. In moving the business forward, Davis has the backing of Jim Shuford, STM president and Stephen Shuford, executive vice president. (A different branch of the Shuford family owns Century
Epengle Rides Transportation Business to New Heights Yarn-Dyed Trevira turnover of $22 million reach $30 million by 2009. “We aren’t too CS Line to Debut far. If we go at the speed we have now, I’m sure we will make it,” he at Scoperta 2007 by AnnMarie Marano
I
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STANBUL, Turkey — Epengle Tekstil can boast a more than 50 percent growth in the past seven years, doubling their export business from approximately $3.5 million to around $8 million. Export manager Levent Dogan says that the company would like to see their current
said. He himself is shooting for taking the company to the number one spot in the world for the manufacturing of transportation fabrics in the next three to four years. They recently purchased four more looms just for transportation velvets. “It will increase the capacity by 250,000 meters again, just with the transportation busi-
(Continued on page 16)
Valdese Expands U.S. Production VALDESE, North Carolina — Valdese Weavers Inc. will invest $19.3 million in a newly acquired 198,000-square-foot factory purchased (Continued on page 23) from Carolina Mills, a yarn manufacturer
by AnnMarie Marano
P Levent Dogan ness.” Transportation fabrics account for approximately half of their business and Epengle produces approximately 1.1 million meters a year for their transportation business alone. Their total (Continued on page 30)
Contract/HospitalityNews Give You
Furniture and Valdese Weavers.) “When I first met the Shufords, I was a customer, buying tape from the Shurtape division of STM Industries.” At that time, Davis was with Evercare Corp., a competitor to 3M in the duct tape
Maison & Objet Gains Ground, Draws Top Editeurs to Paris
• L i g h t i n g • Te x t i l e s • Furniture • Hardware The Only Newspaper for the Specifier • Floor Covering
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ARIS, France — Some of the industry’s top textile editeurs are saying that Maison & Objet has, for them, surpassed other major shows such as Heimtextil, becoming the premiere exhibition opportunity for their new collections. “The situation for interior fabrics, as far as exhibitions are concerned, has changed dramatically during the past two or three years,” said Christian Fischbacher, president of Christian Fischbacher Co., AG. “Not so long ago, Heimtex was the main European fair for interior fabrics.
It probably still is for most of the industry. The upper market level, however, has deserted Heimtex and now shows at Maison & Objet in Paris. This is true for France,
Amalfi by Christian Fischbacher
Not Just
Fabric.
(Continued on page 22)