Fabrics & Furnishings International - Winter 2007/2008 Issue by Fabrics & Furnishings International

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STRONG START

SETTING THE STANDARD

BIG MONEY

Stuart Gans, founder of Classical Elements, discusses the young trimming manufacturer’s successes in the U.S. and abroad.

Janan Rabiah, executive director of the Association for Contract Textiles holds the interACT conference.

Reed Cunningham, of Tietex International announces the company’s investment in new equipment and consolidation plans.

See page 18

See page 30

See page 41

The Global Home & Contract Furnishings Newspaper • www.sipco.net

Vol. 18, No. 1

Winter 07/08

Alain Duval of Victor Innovatex Purchases Quaker Can he turn the assets of one of the largest mills into a $100 million business? The industry comments... by Eric Schneider and Kelly Hushin

T. GEORGES, Quebec — Victor Innovative Textiles (VIT), sees a potential of $50 million in the residential jacquard fabric business utilizing the people, equipment, technology and intellectual property that was previously Quaker Fabrics Corp., according to undisclosed textile industry sources. Alain Duval, the 40-something, third generation family owner and president of Canadian-based contract panel and upholstery fabrics mill, Victor Innovatex (VI), was behind the purchase of Quaker, the Fall River, MA company. Few American mill owners are familiar with Duval, and many of his customers have referred to him as “shy.” Yet they also say his company has several major things going for it, including deep pockets and a history of success in the industry. His domestic competitors say his actions will prop up the remaining yarn ith the acquisition of suppliers in the upholstery business. Duval refused to speak to Fabrics & Furnishings International or conQuaker’s assets, VIT has firm any numbers specific to the Quaker purchase costs the potential to become an and VIT sales projections. With the acquisition of Quaker’s assets, VIT has the important player in the U.S. potential to become an important player in the U.S. resiresidential fabric business with dential fabric business with combined sales of $100 million within five to seven years, according to industry estimates. combined sales of $100 million VI’s current business is about 70 percent panel cloth (with cuswithin five to seven years, tomers like Steelcase and Haworth) and 30 percent seating fabric. Eco Intelligence® is VI’s successful contract brand of recyaccording to industry estimates. cled polyester which has also boosted their sales and reputation. According to marketing coordinator, Melanie Bursey, one of the main goals at VIT will be to make everything as efficient as possible. “We will work to optimize LEED points and maximize energy efficiency,” she said. “Our plant here upholds strict environmental standards. Fall River is a brand new facility with topof-the-line equipment. It’s an investment. We want it to be state of the art. We’re looking to transfer the capabilities of Eco Intelligence® to the residential markets. We’re looking to share that brand but I’m not sure of the plans for the other brands at the moment; it might be easier to transfer over that knowledge and brand know-how into Quaker’s products.” According to Bursey, VI (with a weaving facility in St. Georges and a yarn spinning mill in Beauceville) is part of the Victor Group which also includes Victor Woolens (a woolen apparel fabric producer in St. Victor run by Alain’s brother, Richard), and now VIT in Alain Duval illustration by Fall River. Samantha Mittler “In terms of management, VIT will be a separate company,” said Bursey. “As time goes on, we hope to get some synergies from the two (Continued on page 20)

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New York Showroom 230 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1400 New York, NY 10016 USA Telephone: 212-686-2952 Telefax: 212-779-0354

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E D G A R FAB R ICS

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F& FI L E T T E R S

JB Martin Begs to Differ

A philosophy of excellent quality

We at JB Martin were surprised to see our company mentioned in an

at a reasonable value with strong The Global Home & Contract Furnishings Newspaper Published by Sipco Publications Inc.

attention to customer service,

article referencing Deball’s, (formally JL Deball’s), most recent finan-

has driven Duralee to become

cial difficulties. (The article can be found on www.fandfi.com and is

the fastest growing decorative

entitled “Deball Velvet to Resume Production.”)

fabrics company in the industry. An established company with a

We have no interest in disputing the upbeat and hopeful tone attached to the abrupt closing of Deball’s manufacturing plant and its expected reopening. We understand the difficulties facing most North American textile companies and we also believe that a healthy and vibrant marketplace needs a diversity of product. We welcome and applaud the effort made by Deball’s management and union. We do, however, have an issue with Fabrics and Furnishings International’s factually incorrect, characterization of JB Martin as a velvet manufacturer that only does short runs supplying mostly furniture manufacturers. We also take issue with the statement that alternative products to Deball’s Malaga are not available from either JB

ton as well as Kevlar. In the home furnishings arena, JB Martin’s sales are somewhat equally divided between furniture manufacturers and mid to better wholesalers. Both markets are served equally well from both plants.

their extensive offerings of fabric, furniture, and trim to include designs from traditional to modern

SIPCO NEWS NETWORK Contributing Editors | Jill Eisenstein | Jon Hendrix

tools to continue its rapid growth.

in order to provide the Interior Design industry with the proper Distinctive. Diverse. Dramatic. Definitely Duralee. Beautiful cutting-edge design, exceptional performance, and

E D I TO R I A L & P U B L I S H I N G

commonly dye lots from 100 to 5000 yards. In both our plants we work with a variety of fibers including cotton, mohair, Trevira CS, poly/cot-

Duralee has continuously expanded

Martin’s Leesville, SC plant or its sister mill in Mexico. In Leesville, and in Mexico, we have flexible dyeing capacity and we

fresh, young perspective on design,

PRESIDENT Eric Schneider Sipco Publications Inc. 145 Main St., Ossining, New York 10562 USA Tel: 001.914.923.0616 x12 Fax: 001.914.923.2247 E-Mail: eric@sipco.net

DIRECTOR OF SALES AND MARKETING Michael Schneider Sipco Publications Inc. 145 Main St., Ossining, New York 10562 USA Tel: 001.914.923.0616 x 14 Fax: 001.914.923.0018 E-Mail: michael@sipco.net

(To see the rest of this letter please visit www.fandfi.com)

Gold environmental certification! Get ready for a new line of ecointelligent fabrics with unmatched quality from DuraleeContract. Eco-Fabrics by DuraleeContract features the unique styling expected of all DuraleeContract fabrics with content that passes MBDC (McDonough Braungart Design

Sincerely,

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Kelly Hushin Sipco Publications Inc. 145 Main St., Ossining, New York 10562 USA

SENIOR EDITOR AnnMarie Marano Sipco Publications Inc. 145 Main St., Ossining, New York 10562 USA

Robert Lachow Vice President JB Martin Company

Tel: 001.914.923.0616 x 17 Fax: 001.914.923.0018 E-Mail: kelly@sipco.net

Tel: 001.914.923.0616 x 20 Fax: 001.914.923.0018 E-Mail: annmarie@sipco.net

Corrections:

environmentally friendly products. Luxurious and luminescent, Highland Court, the Luxury division of Duralee, is pleased to introduce Silk Empire III, the third

Fabrics & Furnishings International, autumn 2007 In the last issue of Fabrics & Furnishings International, on page 16, the new fabric from Sunbury Textile Mills was incorrectly referred to as an outdoor product. The headline should have read, “Contract Fabric is Eco-Minded at Sunbury Textile Mills.” _________________________________________________

edition of the highly successful ADVERTISING SALES UK, BENELUX EFTA Peter Gilmore Peter Gilmore Associates 57 Keyes House Dolphin Square London SW1V 3NA U.K. Tel: 44.(0)20.7834.5559 Fax: 44.(0)20.7834.0600 E-Mail: pgilmore@sipco.net

Decosit Brussels News, 2007 On the cover of this year’s Decosit Brussels News, Ian Heunis, CEO of Castellano Beltrame was misidentified as Herb Kahan, Regal Fabrics On page 24, in the story entitled “P/K Lifestyles ‘Cheerful’ Colors Prove Attractive at European Shows,” Waverly was incorrectly referred to as parent company of P/K Lifestyles.

INDIA Rehka V. Contact: Mileage 141 Third Crasa Centro Mico Layout Bangalore 560076 India Tel: 91.80.26685821 Fax: 91.80.26684670 E-mail: mileage@sipco.net

THE FOLLOWING COMPANIES SELL SUBSCRIPTIONS TO FABRICS & FURNISHINGS INTERNATIONAL: INDIA

JAPAN

Space & Time Centre 3rd Floor, Segar 650 Shopping Centre 76, J.P. Road, Andheri (W), Bombay 400 058 Fax: 91.22.624.2706

Attrait Fashion Inc. Osaka Higashi P.O. Box Zeniya Dai-ichi Bldg. 1-6-19, Azuchi-machi Chuo-ku Osaka 541 Japan Fax: 81.06.264.1316

collection of innovative woven silks.

TURKEY Sevim Keskinci Bati Mah. Hatboyu Cad. Bahar Apt. No. 8/21 Pendik-Istanbul Turkey Tel: 90.532.236.25.24 Fax: 90.216.390.20.27 E-Mail: skeskinci@sipco.net

PORTUGAL Ana Conde Av. da Boavista, 280-4. Centro 4050-113 PORTO Portugal

Delicate and sophisticated, this set of five color-books; Lavender, Blush, Chocolate, Cinnabar and Sky, solidifies the notion that silk is the epitome of elegance. Duralee Fine Furniture has added over 250 new items to the current 1000 sku collection of fully upholstered sofas, lounge chairs, beds, benches, ottomans, exposed wood chairs and tables. Duralee

Tel: 351.22.607.6470 Fax: 351.22.607.6475/79 E-Mail: aconde@sipco.net

manufactures it’s own furniture line in a 180,000 square foot facility in Morganton, NC and to date is the

ITALY, GERMANY, SPAIN Isa Hofmann Niederwaldstrasse 4 D-65187 Wiesbaden Germany

MEXICO Adriana Michael Tel: 1.613.526.0480 1.613.620.1957 Fax: 1.613.526.6709

only fabric jobber to do so. The collection has custom upholstery options, 28 hand finish options and remains one

Email: info@ihofmann.com Tel: +49 611.890.59640 Fax: +49 611.87086

E-Mail: adrianamichael@rogers.com

of the largest bench made collections available to the trade. With corporate and agent show-

CHINA VIctor Pan 6/F Building 40, No.333 Qinjiang Rd., Xuhui District, Shanghai 200233 China

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION Subscriptions to Fabrics & Furnishings International are US$130 prepaid for four issues. Subscriptions in India are $200. Mail or fax orders (Visa or MasterCard accepted) to Circulation Dept., Sipco Publications, Inc, P.O. Box 107

rooms nationwide, and a new High Point Showroom opening this October, Duralee Fine Furniture is versatile and accessible.

145 Main St., 3rd Fl., Ossining, NY 10562 USA Fax 001.914.923.0018 Email: victor@texindex.com Tel: 0086-21-51 50 59 59 Fax: 0086-21-51 50 59 00

Chemistry)’s Gold standard for

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Please visit duralee.com for more information.

Winter 2007/2008 ■ F&FI

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D E F I N I T E L Y

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D U R A L E E

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Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s F&FI WInter 07/08 | Vol. 18, No. 1

Chinese Blankets Recalled . . . . . . . . . . .12 Indian Rupee Appreciation Against the Dollar Hits Indian Furnishing Exporters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Dembovsky Favors Chinese Curtain Makers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Geiger Resigns Post at Covington . . . . . .10 AOM Appoints Vogel Senior VP Sales & Marketing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Muzekari Joins Westlake . . . . . . . . . . . .10

OW Lee’s Dorough Says Outdoor Room Drives Casual Business . . . . . . . . .16 Laneventure Shows Leeds Castle Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Tuuci at Starbucks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Gar Products Commits to Green Finishings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Contract/HospitalityNews Design, Recycling Drives Berman at Raxon Mills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Townsend, Fuente Cigar Partner Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Big Apple Tests Wallpaper Kiosk . . . . . .30 Northeast Textiles Targets Recycled Polyester Cloth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Association for Contract Textiles Holds Annual Conference . . . . . . . . . . .30

FURNITURE: American Atelier Offers Green Furniture Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 Decca Goes Green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Braman Targets Extended Stay . . . . . . .32

Hospitality Match 2007 Moves Away from the Strip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

LIGHTING: Garcia Teams Up with Pacific Coast Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Encompass Lighting Group Introduces the Element™ Brand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

TEXTILES: Glen Raven Takes on the Contract Market with Sunbrella® Contract . . . . .28

FLOORCOVERING: Kabus Becomes New President of The Mohawk Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

GREEN: Fabricut Panel Asks Designers, ‘How Important is Green?’ . . . . . . . . . . .30 8

East Teak Introduces Teak, Ipé Tiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 www.sipco.net

34 Departments

People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Photo Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Winter 2007/2008 ■ F&FI

kravet for pdf

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F& FI P E O P L E

Geiger Resigns Post at Covington Former VP of Sales Opens Up Private Textiles Consultancy by Eric Schneider

EW YORK, New York — Chris Geiger has resigned his position as vice president of sales for Covington Holding LLC, as of Friday, October 5. He will pursue his own business as a consultant to the textiles industry. At Covington, he was responsi-

ble for sales to the contract, furniture and decorative fabric trade and oversaw all customer service operations and export sales. He was employed at Covington for nearly 10 years and prior to that, he was a

sales executive with Western Textiles and Hunter Douglas. “I have been working nonstop since I was 15 and want to take a few weeks off now,” he told F&FI. At Covington, Geiger said he

developed custom-made, free standing fabric kiosks which have now been installed at over 300 locations. He reported to Roger Gilmartin who notified the Covington sales force on hearing of Geiger’s decision. Gilmartin purchased Covington Industries with outside investors

AOM Appoints Vogel Senior VP Sales & Marketing Sipco News Network

ARTINSVILLE, Virginia — Leo A. Vogel has been appointed to the position of senior vice president of sales and

marketing for American of Martinsville, a leading supplier of guest room furniture to the hotel industry, assisted living facilities and the U.S. government.

Vogel recently held the position of director of sales and marketing for the contract division of Sealy, Inc. His appointment came with his hiring at American of Martinsville on Oct. 15. F&FI

Sipco Gets You Noticed boutique DESIGN is the only magazine that focuses on the boutique hotel, spa, restaurant, and nightclub market. Fabrics & Furnishings International including

in 2006. In reviewing the highlights of his days at Covington, Geiger pointed to his creation of a prepackaged sampling program including sample books and inventory with special terms as well as a preferred customer program featuring custom samples, special terms and pricing based on graduated sales volume. Geiger was also responsible for the in-house telemarketing programs as well as an EBay program for selling closeouts. In his new endeavor, Geiger expects to develop similar programs for other clients in the textiles industry “based on their marketing needs,” he said. F&FI

Muzekari Joins Westlake Sipco News Network

IGH POINT, North Carolina — Westlake USA has appointed Tom Muzekari to senior sales and marketing manager for the company.

Contract/Hospitality News is the only newspaper for the specifier. Hospitality Match brings pre-qualified, high-end buyers together with FF&E suppliers through a one-to-one meeting format.

Tom Muzekari

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Sipco Publications & Events is a boutique publishing and event promotion firm offering innovative tools to compete in the hospitality interiors industry.

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Well known in textile and furniture circles, Muzekari was previously vice president of sales and marketing for Quaker Fabrics Corp. in Fall River, MA for 11 years. Prior to that he spent eight years at Collins & Aikman. He now lives in Providence, RI. Muzekari’s new assignment is to develop some manufacturers in the Northeast and Midwest and also the decorative jobber business on a national basis, according to Tom Himes, principal of Westlake. The other principal is Jack Glabman. “Muzekari will also handle our international business in Mexico, South America, Europe, Australia and Middle East markets,” Himes confirmed. “He will also call on key furniture retailers across the USA to develop programs in concert with the furniture manufacturers,” Himes said. The Westlake line consists of woven jacquards manufactured in China with its partner in Westlake Industrial in Hangzhou, China. F&FI

Winter 2007/2008 ■ F&FI

High Five for pdf

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F& FI N E W S

Indian Rupee Appreciation Against the Dollar Hits Indian Furnishing Exporters Hard

ZHEJIANG BABEI TEXTILE CO., LTD

by S. Vishwanath

EW DELHI, India — A quota-free status, which encouraged Indian furnishing manufacturers to make huge investments in machinery and equipment in recent years and allowed them to market themselves successfully, has now been hit by a huge rupee appreciation against the American dollar. Ajay Arora, managing director, Dicitex Décor, Mumbai says it is difficult to pass on a 15-17 percent rupee appreciation against the dollar to the buyers. “Fortunately, we have volumes that keep us going and now the product mix will be altered to produce more value addition through further

Ajay Arora tiate our product from the rest and offer new collections on a continuous basis,” said Arora. Transaction costs and poor infrastructure when compared to China are a problem, and the challenges for Indian exporters to compete globally are affecting

“W

e have already started seeking better prices and expect that the buyers will understand and cooperate, while we will continue to differentiate our product from the rest and offer new collections on a continuous basis. —Ajay Arora

”

innovations,” he said. Dicitex Décor also wants to look at the markets and focus more on Europe as the Euro is more stable against the Rupee. “Furthermore, the Indian domestic market is booming. We continue to do well and this will balance the bottom line to some extent,” he added. The recent investments on the latest in textile machinery help to produce quality fabrics and Dicitex Décor has also begun to reduce manufacturing costs wherever possible (such as with energy savings in dying plants through a heat recovery system.) “We have already started seeking better prices and expect that the buyers will understand and cooperate, while we will continue to differen-

them. China has a controlled economy, cheaper labor and energy costs are almost 40 percent less. It also regulates its currency and would not let its currency rise as that would slow down export linked textile jobs. But Indian currency is left to market forces and with the GDP growing at 8-9 percent and macro-economic trends looking positive, rupee appreciation will stay. Economic experts expect that rupee appreciation may continue as the flow of the dollar and euro will increase because India is attracting huge investments to its equity markets and direct investments. America, Europe, Japan and even China are so optimistic on the Indian growth story that they are pumping in

huge amounts of money and optimism. This may erode the rupee even further to almost 35, (it was 45 against the dollar two years ago.) The government is aware of the crisis and has increased duty drawback rates. This helps companies whose import contents are low. Exporters also face huge logistics problems such as disorganized and busy airports, ports that are unable to handle cargo, urban infrastructure and shortage of power. Lack of infrastructure creates a lot of inefficiencies and the logistics cost in India is estimated to be around 13 percent of the GDP compared to less than 10 percent of the GDP in almost all of Western Europe and North America. Thus, these additional expenses are adding up to the inefficiencies of exporters who are badly hit by the rupee appreciation already. Rating agency Moody's (www.moodys.com) warned that the rising rupee will intensify the pressure on the country's trade and current account deficits by hindering export growth and encouraging imports. “It is a lose-lose situation as the customer is not obliged to buy

from us. With great difficulty, we can manage to reduce costs by 4-5 percent but with over 15 percent rupee appreciation alone the solutions are hazy. Maybe the Indian government can moderate the dollar in-flow which may steady the rupee. The soonest possible steps to stabilize the rupee are crucial,” observed Nivedan Churiwal, executive director, Fortune International, which exports silk and poly/poly blend decorative fabrics. “Deep pockets are necessary to stay in the market or we are doomed. The flow of orders is slow and it is difficult to convince even the regular buyers of how the rupee appreciation is hurting our existence,” noted Nitin Kitchlu, managing director, Tracon Exports Services Limited, Mumbai; leading decorative fabrics and madeup exporter. “Quality level cannot be cut and we hope that customers pay us a reasonable price,” he added. “Almost 20 percent appreciation against the dollar is tough to manage as such margins don’t exist in our made-up business. We don’t see ways to cut costs that may sacrifice quality and the only option is to stay invested always,” said Kitchlu. F&FI

Superlux Blankets Recalled Product Said to Contain Dangerous Chemical Sipco News Network

ELLINGTON, New Zealand — Australia and New Zealand recalled Chinesemade blankets from the Superlux brand because they were found to contain high lev-

els of potentially dangerous formaldehyde. Wholesale firm and a distributor of the blankets, Charles Parsons, said the formaldehyde in the blankets “may cause shortterm skin or respiratory irritation.” New Zealand’s Ministry of Consumer Affairs said it plans to start testing Chinese-made clothing for the chemical, which is used to prevent creasing in clothes and fabrics. F&FI

Sipco News Network

Mario Dembovsky and Jack Shi

HANGHAI, China — “Chinese fancy sheer suppliers are giving the Turkish companies a real run for their money,” said Mario Dembovsky during the Intertextile Shanghai Exhibiton in August. Dembovsky owns Superiores S.L., a curtain wholesaler in Alicante, Spain. He has 35 years in the curtain business to his credit. “The Chinese sheers and embroidered sheers are 50 percent less in cost than the Turkish counterpart and the Chinese mills are becoming reliable suppliers in terms of good

meters. Delivery is in six to seven weeks from China.” He says that he works with Turkish suppliers only 10 percent of the time and the 90 percent goes to China. “Ten years ago, I worked 100 percent with Turkish suppliers of curtaining fabric.” Dembovsky works with Phoenix Textile in Hangzhou, a six-year-old firm owned by Jack Shi, just 32 years old and six years in the business. He was a college student with a major in electronics before he started his company which now has 50 Sulzer looms. F&FI

Ltd. is a weaver jointly

invested in by Babei Group Ltd. and Art Touch Industrial Co. Ltd for USD 15,800,000. We work mainly on the designing, producing and sales of high-end yarn-dyed silk jacquard fabrics for bedding, drapery and upholstery. We also produce polyester fire retardant fabrics for the contract business and the newly licensed multi-functional Bella-Dura fabric for indoor/ outdoor furniture and other commercial uses in the Asian market. We have installed 66 Staubli jacquard machines which make it possible for us to produce a variety of jacquard fabrics with different design repeats (the largest repeat size at 140CM) and end counts. We also have 10 Dobby looms for weaving plain fabric or fabric with small repeats. We are able to produce different widths including 140cm, 150cm, 280cm and 300cm which are suitable for different cutting ways. Babei owns one yarn-dyeing mill with Noseda dyeing facilities and one fabric finishing mill — a joint venture with an Italian company. We have invested heavily in adopting the ERP computer-

Dembovsky of Superiores S.L. Favors Chinese Curtain Makers

quality and on-time delivery.” Dembovsky said the Turkish product is still higher quality than in China “but it’s not twice the quality of the Chinese goods,”

hejiang Babei Textile Co.

he stressed. “You need to order five rolls from Turkey for one week delivery. With China, you need to order 1,000 meters per design for a total of 30,000

www.sipco.net

Winter 2007/2008 ■ F&FI

ized management system, specially designed for Babei Group LTD by Newbrand Software CO., LTD. The system carries out the task of scientific management which coordinates and supervises all production and operation. Not only will this improve our production efficiency, but also it will provide good conditions for operating the whole company with the utmost efficiency. With ‘Innovation, Service, Enhancement’, we will serve our customers sincerely.

Babei FP Winter

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F& FI I N D O O R / O U T D O O R

OW Lee’s Dorough Says Outdoor Room Drives Casual Business Aggressive Merchandiser Expects to Raise Fashion Bar for the Industry

Left: Jeff Dorough company which competes favorably with major companies like Agio, Brown Jordan, Tropitone and Lane Venture. OW Lee also has the hospitality market in its sights and expects to make aggressive moves in this market in the next few years. By focusing on fashion, Dorough grew sales tenfold in nine years for his last employer, Treasure Garden and now he hopes to make the same magic at OW Lee. Dorough has a consumer products background and has a passion for fabrics. He’s backed by his boss and owner

by Eric Schneider

HICAGO, Illinois — OW Lee is taking the high road to casual furniture design with a ‘Made in the USA’ edge over proliferating imports, according to Jeff Dorough, director of sales and marketing for this 60-year-old company. OW Lee is a privately held

Gar Products Commits to Green Finishings, Business Gar has two facilities in ing line eight years ago. No one Names Chella as cared at that time. So now, we Lakewood — a 100,000-squarea Key to Outdoor already have the investment and foot manufacturing plant and a technology down pat. It’s definite- 52,000-square-foot warehouse Market Success by AnnMarie Marano

AKEWOOD, New Jersey — Sam Garfunkle, vice president of operations for Gar Products, a 52-year-old indoor/outdoor furniture supplier, says the company is committing itself to furthering their green initiatives in the future. “We’re definitely going to have a huge focus on green product,” he said. “We installed our finishGar’s Shrewsbury lounge chair

ly an asset for us and is a better finish than any other out there on the market.” Garfunkle is talking about the Gar UV finishing system that has no solvents. “We fall under the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) Greenstart Program, that helps companies have good environmental practices and low VOC emissions. We’re in the process of developing green product for our customers. Anything that uses our UV finish is an advantage.”

and distribution facility. Garfunkle said the company is looking for better utilization of their energy consumption. They plan to have the entire roof of one of their facilities solar paneled. They will also push their vendors and suppliers for better products, Garfunkle said. “What it comes down to is if we’re not asking them for it, they’re not going to make it.” Gar’s outdoor line is entitled “Four Seasons.” The company entered the outdoor category with that line three years ago, trying to fill a void they saw in the middle market. The line is a mix between simple aluminum and woven frames, up to fully woven booths and customized products. Garfunkle said they are currently working on recyclable synthetic weaves for the Four Seasons line. He named Sunbrella and Chella fabrics as two upholstery lines they work with religiously for outdoor. “On the outdoor side, we’ve had a tremendous amount of success with Chella. We’ve started cross-merchandizing with them. Designers love their product and they know it right away.” F&FI

Terri Lee Rogers, vice president of sales and marketing. She runs the business with her brother Brian Lee and Chris Goff, her brother-in-law. Her son Paul Rogers is working in the design department and represents the fourth generation ownership now in the wings. “Ten years ago fabrics were flatweaves in the casual market,” Dorough explained. “These fabrics were commodity products just great for umbrellas. Now we’re offering beautiful indoor fabrics with outdoor durability.” OW Lee now features chenilles, raffia and moirés in its offerings, mostly in solution dyed acrylics. He points to Sunbury, Glen Raven and Shuford Mills as his top suppliers. “Sunbury is more short run. You can own the design and order one piece at a time. With Shuford, the price is substantially less than Sunbury but you have to order 300 yards at a time.” Sunbury’s ‘Roma’ is one of Dorough’s favorite fabrics. “Its machine washable Sunbrella®. The cushion covers come right off. Sunbury offers a richer texture at twice the price of other fabrics but the designs are terrific and help us move up price points at retail.” “Deliveries have become an issue in this business. Shuford offers the best delivery in three to four weeks; Glen Raven is at five to six weeks and Sunbury is up to eight weeks. The big problem lies in the shortage of solution dyed acrylic yarns. When Quaker went bankrupt, everyone scrambled to Sunbury. Customers give us an order and they want delivery in

Terri Lee Rogers and Paul Rogers four weeks. We are bringing in more inventory to help solve this problem,” he said. OW Lee is taking the formula one step further with a designer collection of casual furniture. Its Outdoor Couture collection (2828) by Marcia Blake includes draperies, fringe, bullion and pillows. “The outdoor room is driving our business today. This ‘room’ includes the grill, dining area, firepit and deep seating. Now, a waterfall or fountain concept is being added to the outdoor room in addition to fabric accessories and draperies. Accessories are now ten percent of our business today and growing fast.” “In two years, this will be 20 percent of OW Lee’s business,” Dorough said. In addition, he also sees aluminum wall art and rugs as part of this package. The outdoor room is being pursued by fashion conscious retailers like Robb & Stuckey and others. Dorough emphasizes the importance of display to the casual furniture category. F&FI

Tuuci Signs Deal with Starbucks Sipco News Network

IAMI, Florida — Dougan Clarke, principal of Tuuci has inked a deal with Starbucks to provide their umbrellas at retail locations. Missing no opportunity for a

plug, a Tuuci umbrella was shown during the Casual Market at the Merchandise Mart. Tuuci also featured Sunbrella’s Shadecloth designed by Richard Framer as well as sheer curtains from Ludwig Svenson in Sweden. F&FI

Laneventure Introduces Leeds Castle Collection Sipco News Network

ONOVER, North Carolina — LaneVenture Inc. has introduced its Leeds Castle Collection in its Weathermaster outdoor line as a single licensed design in Sunbrella® solution dyed acrylic. The fabric is woven by Sunbury Mills Inc. and was shown at the

last Casual Furniture Market in Chicago. Laneventure’s fabric merchandise manager Patti Frye also selected a paisley pattern and a dragonfly pattern woven by Sunbury for the display floor as well as a P/Kaufmann print on textured basecloth. A red, chenille like textured fabric from Shuford Mills was also featured.

Though it is in its infancy, Frye also talked about the use of hemp as a fiber for the outdoor market. Laneventure is the casual furniture division of Furniture Brands International. FBI also includes Lane Furniture, Hickory Chair, Thomasville, Clyde Pearson, Henredon, Maitland Smith and Broyhill brands. F&FI

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Classical Elements Hires Shelly Trim Manufacturer Sees $25 Million Sales Target by Eric Schneider

ALEIGH, North Carolina — Classical Elements, a converter and manufacturer of trimming for distribution in the USA to jobbers, manufacturers of bedding and furniture and fabric retailers, is setting its sights on a $25 million trimming and hard-

Steve Shelly

ware business within the next decade, according to company founder Stuart Gans. As part of his rapid growth plan, Gans hired Steve Shelly, previously sales manager for Conso Trimming, as sales manager in August. “We produce all of our sample books in China for our customers to their exact specifications,” Gans pointed out. “We do all of the private label samples for our customers.” Recently, Gans concluded a big deal for its first collection with Calico Corners. “This

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“W

e give our jobbers worldwide exclusivity on all products. We keep an eye out on a worldwide basis to make sure we keep the product exclusive. —Stuart Gans

”

is a high end stocked product with daily deliveries covering all 100 plus stores,” he said. Gans said he has a 36,000square-foot warehouse and manufacturing plant in China for China to China deliveries. “We still do high end manufacturing for the States but the lower end of the product line is done in China

for China distribution, mostly to cut and sew US manufacturers in China. US manufacturer business is growing fast but our US jobber business represents the biggest share of our US sales. In China, manufacturers represent our biggest base with jobbers almost nil. I haven’t seen any big push for Chinese owned jobbers in China.” “We are supplying decorative trimmings in every price level and soon will be branching out into other products like decorative hardware beginning in January,” Gans said. “Our customers range from the leading fabric jobbers like Kravet, Fabricut, Duralee, Robert Allen and Kasmir to bedding and furniture manufacturers and independent fabric stores.” “We give our jobbers worldwide exclusivity on all products. We keep an eye out on a worldwide basis to make sure we keep the product exclusive. We can’t control knockoffs but this isn’t a big issue for us. We’re now buying products in India, the Philippines, China, Vietnam and Italy. We use a lot of handwork and exclusive Italian couture yarns in our products so it’s harder to knock them off.” As part of its new product push, Classical Elements will introduce its first line of Bamboo trim at Showtime. In January, 2004, Gans launched Classical Elements with his wife Leyla who is a trimming designer. Gans had three years previous experience in the trimming business, having started Tasseltime as a wholesaler in Florida. “We may be a young company but collectively, we have over 50 years of design talent working with the company.” In other developments, Classical signed an exclusive design deal with Wesley Mancini in June. Mancini previously had designed trims for Bomar and Conso Trimming. “Jana Platina Phipps who used to be with Gelberg Braid is also part of our team,” Gans explained. Company sales are in the $5 million range with 90 employees in China, eight in the USA and eight commission reps in the USA. The warehouse and corporate office is located in Raleigh, NC. “I see us doing more worldwide sourcing in the future as well as doing more sales with European jobbers and manufacturers by leveraging the low US dollar,” Gans said. F&FI

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Victor Innovatex Eyes $100 Mill. companies (VIT and VI), so we’re hoping to gain leverage from there as well as from our experience and marketing. Step one is to start operations in Fall River and make sure the customers are being serviced and then we can develop a substantial plan.” With new competition from the expanding Canadian company, U.S. mills like Valdese Weavers will have to approach the market aggressively. Valdese has done so since its acquisition of Circa 1801 — the company Valdese won at auction over Duval — adding new production and already seeing a return on investments from the Circa purchase. While Duval lost his bid to purchase Circa, he was the successful bidder for Quaker along with Boston-based liquidator, The Gordon Brothers Group. It is estimated that Duval paid $11 million and will spend an estimated $4-$5 million to continue with Quaker’s consolidation of 348 looms, management, production and administrative personnel into the rented 600,000 square-foot-plant with 60,000 square feet of office space in Fall River. At $16 million, that’s about the same price Valdese paid for Circa, one industry member guessed. “Duval fell in love with the Circa operation and never got it out of his system,” he said. Bursey would not confirm these figures, but said, “We only bought what was needed for our capacity. Gordon Brothers will sell what other things they bought on the open market.” Duval has quickly assembled a top design and development team but word has not been released about who will manage the Fall River operation. At press time, Bursey said production should start in early November. One supplier commented that Fall River has an excellent workforce and with the acquisition, VIT now has the equipment to make the novelty yarns that made Quaker so successful in the years before its downfall. “There have been about 80-85 people hired from Quaker and other companies,” said Bursey. “We are not promising everybody their jobs back, but over the next three to four years we will be hiring more and more people on an ‘asneeded’ basis. It has been said many times within the company that it will be a continuous effort to hire people every year.” Included in the rehires are Duncan Whitehead, and Bea

Canadian vs. U.S. Dollar C$1=$1.0353 Year-to-date change: up 21% U.S. $1.05 1.00 0.95 0.90 0.85 0.80 J

Source: Reuters via WSJ Market Data Group

October 2007, Wall Street Journal Spires. Whitehead is the technical genius behind the Quaker Global™ Line, produced by China-based Zhongwang. Zhongwang will continue to supply VI with Chinesemade product and president Yang Lin Shan is pleased with the arrangement because he was successfully selling Quaker designs in the world market. Spires, Quaker’s former VP of design has hired six of her design staff back to work with the Victor operation. They include Jordan Sweeting, Lloyd Felix, Pam Fonger, Nancy Machado and Dawn Stopka — the former vice president of

Alain Duval design for the now defunct Joan Fabrics. Victor met with former Quaker production at White’s Restaurant on October 24 to talk about rehiring. It’s only a matter of time till before the mill starts cranking out the Quaker product sometime before year-end. Onlookers comment that the Duval family has a great passion for textiles. Their background in textiles can be traced back to 1947, when grandfather, William Duval, founded a wool waste operation that evolved into the apparel and specialty fab-

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rics company, Victor Woolens (referred to also as Victor Forstmann since its 1999 purchase of U.S.-based textile manufacturer, The Forstmann Company.) Many still question why the Duvals or anyone else would invest money in the American textile business. “The Quaker furniture business just died and restarting it will be like starting from scratch,” said one source. Quaker had approximately $120 million in sales when Bank of America pulled the plug on the company, including a $20 million panel fabrics business which has been gobbled up by several mills including VI and Valdese. Catering primarily to the American fabric jobber is the key to VI’s successful contract business and Duval hopes this expertise will work wonders in the residential market as well. VI has an open stock, yarn-dyed line in contract with two-week delivery and also makes a line of proprietary piecedyed products developed closely with the jobber at its New York design studio. One of VI’s key accounts is a US-based jobber that was left with 1,200 skus of Quaker fabric in book form. With the newly-formed VIT, these patterns can continue to be made for such customers and other jobbers who were left holding the bag for Quaker patterns. The furniture business where Quaker left a void is not as easy because many customers have already replaced the product, leaving VIT a slim chance shortterm to rebuild the furniture business enjoyed by its predecessor. “There are a lot of patterns that were discontinued and a lot of customers pulled out before Quaker went down,” said Bursey. “All the designs are being (Continued on page 41)

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BUILDING AN EMPIRE

NO MORE BOOKS

ECO-HEROES

Textile designer Stacy Garcia continues to spread her name and her brand by partnering with Pacific Coast Lighting

Neal Jablon of Big Apple Wallcoverings revolutionizes sampling with in-store electronic kiosks.

Harvey Nudelman of Fabricut holds a conference to describe the company’s newest green initiatives.

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TEXTILES | Design, Recycling Drives Berman at Raxon Mills Boutique Mill Focuses on Sustainability by Eric Schneider

EW YORK, New York — Raxon Mills has found its niche as a design driven mill focused on small minimums and sustainable products, according to Ivy Berman, president. “As mills, we have all spent a lot of money on product that is sustainable so we are wondering what national standards will be forthcoming for sustainability,” she said during the Association for Contract Textiles (ACT)

Sustainability Conference in New York in October. Berman voiced the concern many mill executives share over the forthcoming national standards and the additional costs that could be incurred by the mills to meet those standards. “We have been producing reclaimable nylon 6 upholstery since 2002 and with our second’s rate under one percent , it is getting harder to reclaim waste. We just have very little of it! The other area has been recycled post consumer polyester. About 30 percent of Raxon’s production is nylon; 20 percent polyester and 50 percent is a combination of poly/cotton and rayon,” she said. Berman has made sustainability a hallmark of her career thus far. With eight years at Raxon, she has been president for the last three and was sales manager prior to her appointment. Raxon is a boutique mill in the $10-$15 million range. Many feel Raxon and other smaller American mills represent the best future of the American textiles industry Left and top right: Raxon fabrics

because they cater to their customers’ taste levels in a very personal way, well under the radar of Chinese suppliers. Aside from the susIvy Berman tainability issue, Berman has also placed great emphasis on building Raxon’s design team, now seven people including Jay Correo, previously with (Continued on page 37)

TEXTILES | Townsend and Arturo Fuente Cigar Partner Up Lifestyle Leather Lines Offered by Eric Schneider

OHNSTOWN, New York — Coming off three years of 10-30 percent annual growth in the leather business, Townsend is pursuing a lifestyle branding strategy by partnering with the Arturo Fuente handmade cigar brand for a premium glazed cowhide leather collection. The promotion also calls for

the hand built construction and sale of five different models of an upscale furniture line with eight way hand tied down filled cushions made by Hancock & Moore (as a sub-licensee to Townsend)for an April, 2008 introduction. Hancock & Moore is Townsend’s largest furniture account, said Terry Kucel, owner of the 60-year-old Townsend. “We got our first taste for lifestyle marketing when we worked with Ralph Lauren in the

C/H NEWS | Hospitality Match 2007 Moves Away from the “Las Vegas Strip” by AnnMarie Marano

Terry Kucel $200 million cigar producer, makers of the famous OpusX cigar. This effort is carried through to a leather upholstered (Continued on page 37)

Inside Contract/ Hospitality News Textiles:

Green Valley Ranch

90’s,” Kucel said. The unusual Townsend/ Fuente promotion matches Townsend leather to the colors of Fuente’s premium cigars, made 100 percent in the Dominican Republic by Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia, the 95-year-old

ENDERSON, Nevada — Hospitality Match, an invitation-only event that brings hospitality suppliers together with FF&E buyers, produced by Sipco Publications & Events, hit the desert for the third time this year, but in a much more unlikely place. “We chose Green Valley Ranch in Henderson, NV, because all our attendees are quite tired of being on a large strip property,” said Michael Schneider, president, Sipco Events. “At GVR we were one of two groups, so from an event planning perspective we received better attention from GVR staff. Furthermore, we took 150 of their 400 rooms so we didn’t get lost in a huge property like you would on the strip. Finally, GVR is an entity unto its own. We didn’t have to worry about unwanted distractions or losing our attendees. We were able to keep everyone together.” In previous years, Match was held at the Rio and the Venetian. It was also announced that the company plans to move the event further west and change the timing to make it more convenient for all those interested in attending. (Continued on page 26)

Glen Raven Introduces Sunbrella® Contract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Green: Northeast Launches Re-Deux . . . . . .30

Furniture: Decca Hospitality Furnishings Launches Green Initiative . . . . . . . . .32

Lighting: Encompass Group Introduces Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Floor Covering: Kabus Becomes President of the Mohawk Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

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Johnston Textiles Introduces First Trevira®FR Collection in USA! See the latest 100% piece dyed Trevira®FR USA collection in 72 inch cubicle cloth and 54 inch upholstery from Johnston Industries.

Fabrics from top left: Moon Phase 07/Bamboo; Dotcom 02/Lawn; Moon Phase 08/Lillypad; Reiki 07/Spring; Kimono 07/Cucumber; Kimono 08/Fern Fabric cour tesy of Standard Textile Decorative Products

Contact: Trish Philips, contract sales manager 120 west 70 St., Apt 2 C | New York, NY 10023 | 212.874.2899 | tphilips@johnstontextiles.com

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“Going forward, we plan on changing the timing and location of Match USA. For the past three years, we have had Match USA in Vegas in October. Since many of our attendees have experienced ‘Vegas burn-out’ we are seeking an exclusive and remote spa resort property on the west coast

(Continued from page 24)

Match Moves to GVR

Jonathan Wolk, Centrepoint Architecture (who spoke at the sustainability seminar), Donny Dana, Impex, Momoko Morton, Naka Design and Brian Thompson, Impex

in 2008,” Schneider said. “In 2009, we will bring the event to the East coast. As for the timing, October proved to be difficult for all attendees as a very busy time of the year. Therefore, we are looking to move the event to July so all we have to contend with is people’s vacations. We will continue to run the event on a Thursday-Saturday schedule so attendees miss the minimum amount of time out of the office.” First time attendee, Adam Pollock, FireFarm Lighting, said GVR provided a much more relaxed environment and “I think there was more opportunity to interact with the other Match attendees because there weren’t as many options to dissipate to after events.” “We have seen a flood of new work come in this last half of the year. I think the combination of both events (Match and HD Boutique in Miami) has provided us with some great new opportunities to take the business in new directions and evolve,” he said. Chris Roman, director of furnishings for Kashwere LLC (also a first time attendee), says the event was a great way to introduce themselves to the hospitality industry. “Our furnishings and upholstery fabric is relatively new to Kashwere which is why we wanted to attend the event originally. There seemed to be a number of genuinely interested designers wanting to use our fabric in current and future projects so we’re following up with all of them. If nothing else, we’ve started to get our name out to the hospitality design industry.” Roman agreed that being away from the strip was a definite advantage. “I truly believe it allowed for fewer distractions and created a more intimate event because everyone was at the same resort.” “I think the strip would have taken away from the focus of what we were there for,” said Brian Thompson with Impex, producers of full bath interior/kitchen packages. “We have also taken steps to finalize our green initiative,” he reported. “We’ll be the first mass producer of custom millwork from China able to offer LEED points to projects.” Hospitality Match once again offered two informative seminars to its attendees: a keynote address by Brian Thornton, director of design for MGM Mirage and a seminar focusing on sustainability (speakers included Max Mohan, Pacific Century Group, Marcia Weese, 4240 Architecture, Jennifer Termini, Koncept (Continued on page 28)

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Glen Raven Introduces Sunbrella® Contract Fabric Outdoor Giant Tackles a Brand New Market Sipco News Network

LEN RAVEN, North Carolina — Glen Raven has introduced a Sunbrella® contract line of fabrics, set to bring their same standards for residential, marine and commercial per-

formance fabrics to the contract market. The launch contained more than 100 skus and Sunbrella Contract meets or exceeds the 30,000 double rubs standard. “Interior designers, specifiers and owners can select Sunbrella Contract with confidence that it is fade resistant, bleach cleanable and durable with colors and styling ideal for commercial interior applications,” said Allen

Hawks, Sunbrella Contract Fabrics manager for Glen Raven Custom Fabrics. “Sunbrella Contract has been in development for the past two years. Our brand is legendary for its ability to combine styling, comfort and durability all in one fabric. Sunbrella Contract has all of these attributes and more,” he said. In other news, Sunbrella has been certified by the Greenguard

Sunbrella Contract

Environmental Institute as a lowemitting product. Sunbrella furniture fabrics have also received the Greenguard Children & Schools certification.

According to Vince Hankins, new business development manager for Glen Raven Custom Fabrics, the certification is part of a “three-pronged” strategy to increase the sustainability of Glen Raven products. “Glen Raven’s commitment to sustainability in the 21st century is a commitment to redefining and broadening performance measurements,” he said. “Financially, we will be more efficient in how we use resources. Environmentally, we will minimize the impact of our products and processes and socially, we will adhere to safety standards that go well beyond basic compliance. ” F&FI

(Cont. from page 24)

Hospitality Match 2007 Design, Jonathan Wolk, Centrepoint Architecture, Kristine Steffen, Architectural Concepts and Jane Humphrey, the Puccini Group.) Thornton addressed what MGM has in the works for both Vegas and beyond. The Bellagio will be renovated as well as New York New York. Of course, their focus will also be on Project City Center. Thornton also offered some advice to the vendors in the audience, telling them to approach MGM through their designers. He said not to go through the properties directly as they don’t understand the purchasing process. Speakers at the sustainability seminar gave a synopsis on what they’ve been doing to add to the green movement. “In the hotel industry, I think water consumption will be the biggest driving factor in the next few years,” said Jonathan Wolk, Centrepoint Architecture. “There’s a tendency in this country to tear things down and build them new, when really you can make the best of what you have.” “We want to absorb knowledge, educate others and take action, while being profitable. Sustainability is thinking about the choices that we make before we make them,” said Jennifer Termini, Koncept Design. F&FI

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Big Apple Tests Wallpaper Sample Kiosk Partnership with Benjamin Moore Stores Proves Economical by Eric Schneider

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ONGWOOD, Florida — Big Apple Wallcovering Inc. has initially partnered with two Benjamin Moore store locations in Chicago and New o- fri York to test a touchc e screen electronic kiosk called No More Books™ that shows all wallcovering patterns to the consumer. Based on the success of the initial rollout, Moore may install the kiosk in ten more stores. “The kiosk is designed to replace wallcovering sample books which have been a staple of the industry for two hundred years,” according to Neal Jablon, president of Big Apple, inventor of the kiosk approach. Describing

Neal Jablon and Billy Byron promote “No More Books” the kiosk as a revolution in the retailing of wallcoverings, Jablon said that “samplebooks are costly to create; heavy and awkward to use.” Big Apple is also having talks with several big box decorating outlets to place the kiosks on their retail floors for a trial period. In addition, several other wallcovering manufacturers are participating in the program. “Typically, it takes six months and $500,000 to put out a new

wallcovering book featuring upwards of 100 new designs,” Jablon said. “Retailers usually stock 500 to 1,000 wallcovering samplebooks—each of which costs the retailer about $100 making their investment between $50,000-$100,000. The books require valuable floor space and labor to manage them,” he said. No More Books ™ is a concept devised by Jablon and Billy Byron, vice president, both prin-

The Answer is Design Still Beats Sustainability by Kelly Hushin

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Cliff Tuttle “Luxury is the expectation, sustainability should be the surprise,” said Cliff Tuttle, senior vice president, ForrestPerkins. With FR-One, Fabricut hopes to offer a high-end, low-cost solution to customers seeking luxurious, inherently flame-retardant and sustainable fabrics. Recently introduced by Fabricut Contract to North American markets, FROne fabrics are fully tested and certified under Oeko-Tex Standard 100, meaning they are free from formaldehyde and have a skin-friendly pH, as well as

meeting other strict qualifications. The company also introduced “Charmelle” at HD Boutique under the S. Harris brand. The line boasts environmentally sound performance at all levels of production and is being produced by a German mill that is a partner in the product line. The Charmelle fabrics contain no nonrecyclable back coating and use leftover fibers from the weaving process to create a backing. According to Sasson and some of her Fabricut colleagues, the company is gauging whether it is worth it to spend money on third party certification, especially since they already have their own strict environmental standards. “We’ve developed our green signature,” said Harvey Nudelman, president, Fabricut Contract. “It doesn’t have a definitive code because there isn’t one. But it’s moving toward that idea of ‘doing better.’” For the designers, the ultimate concern is still that the product is aesthetically appealing, regardless of its impact on the environment. “There’s got to be a way to bring the design quality up to the standards we want,” said Deborah Forrest, principal, ForrestPerkins. “At the end of the day, it’s about a lot of things, and design is certainly one of them.” F&FI

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by AnnMarie Marano

EW YORK, New York — This year’s Association for Contract Textiles’ interACT conference focused on the development and status of its sustainable textile standard. The final day featured, among other sessions, a panel discussion with eleven NSF International joint committee representatives. NSF is doing a pilot study on the standard, based on American National Standards Institute (ANSI) requirements. One conference participant wanted to know where transportation of goods stands in the process for the standard. Another asked if a company who has been taking strides to be environmentally conscious for years would get points toward certifica-

tion for those efforts. “It’s about being watchful of your supply chain,” said Ivy Berman, president, Raxon Fabrics. “We want people to look at where they’re sourcing things.” Points could be lost on the standard if a company is sourcing from a “high-risk” area. Panelists stated that raw materials suppli- eco- fri ers need to realize the importance of the standard, otherwise it is not going to work. At the time of the conference, the standard was made up of231 possible points, based on scoring of these seven elements: fiber sourcing, safety of materials, water, energy, air, recycling practices and social accountability. F&FI

Northeast Textiles Targets Recycled Polyester Cloth Sipco News Network

LOVER, South Carolina — Northeast Textiles, Inc. has launched a Re-Deux recycled polyester basecloth program featuring Visa, intrinsic FR cloth from Milliken. Copland is also supplying recycled FR polyester basecloth in narrow widths to Northeast for the program. The yarn for both programs is called Repreve® from Unifi. “Four yards of recycled fabric saves one gallon of gasoline so that a 1,000 room hotel can save the equivalent of 4,500 gallons of gas,” said Dean Gordon, vice president of sales & marketing for Northeast. “It also keeps fabric from going into a landfill reducing bot-

tle and industrial waste,” he said. “While it adds 15-20 percent to the cost of the goods, there are ecological benefits which people are eco- fri now concerned about.” “We’re offering all of our printed patterns on Visa/Milliken and Copland Mills fabrics. We’ve had a phenomenal reaction from four to six star higher end properties. They can afford the price differential. Economy properties are not buying the product to the same degree.” Prices of the printed recycled polyester Re-Deux cloths are in the $5.25-$7.50 range in 54 inch. On wide width 126 inch, they are priced from $14-$15.75. F&FI

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IAMI, Florida — At a conference during this year’s HD Boutique, Fabricut aimed to discuss how important the sustainability movement is and how the hospitality market has responded to the green boom. Darci Sassen, vice president, director of contract sales for Fabricut, reviewed some of the company’s recent o ec fri introductions like Charmelle and FROne, and then turned the discussion over to the attendees, asking questions like, “How important is it?” “Will you compromise fashion for sustainability?” “Do designers want to see official certification(s)?” and “How important is cost?” Although most expressed an interest in specifying green products, they admitted that affordability is still the number one priority. “Of course we’re concerned about cost,” said Helen Jorgensen, Host Hotels & Resorts. “Right now, we’re just trying to figure it all out. Our busi-

ness philosophy is that we want to do the right thing.” As for the high-fashion quality of the products, most of the attendees agreed that they would not compromise. The consensus was that whether a product is sustainable becomes irrelevant if the product is not meeting their design needs.

Association for Contract Textiles Holds interACT

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Fabricut Panel Asks Designers, ‘How Important is Green?’, Discusses New Intros

cipals of the firm. “Samplebooks don’t even begin to show the full spectrum of available choices,” Jablon said. “Chances are they are out of date with some patterns discontinued.” Their goal is to replace every wallcovering book in the world with the touch screen kiosk. According to Big Apple, the kiosks work much like the Google™ search engine of the internet. “Customers type a brief description of the wallcovering they seek and up come pictures and details of just about every

conceivable choice on the market fitting their description,” Jablon said. “The consumer can then refine their choice by color, texture, material composition and price to get exactly what they want.” “It only takes about 24 hours to load one of their new wallcovering designs into the system, so they can instantly have sales and test the marketability of innovative new designs,” Jablon pointed out. “Retailers also have a lot of inventory to move. Only about 20 percent of wallcovering inventory sells well. They’re left holding an impossibly big bag of merchandise nobody wants.” F& FI

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American Atelier Offers Green Furniture Option Sipco News Network

LLENTOWN, Pennsylvania — American Atelier, Inc. has created an all green furniture concept using Lyptus® hardwood veneers made from Eucalyptus trees in Brazil. The initial product was shown at the International Hotel Motel Restaurant Show at the Javits

Center in New York November 10-12. AAI will also show a cracked glass coffee table made from laminated glass and then broken in situ. The new green furniture features a vanity with both granite and mirrored tops; two glass sinks and drawers in a harlequin design showing off the versatility of the fast growing wood. It is said to

grow 90 feet in just four years. Lyptus can be finished to mimic the look and grain of fine hardwoods including Mahogany, all at competitive prices according to Jim DeCamp, director of sales for AAI. “Lyptus conforms to the control, color and

Lyptus AAI furniture

quality of any other wood we use in our plant,” he said. Lyptus is reportedly harder and denser than many other fine woods. The Lyptus veneer is laid up with water soluble ‘green’ moisture resistant glue without formaldehyde and is provided with recyclable packaging, retrieved from the site by AAI. The furniture also utilizes lyptus particleboard. “These materials are not mainstream yet, but they are coming along,” Decamp said. F& FI

Braman Targets Extended Stay Market Sipco News Network

ETHBRIDGE, Alberta — Braman Furniture International has announced that they are entering a new part of the market with production of kitchen units. The products will be targeted primarily to hotel suites, extended stay properties and time shares but adaptable for other markets. The cabinets will be manufactured in Winnipeg, Canada and Braman will offer delivery and installation as well as a warranty. With the addition of kitchen units, Braman sales VP, Alvin Dueck, said the company is a “one-stop-shop for hospitality furnishings.” F&FI

Decca Hospitality Goes Green Sipco News Network

TLANTA, Georgia — Decca Hospitality Furnishings has announced the integration of a companywide “green conversion” to be complete by the end of this year. The company’s entire product line of high-end and custom furnishings will be changed to meet environmentally conscious green standards. Decca’s manufacturing operation in Asia will soon meet rigorous environmental standards. Their initiative will also ensure that its products contribute points toward the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating systems and the Green Building Initiative’s Green Globes certification. F&FI

www.sipco.net

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Encompass Lighting Group Introduces Element™ Downlight System Offers Numerous Options and Features Sipco News Network

KOKIE, Illinois — Encompass Lighting Group has added a new brand to their repertoire with Element — an architectural recessed downlight system.

Element features locking rotation, tilt and lens orientation, a three lens capacity and one of the smallest apertures available. It’s available in square and round; flanged and flangeless; open, lensed and shower fixtures. “Element was developed based on years of research with lighting designers and specifiers and was designed with their criteria in mind,” said Victor Smith, vice president of engineering for

Tech Lighting (another Encompass brand). “We paid attention to every visual and technical detail and came up with a line that combines quality, aesthetics, superb performance and installation.” The brand also offers a hot aiming system that adjusts tilt up to 40 degrees, pan 361 degrees and locking lens orientation settings all via color-coded screws. It is avail-

able in electronic or dual-tap toroidal transformer options and the low-voltage MR16 based platform offers a whiter, brighter light. Element brand lighting “As a brand of Encompass Lighting Group, Tech Lighting’s popularity among lighting designers and specifiers is a direct result of our commitment to

the development of products which combine innovative design with the highest degree of functionality,” Smith said. “Element incorporates these hallmarks of Tech Lighting products and represents a leap forward in architectural recessed lighting, offering lighting designers a combination of options that we believe provides a level of performance and control that goes beyond anything available in the industry today.” F&FI

Garcia Teams Up with Pacific Coast Sipco News Network

ANUET, New York — Stacy Garcia, Inc. introduced a new partnership with California-based firm, Pacific Coast Contract Lighting. The agreement says that Stacy Garcia, Inc. will design, manufacture and supply the hospitality industry with customized lamp shades through 2010.

Stacy Garcia The designs, conceived by Stacy Garcia, CEO, will be translated into lamp shades using the Giclée Art Shades™ process developed by Pacific Coast Contract Lighting. The lamp shades available through Pacific Coast Contract Lighting will coordinate with the textiles, carpeting, wallcoverings and accessories that Garcia currently offers through exclusive partners LebaTex, Inc., Hunter Douglas Hospitality, Shaw Hospitality and York Wallcovering. “We are thrilled to be partnering with Pacific Coast on this innovative process of applying pattern to lampshades,” Garcia said. “There is a need for accessories like this that will add personality to the guest room.” F&FI

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Winter 2007/2008 ■ F&FI

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Kabus Becomes President of Mohawk Group New Leader has Founded Several Companies for Interiors Industry Sipco News Network

ENNESAW, Georgia ∏— The Mohawk Group welcomed a new leader this past summer in Al Kabus. Kabus was appointed president of The

Al Kabus

Mohawk Group, where he will lead the commercial strategic business unit, oversee sales, marketing and customer operations for the company’s six brands of commercial carpeting: Karastan Contract, Durkan Commercial, Lees Carpet, Mohawk Commercial, Bigelow Commercial and Durkan Hospitality. “Al’s wealth of experience and history of industry changing ideas

are ideally suited to The Mohawk Group’s vision for the future of commercial flooring,” said Monte Thornton, Mohawk Industries president. “We are confident his creativity, strategic thinking and dynamic approach to sales and marketing will fortify our already strong team and help us to build even more solid relationships

with our valued customers.” Kabus has almost 30 years experience in the interiors industry and has launched several companies over the past seven years. These include: BlueBolt Networks, a software company, askstrategies, which provides strategic planning, ecologgic3, offering cost/benefit analysis of the USGBC’s LEED rating system, based on lifecycle parameters, and askforensics. F&FI

East Teak Introduces Teak, Ipé Tile Line Sipco News Network

ALLAS, Texas — East Teak Fine Hardwoods has introduced a collection of teak and ipé decking tiles. The various applications include rooftops, walkways and landscaping features. The teak decking tiles are naturally resistant to weather, termites and other insects. Teak’s natural oils repel water and fungus, making it ideal for outdoor settings. The tiles are available in either straight or diagonal patterns and measure approximately 20”x20”. The ipé tiles are offered as an alternative to teak. Ipé is naturally resistant to rot and decay and has the same fire resistance rating as concrete or steel. These tiles are available in a straight pattern with nonslip grooves and also measure approximately 20”x20”. East Teak offers a simple installation solution for the two new tile collections, IConnect. I-Connect is a mechanism that grips tiles together in a system of holes and pegs and can be separated into halves or quarters to accommodate the edges of the installation. It’s made of plastic and allows the tiles to avoid direct contact with the surface. “The size of the tiles and slat patterns allow for versatility when installing, so end users can achieve a more traditional look or create unique patterns,” said George Guy, vice president. “Whether it’s an existing space or a new construction, teak and ipé tiles offer an affordable alternative to traditional hardwood decking, but with all the benefits and beauty of natural wood.” F&FI

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Townsend, Fuente Partner Up cigar smokers chair, sofa and ottoman. A casegoods line is also planned, said Kucel. In addition to the Townsend/Fuente leather collection, there is a line of Townsend leather tiles, a Noah artwork collection owned by Fuente and clothing and accessories line to be planned by Townsend for sale in Fuente cigar shops. Web and direct mail catalogs are planned for the promotion with Townsend handling orders for the special leather goods. He sees good market potential with smoking dens, aircraft owners and retail shops for the products. Townsend will handle sales of the leather line to the hospitality design community, a market that is growing at 18-20 percent a year for Townsend. “The new Fuente program is already being shown in Dubai hospitality circles and in other major architectural and design centers. We feel that Fuente will help us take leather out of the commodity business, out of the sea of brown you see in furniture stores today.” Townsend is looking to brand itself with upper end consumers and this promotion is just the beginning of this long term effort, Kucel said. In fact, Townsend will introduce a fashion forward collection of premium leathers with embossed and printed metallic

“The new Fuente program is already being shown in Dubai hospitality circles and in other major architectural and design centers. We feel that Fuente will help us take leather out of the commodity business, out of the sea of brown you see in furniture stores today.” —Terry Kucel designs in creams and greens at this month’s Showtime in High Point, Kucel said. Townsend is selling some upscale furniture accounts including Hancock & Moore, Century and Henredon. Townsend leather is distributed in the USA by Donghia in 12 showrooms and through John Brooks in Scottsdale and Denver, as well as in Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai overseas. “Export is a growing market for Townsend. As a result, we’re actively looking for a European sales director to handle the growth we are now experiencing,” Kucel added. Hulshof of Holland will

Winter 2007/2008 ■ F&FI

The Townsend/Fuente promotion matches Townsend leather to the colors of Fuente’s premium cigars handle distribution of the Townsend leather line in Europe. “Macao and Hong Kong want American brands like Townsend and Fuente. Our products are hard to duplicate in China,” Kucel said. Kucel is planning on rolling out the promotion with 1,000 of the top Fuente cigar sales locations in the USA with further ‘Casa Fuente’ promotions possible in foreign markets, namely Dubai and Singapore. Currently, there is a Fuente flagship store in Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Casa Fuente lounges and bars will be offered as a design concept to the hospitality industry featuring the items in the line, Kucel said. The Fuente promotion was

kicked off at the National Business Aircraft Association show in Atlanta in September. More private jets are picking up on the cigar smoking theme for the jet interior, Kucel pointed out. “Both the Kucel and Fuente families have a great passion for their work in bringing sensuous leather and a great cigar to the consumer,” he said. The families share a passion for craftsmanship and quality, he said. The four standard colored leathers in the collection — maduro, Rosado, Cameroon and natural — are hand-rubbed to bring out the textured grain and offer three week delivery with custom colors in four weeks, Kucel added. F&FI

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Recycling Drives Berman Mastercraft; Barbara Weber, previously with Wearbest, Victor and Maharam; Zoey Mangold with four years behind her at Raxon and a recently added graduate design student from Rhode Island School of Design.“We work in collaboration with our customers — all of the residential and contract jobbers in the USA and direct to the American furniture market.” Berman also credits Adam King as technical director of Raxon with an ability to troubleshoot new design ideas so they work. Berman said that Lynne Willis is another plus. Willis joined the Raxon Northeast sales team in September with previous experience at Knoll and Designtex. “We’re not in the low end business. That’s one of the reasons Chinese mills haven’t hurt us. We require two pieces on the original order and one piece per color minimums on reorder. We deliver in four to six weeks. We have shifted to high caliber design. We are a design driven domestic resource. That’s what

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our customers want from us. They always expect something new from Raxon.” Raxon’s business breaks down into 65 percent contract; 25 percent residential and 10 percent apparel, she said. The goods are woven in Allentown, PA. Vescom B.V., a Dutch holding company bought Raxon about ten years ago. The Group also includes Vescom America, a wall coverings company headed by Jay Berosi; Schellens Velvet, a mohair velvet producer in Holland; Gerns & Galler, a German jacquard mill and Muller Zell, another German jacquard mill, acquired earlier this year. The group is owned by Philippe Van Esch. Another area of concern is the yarn supplier. “With the disappearance of Joan and Quaker, our yarn suppliers have taken a hit. Our yarn suppliers have only recently gotten back on track now that the shakeout has occurred. The market has resized itself and there is a real advantage to being small in size like Raxon” F&FI

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

Sipco Waves Goodbye to the Las Vegas Strip at HENDERSON, Nevada — Sipco Publications & Events took Hospitality Match away from the chaos of “The Strip” this year. The event was held at Green Valley Ranch in Henderson. Attendees made contacts, forged long-lasting relationships, partied the night away in 70s attire and even battled it out in a cooking contest, judged by Chef Rock, winner of this season’s reality show “Hell’s Kitchen.”

Hospitality Match 2007

Marcia Weese, 4240 Architecture, Jennifer Termini, Koncept Design, Jonathan Wolk, Centrepoint Architecture, Kristine Steffen, Architectural Concepts and Jane Humphrey, the Puccini Group, gave a seminar on sustainability to Match attendees.

Catherine Stemmler, SDH Hospitality shows off her team’s ginger bread hotel.

Rebecca Goldberg, editor-in-chief, boutique DESIGN magazine with keynote speaker Brian Thornton, director of design for MGM Mirage

Audrey Johnson, Montgomery Roth, Peter Johnston, Peter Johnston Architect, PC, Mary Marles, Harrah’s Entertainment with Niki LeHew, Baskervill

Harvey Nudelman, Fabricut, enjoys the Oktoberfest celebration at Hofbrauhaus.

Bianca Yih, Creative Resource, Claudia Murillo, Higgins Purchasing Group, with Lee Menichella, Chella Textiles

Everett Foreman, Luzern Limited, Gil Hardwick, Intercontinental Hotels Group, with Tom Chambers, Surfacing Products International

Even KISS stopped by the 70s party to take a picture with Eric Schneider, president, Sipco Publications (AnnMarie Marano, Rebecca Goldberg, Samantha Mittler and Kelly Hushin, Sipco Publications & Events).

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Sarah Townson, II by IV Design does a birthday dance at Hofbrauhaus.

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

Five Trade Fairs Converge Under One Roof at BRUSSELS, Belgium — This September, more than 11,000 visitors from almost 4,000 companies traveled to Brussels for the annual Decosit Brussels trade fair. According to Decosit’s survey of exhibitors, most people came to the show to meet clients and to see/buy upholstery fabrics. Many visitors flocked to Hall 9, where the DecoContract show was held, and to Hall 12, where inspiration came in the form of the Indigo, Decotec and Expofil Deco mini-trade shows. Certainly a highlight of Hall 12 was the Belgian Room, “My Secret Playground” and the Trevira CS “Hot Box.”

Decosit Brussels 2007

Emmet Lengahan, Derwent, Maria Garber, GarberTex, Pietro Bertarini, Imatex, Tom White, Richard Sowter, Derwent, and Adrian Adams, Weavers Gallery

The Belgian Room, “My Secret Playground”

Simo Sajid, general manager, Mavaltex with Geert Ampe, OSKR Dilhan sales manager, Jak Togaer with customers, Andrey Isaev and Irina Uralskaya from Ametist, Russia

Sazuku Nagano, vice president, Arudy Co., LTD., Yumiko Morie, designer, with Amy Clark, Covington

Decosit award recipients, Agus S. Tjandra of Ateja Trittungal, Yasemin Gultekin of Bezz and Job Droge of Innofa

Bill Davis, president, Trade Link Co., LTD, with Roberta Mazza, new Scoperta contact

Howard Baratz, vice president, Fabricut, Julia E. Rodriguez, stylist, with Richard Oussoren, managing director, Raymakers

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Burkan Uzun and Ismet Adiguzel, Adoksan

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F& FI G L O B A L M A R K E T P L A C E

Advertiser Index

U.S. TEL in US: (800)878-0303 www.expressairfreight.com

AIR & OCEAN FREIGHT FORWARDING WORLDWIDE

For more information about one of our advertisers, see the page number listed: Company

Page #

Company

Page #

Babei . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12,13

Kravet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Big Apple Wallcoverings . . .28

Manifaturra Vay . . . . . . . . . .4-5

Chris Geiger . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Microtex USA . . . . . . . . . . . .27

CMP Interiors UAE . . . . . . .37

Oz-Is . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

CMP/Soft 2008 . . . . . . . . . . .20

P/Kaufmann/Avora . . . . . . . .44

Croscill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Phoenix Art Group . . . . . . . .41

Dicitex Furnishings . . . . . . .31

Richloom . . . . . . . . . . . . .22-23

Duralee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6,7

Rockland . . . . . . . . . . . . .14-15

Edgar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-3

Saehan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Express Air Freight . . . . . . .41

Shuford Mills . . . . . . . . . .1, 17

Gasser Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Textirama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

GLM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Townsend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

High Five . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Trevira . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Intertextile Shanghai . . . . . .33

Trevira/Johnston . . . . . . . . . .25

ITF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

UTP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

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1836 Center Park Suite C, Charlotte, NC 28217

TEL (718) 995-2900 • FAX (718) 656-0859

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Tel and Fax: 201.600.4605 Email: cg4461@hotmail.com

(Continued from page 20)

VI Eyes An Estimated $100 Million Business reviewed and we are trying to maintain the customer base. It’s my understanding that the customers are number one and we’ll try our best to meet their needs and concentrate on developing new things and starting fresh.” “Duval will have to put some meat and potatoes on his table,” said one industry expert. “The book jobber is like running a delicatessen. You slice the bologna and salami and then you order another piece when it’s gone. Jobber business isn’t enough. You get the equivalent of four yards a week per pattern from the jobber for each design and for that you have to offer five years of continuity. Duval will have to win back some furniture business to keep his mill going.” Sue Huff, general manager of Knoll Textiles described VI as a “phenomenal” supplier and in general, the company has an excellent

Winter 2007/2008 ■ F&FI

reputation among its competitors in Canada, the U.S. and with the jobber/customer. VI now has additional resources in America that it can use to produce contract product. Based on the slipping U.S. dollar, Duval also has an option to offset potential losses due to Canadian dollar purchases of raw materials and declining fabric selling prices. This dramatic currency change for the first time in 30 years also helped to undermine the plans of DeBall velvet, the Montrealbased velvet mill that recently filed for bankruptcy but then decided to resume production. “That is a problem everybody is facing in Canada,” said Bursey. “Everybody is feeling the effects of that. We have to concentrate on giving the best service for our customers. You can’t change a dollar so we work with what we have.” F&FI

2102 Estes Ave Elk Grove Village, IL 60007

Washington Dulles International Airport,

TEL (847) 952-8100 • FAX (847) 952-8901

Washington, D.C. 20041

LAS VEGAS OFFICE:

TEL (703) 996-8885 • FAX (703) 996-0415

6414 Windy St., Las Vegas, NV 89119 TEL (702) 307-3773 • FAX (702) 307-3778

HONG KONG OFFICE:

WORLDWIDE

LOS ANGELES OFFICE:

Rm B, 11/F, Nathan Commercial Building, 430-436

5430 W Rosecrans Ave, Hawthorne, CA 90250

Nathan Road Kowloon, Hong Kong

BILINGUAL STAFF

TEL (310) 643-8005 • FAX (310) 643-8025

852-27700218 • 852-27700215

INTERNATIONAL CONTRACT SALES CONSULTANT

Chris Geiger Consultants Inc. Home Textiles Sales & Marketing Domestic and international market penetration Promotional packages and programs Sales force structure and development Sales and Growth budgeting Incentive programs Creative solutions for challenging needs Target incremental markets for add on sales

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LOOK AT YOUR BUSINESS THROUGH A NEW WINDOW.

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ATLANTA OFFICE:

LOWEST PRICES

Phoenix Art Group is seeking international contract representative(s) to expand fine art line globally. A premier fine art company in business for 37 years, Phoenix Art Group has a vast library of unique imagery suitable for all types of contract projects; adept at customizing to meet specific needs. We specialize in abstract, contemporary & transitional work available as original paintings; multi-dimensional wall/floor art; posters, giclées; & prints on canvas. Candidates must have established relationships with high-end hospitality designers in Asia, Australia, Europe, Middle East, and/or Latin America. Opportunity for growth; lucrative commission structure. Contact Barbara Brackett; barb@phxartgroup.com; 602.971.1801

Ateja Tritunggal Corporation Bags 2007 Decosit Award by S. Vishwanath

RUSSELS, Belgium — Ateja Tritunggal won the “Best of the Best” (Most Contract) award at this year’s Decosit Brussels fair. The stylish combination of red and black, elegantly incorporated into a contemporary 3D fabric Camporia, received the unanimous approval of the judges. Camporia is also ciga-

rette proof. The fabric was chosen out of 360 Decosit participants. Each year awards are being presented by Decosit Brussels and their partner Trevira CS. Winners were selected by the Decosit Trend team for the awards Most Contract and Most Trendy. “Receiving the Crystal award is a great boost for our company and we are happy that our design talent and innovative capabilities

have been recognized and this will further encourage us to lead,” said Agus S. Tjandra. Ateja is a 30-year-old company with integrated facilities spread out in three locations from yarn to finish. They are present in four categories, namely home textiles, contract fabrics, transportation and mattress ticking. They export to 45 countries globally and have considerable market share in Asian markets. F&FI

Tietex Int. Makes Multi-Million Dollar Investment Sipco News Network

PARTANBURG, South Carolina — Tietex International has announced that it will make a multi-million dollar investment in new equipment and also plans to consolidate their finishing operations. “Within the next 12 months we will consolidate all finishing operations in our larger Spartanburg facility,” Cunningham said. “This

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relocation will improve both our cost efficiencies and our flexibility to service the ever-increasing demand for faster deliveries of smaller quantities.” The investment in new equipment will increase their focus on and support of the domestic residential and contract upholstery markets. “We believe that a strong, cost effective and flexible manufacturing presence on the home front

remains a critical element of our balanced fabric strategy,” Cunningham said. “In light of recent developments in the upholstery fabric market, we are confident this direction is viable, important and urgently needed by our US customer base. In this regard, we will continue investing to make this strategy more lean, more productive and more competitive for selected US markets.” F&FI

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F& FI C A L E N D A R December 2-5 Showtime High Point, North Carolina Contact: Tel: 336-885-6842 E-mail: itmashowtime@northstate.net Web: www.itma-showtime.com International Textile Market Association's High Point brings all segments of the home furnishings industry together, offering the most thorough fabric presentations in the western hemisphere.

10-13 Ecobuild Fall Washington Convention Center Washington D.C. Contact: www.ecobuildfall.com Ecobuild Fall is an annual event that goes beyond green to cover the breadth of green building, sustainable design, renewable energy, environmental planning processes and information collaboration strategies.

29-31 32nd Annual Hotel, Motel & Restaurant Supply Show of the Southeast Myrtle Beach Convention Center Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Contact: LEISURE TIME UNLIMITED, INC. P.O. Box 332 Myrtle Beach, SC 29578 The show’s exhibits offer a full range of products and services for all areas of the food service and lodging industry.

February 25-26 HotelWorld Location: TBA Contact: Marsha Dover Tel: 216-706-3712 E-Mail: mdover@hotelworldexp.com International Hospitality Week presents The Design Center as part of HotelWorld Expo & Conference.

April 11-13 Kitchen/Bath Industry Show & Conference McCormick Place Contact: 2301 S. Lake Shore Drive Chicago, Illinois 60616 Tel: 312-791-7000 Fax: 312-791-6543 Web: www.kbis.com The annual K/BIS event showcases the latest products and most innovative design ideas in the kitchen and bath industry. The event features the largest array of product displays and demonstrations, professional development courses, keynote and session speeches, interactive roundtable events and the opportunity to network with industry professionals.

March

9-12 Heimtextil Frankfurt

10-13 Seatrade Cruise Shipping Miami Beach Convention Center Miami Beach, Florida Contact: www.cruiseshipping.net/conferenceProgr am.html Cruise Shipping 2007 is an exhibition that establishes an international meeting place for quality cruise line visitors and cruise industry suppliers.

Sands Expo Center Las Vegas, NV Contact: Penny Sikalis, VP and group show manager George Little Management, LLC Tel: 914.421.3297 Fax: 914.948.6289 E-mail: penny_silkalis@glmshows.com Web: www.globalhometextiles.com www.global-home-decor.com

14-20 IMM Cologne, the International Furnishing Show

12-14 Decosit HKG

6-9 Scoperta

KolnMesse Exhibition Center Cologne, Germany Contact: www.immcologne.de IMM Cologne, the International Furnishing Show covers all design aspects of the home, from furniture to lighting, to textiles and accessories.

25-29 Maison & Objet Paris Nord Villepinte Paris, France Contact: Safi Tel: +33 (0) 1 44 29 02 00 Fax: +33 (0) 1 44 29 02 01 Email: info@safisalons.fr Web: www.maison-objet.com Maison & Objet focuses on furnishings, fabrics, drapes and wallpaper.

Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre Hong Kong Contact: www.decosit.com/hkg An invitation-only event to exhibitors at Decosit Brussels. Decosit HKG welcomes visitors from the Asia Pacific region.

13-16 Hotec Operations Westin Stonebriar Resort Dallas, TX Contact: 4051 NE17 Terrace Pompano Beach, FL 33064 Tel: 954.942.8143 Fax: 954.942.7077 E-Mail: info@hotecna.com Web: www.hotecna.com The hospitality industry's premier meeting forum for operating supplies, food and beverage and all back of house.

June 3-5 Hospitality Match Middle East TBA Contact: Michael Schneider Sipco Publications & Events 145 Main Street, 3rd Floor P.O. Box 107 Ossining, NY 10562 Tel: 914-923-0616, ext. 14 Fax: 914-923-0018 E-mail: michael@sipco.net Website: www.sipco.net Match is a new and innovative way of conducting business. Invited, qualified buyers are matched with high-end FF&E suppliers through a one-to-one meeting format.

16 The boutique18

Como, Italy Contact: Bill Davis, Chairman Tel : +44 1285 641600 Fax: +39 0230 412 012 Email : bill@scopertaexpo.it Scoperta has become the fastest growing interior textile show in Europe. Industry leaders from Europe choose Scoperta to show their new collections for the first time to what has become an increasing global audience. The 2007 show had significant growth in the number of visitors from Russia (83% growth from 2006) as well as from emerging markets including Ukraine (200%) and Croatia (350%). There was also a marked rise in visitors from Australia (71%).

CNR Expo Istanbul, Turkey Tel: +90 212 465 74 74 Fax: +90 212 465 75 70 E-Mail: info@tf-evteks.com About 850 exhibitors in the categories of curtains, carpets, towels, floor coverings, window coverings, bed and bath fashions, upholstery, furnishing fabrics and more will show at this Evteks.

Sands Convention Center Las Vegas, NV Contact: www.hdexpo.com HD 2008 is the resource for new products and services and a connection with the wider hospitality design community.

6-8 Global Home Textiles and Global Home Decor

Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH Contact: Ludwig-Erhard-Anlage 1 60327 Frankfurt am Main Tel: 49 69 75 75-0 Fax: 49 69 75 75-64 33 Web: www.messefrankfurt.com, www.heimtextil.com E-Mail: heimtextil@messefrankfurt.com International trade fair.

21-25 Evteks

Villa Erba Cernobbio, Como Italy Contact: Proposte srl Viale Sarca, 223 20126 Milan, Italy Tel: 39 02 6434054 Fax: 39 02 66119130 E-Mail: info@propostefair.it Visitors to Proposte access the fair only if invited by the operative secretariat of the same fair, and rigorously chosen among the following categories: textile editors, producers of upholstered furniture, wholesalers, wide distribution chains, converters, contract operators.

15-17 HD Expo

May

January 08

7-9 Proposte

TBA Las Vegas, NV Contact: Michael Schneider for your exclusive invitation. E-Mail: mschneider@sipco.net Tel: (914) 923-0616 ext. 14 Address: Sipco Publications & Events 145 Main Street, 3rd Floor P.O. Box 107 Ossining, NY 10652 An invitation-only event that brings together the Boutique 18 of this year. Who are they? The designers of the next generation.

9-11 NEOCON The Merchandise Mart Chicago, Illinois Contact: 222 Merchandise Mart Plaza Suite 470 Tel: 800.677.6278 E-Mail: customerservice@mmart.com Web: www.mmart.com Discover thousands of innovative products and resources for corporate, hospitality, healthcare, retail, government, institutional and residential interiors.

17-20 International Contemporary Furniture Fair Jacob K. Javits Convention Center New York, NY Contact: Amanda Kasper, Show Manager Tel: 914-421-3317 E-Mail: akasper@icff.com North America's singular showcase for contemporary design, the ICFF draws the most intrepid seekers of design trends to an extraordinary exhibition of the most inspired models of design on the forefront, as well as thought-provoking programs and a schedule of supplementary exhibits and features.

12-15 Hotec Design Chateau Elan Winery & Resort Braselton, GA Contact: McLean Events International Ltd (US Office) 4051 NE 17th Terrace Pompano Beach, FL 33064 USA Tel: +1 954 942 8143 Fax: +1 954 942 7077 E-Mail: events@mcleaneventsinternational.comThe 3-day forum consists of a series of pre-scheduled appointments.

Mail or FAX this form with your credit card information to: (914) 923-0018 (USA) Sipco Publications Inc., P.O. Box 107, Ossining, NY 10562, USA. Order online at: www.sipco.net

US$130 One full year subscription: (4 Issues) Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter Products you specify or purchase: ❑ Fabric ❑ Upholstery ❑ Area rugs/Machine made rugs ❑ Towels/Sheets/Bedding ❑ Fibers/Yarns/Fiberfill ❑ Window coverings ❑ Wallcoverings Type of business:

❑ Contract

❑ Retailer

❑ Wholesaler/Distributor

❑ Manufacturer/Mfr’s Rep

Charge It! Fax It! or Mail It!

❑ Designer/Specifier

❑ Other _____________

Name ___________________________________________________

Country ________________________________________________

Company _________________________________________________

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Address__________________________________________________

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Phone # _________________ Fax #

Credit card info: ❑ Amex ❑ Visa ❑ MasterCard

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www.sipco.net

Winter 2007/2008 ■ F&FI

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