Fabrics & Furnishings - Winter 2010 Issue by Fabrics & Furnishings International

ADF OPENS IN MID EAST

IMAN'S RUNWAY HOME

ROBERT ALLEN REALIGNS

Houssam Rayess leads ADF's expansion by opening a warehouse in Beirut

Supermodel Fashion Icon Iman launches home fabric collection with P/K Lifestyles

Following his recent appointment to COO, Greg Tarver revamps senior management and launches mobile website for designers

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Vol. 21, No. 1

The Global Home & Contract Furnishings Newspaper • www.fabricsandfurnishings.com

Winter 2010/2011

New Kobe Warehouse Rises from Ashes 100 Days After Fire by Marc Weinreich

ALKENSWAARD, Netherlands — Kobefab International BV, a global wholesaler of residential and

contract fabrics and one of the largest in Europe today opened a new fully operational warehouse in October after a fire from a neighboring recycling plant destroyed its

16,000 square-foot warehouse on July 21. Stock of Kobe and Villa! Collections are being restored to levels on par with inventory prior to the incident. As before, the company is delivering ninety-six percent of all orders directly from stock. “Despite the immense efforts made by our suppliers and the

entire Kobe team, we are not able to completely restore all products,” said Roger Duhhuis, sales and marketing manager for Kobe. “On behalf of the entire Kobe team, we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused by the

Babei, Kentex Highlight China’s Shift to Domestic Market Sipco News Network

New 10,000 sq ft warehouse after fire destroyed the old warehouse

D’ Décor Reports $150 million in Sales, Opens Drapery Business and Robotic Warehouse by Vish Wishwanath

UMBAI, India — In a survey of top fabric manufacturers conducted by F&FI in 2000, D’ Décor, which then operated as Dicitex Exports, stood as the third largest with annual sales of $125 million. A decade later, it is reporting approximately $150 million in sales, and company executives expect it to grow another twenty-percent in 2011. “Opportunity was knocking and we chose to enter into furnishings and fabrics instead of fol-

lowing the herd,” said Ajay Arora, choose partnerships with designmanaging director of D’ Décor driven Italian artists. Home Fabrics Limited. “We also “It was our priority to create a had a good deal of suppliers and manufacturing mill that's flexible committed employees who were enough to translate the designs to helping to structure real fabrics,” said the business model.” Arora. “Now we are Arora recalls his adequately armed to “rookie days” when he blend and weave six was unaware that art different fibers, all of work could be purwhich can be transchased and further lated to a wide variinterpreted for designs. ety of fabrics. We can Soon after this discovengineer any properery, he steered the comty to optimize aesAjay Arora pany to consciously thetics.” (Cont. on pg 6)

delay of postponed deliveries.” Although the news shocked the industry, no one was injured and the main Kobe offices, showrooms and computer labs were not affected. However, stocks of product (Continued on pg 22) were dam-

HEJIANG, China — Babei, a vertically integrated weaver based in the Zhejiang province, is opening 100 showrooms in every major city in China over the next decade. Chinese manufacturer Kentex Mills launched a line of curtains in 2010 exclusively for the domestic market. Chinasia, another manufacturer of home textiles, is increasing its production capacity to gear up for a busy year ahead at home. In increasing numbers, Chinese textile companies are shifting the focus to the domestic market not only because the country emerged as the world’s second largest economy during the summer of 2010 but also many economic forecasters expect it to supplant the U.S. for the top spot as early as 2030. Babei has a seventy-percent stake in exports but is aggressively pursuing a plan to build its domestic market. It produces 30 million pieces per year, or three million meters annually, in products that

range from high-end silk jacquard fabrics for bedding, drapery and upholstery to fire retardant jacquard fabrics for contract and handbags. Yak Wang, president of Babei, discussed his plans in an exclusive interview with F&FI at Intertextile Shanghai in August. “Babei will shift from simply a fabric producer to a home solution supplier,” said Wang. “My plan is to really develop the high end market in China over the next five to 10 years. I want to diversify, do more contract and offer more polyester. Also, we imported 32 looms from (Continued on pg 6) France and

Yak Wang

F& FI L E T T E R S

Cover Your Assets!

o my friends in this crazy textile business: I have been in this business for forty years and have never seen this market as nuts as it is today. Not only are the prices sky rocketing but the availability of finding the greige goods needed and the chemicals that are required to finish these specialized products are becoming harder and harder to acquire. Business is not the best and yet why are the prices going up and up. Basically there is more demand than supply. Everyone is fighting over the smallest of orders; taking each others’ guts out to lose money!

Go figure that out.If you are going to need product for your customer, buy the materials today! Do not wait until tomorrow for a better price or wait until the market drops. This is not going to happen in the next six months. I can only see prices going up not down. Catch the price today because tomorrow it will be higher. This reflects the condition of the world. It’s very uncertain what the next day brings. Fortunes are made in these conditions and fortunes are lost! I am not saying be bullish and go crazy. I am saying cover your butts! Do not wait! Best regards, Mark “The Shark” Kresel, Textile Industry Executive, USA

The Global Home & Contract Furnishings Newspaper

3 Island Avenue, Suite 6i, Miami Beach, FL 33139 USA Website: www.fabricsandfurnishings.com Telephone 001.917.251.9922 | ISSN: 1523-7303 Publisher & Editor | Eric S. Schneider Associate Editor | Marc Weinreich Art Director | Lora Calderin

CORPORATE CONSULTANTS Printing/Distribution | Interprint Web Printing

Table of Contents

F&FI Winter 2010/2011 | Vol. 21, No. 1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Fashion Icon Iman Launches Home Fabric Collection with P/K Lifestyles . . . . . . . . . . . .10 New Line Fabrics Expands, Introduces Multi-Purpose Collection at Heimtextil . . . . . . . .10 Brunschwig & Fils Rolls Out New Collections from Acquisitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Newly Formed J. Queen Projects $20 Million In Sales for 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Prestigious Textiles Focuses on Wallpaper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Spradling Expects $50 million from Vinyl Marine & RV Acquisition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Beekalene Invests $5 million for In-house Dyeing and Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 From Wall Street to Wool Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Bedding Veterans Launch Lazarus Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 RM Coco Shuffles Personnel With Departure of Mike Edwards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Technical | Fred Meyers fredmeyers@tappanzeepc.com 914.631.5595

ADF Opens Warehouse in Beirut Led by Houssam Rayess

Contract/HospitalityNews . . . .24 Stanton Buys F. Schumacher Carpet Dealer, Rosecore Brand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Mead Leads Surge for Spradling International Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Dicitex Furnishings Prepares for Domestic Upswing In India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 U.K.-based Camira Fabrics Opens in North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Romo USA Opens Showroom Behind Double Digit Growth for 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 DFA Puts Designers Within Consumers’ Reach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 J. Ennis Fabrics Launches North American Converter Brand ‘Vision Fabrics’ . . . . . . . . .30 Robert Allen COO Greg Tarver Changes Sales Team, Launches Mobile Designer Site

Global Marketplace

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

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

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Marc Weinreich Tel: 001.917.338.0382 E-Mail: marc@sipco.net

ART DIRECTOR Lora Calderin Tel: 001.914.489.9281 E-Mail: lora@sipco.net

ADVERTISING SALES

UK, BENELUX EFTA Peter Gilmore Tel: 44.(0)20.7834.5559 Fax: 44.(0)20.7834.0600 E-Mail: pgilmores@aol.com

TURKEY INDIA Sevim Keskinci Rekha V. Tel: 90.532.236.25.24 Tel: 91.80.26685821 Fax: 90.216.390.20.27 Fax: 91.80.26684670 E-Mail: skeskinci@gmail.com E-mail: s_wishwanath@hotmail.com

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Turkish Textile Companies Refuse to Bow to Chinese Competition Dolan Expands Production for Indoor, Outdoor Market

Departments Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Photo Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31, 32 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 *Correction:

CHINA Vincent Kwan Tel: +852.2780.2968 Fax: +852.2780.2974 E-mail: vinceintl@gmail.com

Apologies to Geraldine Matthey for misspelling her name in the autumn issue. We recently identified Phoebe Stein, President of Phoebe Stein Public Relations(PSPR), as an employee with one of her firm’s manufacturing clients. Phoebe Stein Public Relations is a full service public relations and marketing firm specializing in hospitality and healthcare design initiatives, representing manufacturers, architecture and design firms and providing strategic event development and management services as well as crisis communications. With a strong heritage in travel and tourism, the hotel industry and consumer products, PSPR entered the hospitality design arena nearly 13 years ago and remains committed to serving that industry and its many facets. The firm has represented such industry leaders as Crypton, Enduratex, Hunter Douglas Hospitality, Design Origins by Shaw, Jane Hamley Wells, Hospitality Design magazine along with their branded trade shows, HD Expo and HD Boutique and Standard Textile/SK Textile. She continues to serve her client base and is also involved in the launch of a new healthcare design initiative, Healthcare Design Exchange: healthcaredesignexchange.com We apologize for any confusion this may have caused.

ITALY, GERMANY, SPAIN, FRANCE Isa Hofmann Tel: +49 611.890.59640 Fax: +49 611.87086 Email: info@ihofmann.com

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Winter 2010/2011 ■ F&FI

F& FI N E W S (Continued from Front Cover) ESSENTIALS + EARTH ELEMENTS D R A P E R Y H A R D WA R E C O L L E C T I O N S B Y J OA N N E / J. F. FA B R I C S

essentials + earth elements

Babei, Kentex Highlight China’s Shift to Domestic Market

Doris Deng

DRAPERY HARDWARE COLLECTIONS B Y J O A N N E / J . F. F A B R I C S WWW.JOANNEFABRICS.COM

• WWW.JFFABRICS.COM

Germany this year which will help us increase efficiency.” Babei’s one million square-foot factory in Shenzhou employs over 2,000 people and has 116 pieces of machinery that are dedicated to home textiles in order to produce a variety of jacquard fabrics with various widths and designs. For orders per meter, silk bedding fabrics range $30 to $45, silk or silk mixed woven jacquards for drapery and upholstery range $10 to $25, F/R contract fabrics range $5 to $10 and bag shell fabrics range $8 to $15. “We are aiming to increase sales by approximately thirty-percent in 2011,” said Wang. “Opening the 15 showrooms over the next year will be instrumental in reaching this goal.” Total sales for Babei Textile in 2009 totaled $32 million and the entire Babei group of products generated $185 million in 2009. The first Babei showroom will be completed in Hangzhou by the end of 2010. “The showrooms will become the Chinese equivalent to the Decoration & Design building in New York,” said Wang. “We will supply fabrics and a full package of soft home decorations including drapery, furniture, bedding sets and home accessories. Babei will become a kind of editeur. We will include interior designing and we have already set up a new company called Zhejiang BF Home Art & Decor Co. Ltd. for this job.” Like Babei, Chinasia exhibited at Intertextile to grow its presence at home. Based in the Yuhang district — the “textile town” of the Hangzhou province — the company currently has only forty-percent of its business in the domestic market. “There's just too much instability with the foreign exchange to rely on exports, not to mention the increasing costs of raw materials has led us to doing more business at home,” said George Gao, general manager of Chinasia. “We are placing more of an emphasis on production management and quality control in China. We are now focused on promoting awareness of the Yuhang District where our factories are located.

Chinasia is looking to increase its production capacity in an effort to meet the demand of a vastly expanding domestic market. Currently, the company produces 800,000 meters per month and has 300-meter minimums ranging $2$8 per meter. Chinese manufacturer Kentex Mills, which specializes in the

designing, developing, manufacturing and wholesaling of upholstery fabrics and finished products, is releasing a line exclusively for the local market. It has a mill in the Yuhang District of Hangzhou City and another in the Qingpu District of Shanghai City. Seventypercent of its products are already marketed to Shanghai and Beijing and many of its European and North American styled fabrics are appealing to local clients. “AiBoHome is a line of curtains that we premiered at the Home Textile Fabric Sourcing Expo in New York in the summer of 2010,” said Doris Deng, owner of Kentex Mill. “The line currently has 16 books in 800 sku’s. The goal is to bring this line to our export business but we're still waiting for the market to turn.” F&FI

(Continued from Front Cover)

D’ Décor Reports $150 million in Sales, Opens Drapery Business and Robotic Warehouse D’Décor entered the American market in 2002 and in Europe in 2004. It now exports to over 60 countries and fortypercent of its overall sales come from Europe, fifteen-percent in American markets and thirtypercent domestically. The balance of fifteen-percent is spread globally. It owns four mills which are equipped with European and Japanese machinery responsible for producing 35 million meters of fabric each year with more than 200,000 sku's. “We recently added a digital printing facility as well as a warehouse that robotically operates stocking, packing and shipping,” said Arora. “India's home market is no longer treated as a sort of step-child. A major branding task has been launched and is yielding rich dividends.” Its collections are now available to Indian consumers in more than 500 designs in 300 retail outlets across Europe and America. D’ Décor also recently hired Sharukh Khan, labeled by Newsweek as one of the 50 most powerful people in the world, and wife Gauri as brand ambassadors for advertising campaigns with the company. “Our success in Europe came only after four years of frustration,” said Arora. “It took us a while to break the market because Europeans especially think twice about accepting a

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new supplier since quality and service are paramount. Now, forty-percent of our business comes from Europe. Arora attributes the recent launch of a drapery and embroidery sector, which is now headed by Sanjay Arora, as a significant catalyst in the growth of the business.

Sanjay Arora

“We produce 17.5 million meters per year and we installed head embroidery machines in September,” said Sanjay. “We also installed dedicated sanforizing and calendaring facilities in the mill, which will offer a new range of pure cotton and linen draperies.” At Heimtextil 2011, the company will debut Velvet, linen and digital prints in 12 different color ways. F&FI

Winter 2010/2011 ■ F&FI

F& FI N E W S

ADF Opens Warehouse in Beirut Led by Houssam Rayess Sipco News Network

RUSSELS, Belgium — American Decorative Fabrics and Westgate Interiors has firmly established itself in the Middle East with its first warehouse operation in Beirut, Lebanon Free Trade Zone under the direction of Houssam ‘Sam’ Rayess, newly named director of Middle East sales. “The customer doesn’t want to hold stock today and now he won’t have to hold stock when dealing with ADF,” said Rayess.

“We expect to dominate the market with our lines.” ADF produces faux leather, silk one-hundred percent spun polyester and indoor as well as outdoor fabric featuring embroideries and chenille jacquards; Rayess handpicked a total of 500 sku’s for this unique market. ADF produces 1,500 sku's twice a year with 500 sku’s targeted for export, according to David Li, principal of ADF. Li, who also started Orient West in 1991, established the company in 1995. Orient West remains the corporate name for

ADF in China. Prior to Orient West, he was with The Robert Allen Group for six years. Westgate’s first Middle East line was shown at Index in November and will also be shown during Heimtextil in January. According to Rayess, Aramex Freight will handle all logistics including same and next day freight service from Beirut or weekly service by truck and warehouse management. He will work closely with Stephen Schroeder, vice president of international

business and former colleague from their tenure at Quaker Fabrics Corp 10 years ago. Rayess and Schroeder were present at their Sheraton Rogier ‘showroom’ during MoOD in September. They expect to show their line four times a year at various trade shows. Prior to joining ADF, Rayess represented Valdese Weavers in the Middle East. Now, he will focus one-hundred percent of his time on the ADF business, which he said will be substantial in the future. Schroeder was working in interna-

Breakfast at Showtime IS THE INDUSTRY READY FOR THE UPSWING? You are cordially invited to breakfast with the publisher of Fabrics & Furnishings International and ITMA Showtime on December 6.

Panel Moderator: Eric Schneider, publisher of Fabrics & Furnishings International, Miami Beach, FL Special Guest: Jim Ennis, CEO, J. Ennis Fabrics, parent company of the new ‘Vision Fabrics’ brand

Panelists Include: Parks Neisler, vice president, Dicey Fabrics Corp., Shelby, NC Brian Rosenstein, director of operations, Synthetics Finishing, Hickory, NC Steve Piersall, CEO, Huntington House Furniture, Hickory, NC Cathy Smith, director of merchandising & design, De Leo Fabrics, High Point, NC Allen Smith, Unifi, brand sales manager, Greensboro, NC

Jim Ennis

Cathy Smith

Allen Smith

Steve Piersall

SUBJECT: “What are manufacturers and their suppliers doing to prepare for the upturn?” QUESTIONS TO BE CONSIDERED: Can the industry react quickly enough to meet the needs of the market? Can mills turn fabrics around fast enough to meet the needs of the furniture producer? Where can the industry improve to serve the market better? When the sales surge comes, will the industry be ready? FIND OUT WHAT THE PROFESSIONALS THINK! Date: Monday, December 6, 2010 | Time: 7:00am - 8:00am Place: String & Splinter Club, High Street, High Point, NC (second floor-Tomlinson Room) RSVP to Eric Schneider at eric@sipco.net or 917.251.9922 8

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tional sales with Victor Textiles of Canada prior to joining ADF in April of 2010. ADF and Westgate is an American producer of upholstery and multipurpose fabric with its own Rugao, Chinese-based mill

Houssam Rayess and Stephen Schroeder

and distribution center located on 40 acres. It has three brands: Westgate is the jobber brand; Home Furnishings International is the finished bedding line sold through retailers like Kohl’s in the USA; and ADF is the line of piecegoods. 30 million yards sold annually from $2 to $20 per yard. $5 was the median price point according to Li. Parts of the lines will be sold in the Middle East through 12 sample book programs and hangers. “The customer has virtually no investment in our products,” said Rayess. “We take all of the risk in selling and this new approach has never been done before in the Middle East.” Li’s strategy to sell from his own warehouses is unique to ADF because competitors mostly ship containers around the world. “My competitors missed this opportunity but they left it open for ADF and we went for it,” Li said. Rayess said ADF is now offering furniture producers, jobbers and other clients in the Middle East piece and cut length service at attractive prices and guarantees speedy delivery without the typical paperwork associated with container load purchases. “Letters of credit are no longer necessary,” said Rayess. “Long production and shipping times will be eliminated. You don’t need to order 300 yards per color to do business with ADF.” ADF asks for one-piece minimums at mill pricing. Cut order service is possible at what Rayess promises are “very attractive prices.” He expects that thirty-five percent of his business will be cut order. ADF has a history of stocking its goods in local warehouses around the world including Tupelo, Mexico; Sao Paolo, Brazil; Valencia, Spain. Buenos Aires, Argentina is in the works. ADF sells through Upholstery & General in South Africa and is currently looking for a partner along those lines in Russia, according to Li. F&FI

Winter 2010/2011 ■ F&FI

F& FI N E W S ADVERTISEMENT

Fashion Icon Iman Launches Home Fabric Collection with P/K Lifestyles by Marc Weinreich

EW YORK, New York — She made a name for herself as a supermodel, author, entrepreneur and fashion icon. Now she is entering the world of home décor as the founder of a home fabric collection appropriately named after her, IMAN Home. This past autumn, Iman Mohamed Abdulmaji, more professionally known as Iman,

launched her home collection of prints and wovens and is “delighted” to be working in collaboration with P/K Lifestyles, a division of P/Kaufmann. “Home is where I seduce my husband, nurture my children, entertain my friends and nourish my soul,” said Abdulmaji , CEO and president of IMAN Home. “I can offer a solution for customers who love worldly things but are

New Line Fabrics Expands Territories, Introduces MultiPurpose Collection at Heimtextil Sipco News Network

VYLAND, Pennsylvania — New Line Fabrics, an Americanbased textile converter of polyester blend jacquards and sheers, expanded its presence in Eastern Europe by opening a third warehouse in Turkey and an office in Tbilisi, Georgia in October. “Our biggest challenge for 2011 is dealing with the logistics of running efficient routes to and from these expanding markets,” said Vlad Goldenberg, the newly appointed managing director. “We aren’t expanding as much domestically because the U.S. doesn’t buy double wide jacquards.” Headquartered in Ivyland, the company also has offices in Hangzhou, China; Moscow, Russia; Kiev, Ukraine; and the new office in Tbilisi, Georgia. Currently, eighty-percent of its business is in drapery and twentypercent in upholstery. A majority of its business is in the Western European market. A smaller part of its export revenue comes from markets in the Middle East, China and Eastern Europe. Prices were raised to $13.50 in 2010 but as Goldenberg explains, “customers are now getting double wide product, two meters for every one.” The shift Headquarters in Ivyland, PA and Mulberry colorway from the Segovia collection

to double wide product has increased sales by nearly twentyfive-percent for 2010. “We tripled our sales force in the U.S., from four people in 2009 to a team of 12 including our European, Chinese and Turkish sales team,” said Goldenberg. “Two more textile designers were also hired so we’re hiring for the current boost in business but also investing for the growing demand we expect in 2011.” The company services 42 collections with over 3,100 individual SKUs from 16 countries. 27 new books are debuting in 2011 and six of them will become contract printed wallpaper collections in the second quarter. All of the designs are created in Ivyland but the company employs quality control inspectors in every part of the world. “We will debut a globally produced multiple-purpose collection at Heimtextil 2011,” said Goldenberg. “It will be available in almost 800 sku’s to cover the entire spectrum of textiles and accommodate any home décor client.” F&FI

unable to seek them out themselves. I am delighted to be working with P/K Lifestyles on my initial home collection.” P/K Lifestyles adds IMAN Home, which is designed for exclusive international distribution, to a portfolio of consumer driven brands which already includes Waverly, Tommy Bahama and Williamsburg. “We are excited to sign with IMAN Home to debut their first home furnishings collection,” said Daniel Bonini, president of P/K Lifestyles. “It appealed to us not only because her philosophy is closely aligned with our mission but also her traditional-meetsglobal-aesthetic inspiration will allow us to add another dimension to our portfolio of brands.” Currently, her new company has

Iman Mohamed Abdulmaji

two collections, Urban Eclectic and Modern Glamour. There are eight fabrics in the Urban Eclectic collection: one cotton twill, three homespun cottons, two duck cloths, one polyester, and one which consists of sixty-eight percent polyester and thirty-two percent rayon and created with a thick and thin slub in the warp and a chenille in the weft for a worn richness. (Continued on pg 16) Modern

Brunschwig & Fils Rolls Out New Collections from Acquisitions Sipco News Network

EW YORK, New York —Brunschwig and Fils, a New Yorkbased wholesaler and designer of decorative fabric, wallpaper, trimming, upholstery and furniture is putting its tough days behind and beginning 2011 by introducing more collections from its recently acquired Hinson & Company. “With our recent purchase of Hinson & Company, we are emerging from the down market in a strong position poised for further growth,” said Olivier Peardon, president and CEO of Brunschwig & Fils. “Our plan includes additional strategic partnerships within the design industry. Our reorganization and strategic acquisitions allow us to offer distinct product lines to the trade at competitive prices. We have increased our presence in different categories to become a true one stop shop for the luxury interior design trade while retaining a high level of quality and design.” Hinson & Co is a design resource for hand-screened wallpapers, woven wall coverings and hand-printed textured and woven fabrics. It became a part of Brunschwig & Fils in December of 2009, an acquisition Peardon regards as instrumental to furthering the diverse offering of Brunschwig & Fils. The deal also Oliver Peardon includes product from Hinson Lighting and Mrs. MacDougall hard frame fine furniture. Prior to this acquisition, Brunschwig & Fils had acquired Kirk Brummel in 2005, a company with contemporary high-end woven and printed fabrics. Peardon spent 2010 leading what he calls “an aggressive growth plan” which included a complete US roll-out of the Hinson Collection. The company will continue to roll out new collections in 2011 which will also include lines from Kirk Brummel in an effort to strengthen its modern brand identity without diminishing the more traditional collections for which it has been known. “We want to reinforce the Brunschwig & Fils brand as a high-end luxury product; build the established and respected businesses of Kirk Brummel and Hinson & Co; reinvigorate and expand the country wide showrooms to again become the pinnacle of destinations for interior designers and decorators; and interpret the buying trends of customers in new ways that reflect an evolution of the old business model,” said Peardon. The company is headquartered in White Plains, New York but has 17 showrooms across the U.S. including one in New York’s Decoration and Design Building as well as several abroad including Paris, France; London, England; and Melbourne, Australia. F&FI

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ZHEJIANG BABEI TEXTILE CO.,LTD Babei is a weaver, jointly invested by Babei Group Ltd. and Art Touch Investment(H.K.) Co. Ltd., with a total investment of USD 20,000,000.00. We are handling four main categories: a) high end silk jacquard fabrics for bedding; b) high end silk jacquard fabrics for drapery and upholstery; c) fire retardant jacquard fabrics for contract; d) jacquard fabrics for high end ladies’ bags. Babei is a vertical company well equipped with most advanced dyeing, weaving and finishing facilities and is one of the few companies in China approved by Testex Zurich and awarded certificate for all our woven fabrics to meet Oeko-Tex standard 100. Babei is also approved and awarded certificate of ISO9001-2000 for quality management, ISO140012004 for working environment and OHSAS18001-1999 for occupational and safety management Babei’s vision is to create the most value to our customers and has adhered to this vision from the very beginning. Babei is transforming herself to be an interior fabric resolution supplier. To meet this goal, we have installed 82 most sophisticated Dornier and Sulzer looms with different hooks Staubli jacquard machines which enable us to produce a variety of jacquard fabrics with different design repeats and constructions (86 ends/inch, 173 ends/inch, 203 ends/inch, 244 ends/inch and 300 ends./inch). we have also installed 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 customers. Besides silk fabrics, Babei has also developed a rich collection of multi-functional fabric for contract purpose. Babei has attached great importance to the creation and development of our products. We have our fully owned office in Como who serves as sourcing and designing and we also work closely with other designing studios in Como and Japan. We have our own intellectual copyrights for all our products. Babei has invested heavily on designing software German EAT and has adopted the ERP computerized management system specially designed for Babei. The system carries out the task of scientific management which coordinates and supervises all flows in production and operation, and this will not only improve our working efficiency and reduce the chances of mistake-making, but also provide good conditions for operating the whole company at high efficiency. Babei will debut our new collections both at Intertextile Shanghai and Heimtextil Frankfurt every year.

Winter 2010/2011 ■ F&FI

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Rockland Mills Division, Rockland Industries, Inc. P.O. BOX 17293 BALTIMORE, MD 21297 PHONE: 1-410-522-2505 FAX: 1-410-522-2545

INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS PLEASE CALL 1-410-522-0088 E-MAIL: MAIL@ROC-LON.COM WWW.ROC-LON.COM

Fabrics and Linings... The World’s Standard of Excellence The Rockland Mills programs of Blackout drapery linings and fabrics are truly world class. Our customers in over 80 world markets, both commercial and trade, know that they can rely on the quality, variety, delivery and performance built into every yard of fabric. That’s because every yard is manufactured with strict quality control, using the finest textiles and best technology available. There’s over 40 years of manufacturing know how and expertise in every product produced by Rockland’s Maryland and South Carolina plants. Whether for residential or commercial use, for total Blackout or Dim-Out, with or without flame resistant finish, there is a Rockland product for the job. Rockland Mills’ Blackouts are available in widths from 54 inches (137 cm) up to 110 inches (280 cm), and in every color of the rainbow, in plain or textured fabrics. Our Blackouts are even available with printed designs from an extensive pattern library, or if you prefer, we can use your custom designs or colors. Roc-lon Blackout linings can also be purchased as ready-made Blackout liners or draperies which are ready to hang, and which are produced under the same strict quality standards.

PERFORMANCE FABRICS

where style follows function

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Rockland is moving to a new hall for Heimtextil 2011! Find us in Hall 3.0, Booth E15, January 12-15, in Frankfurt, Germany. We look forward to seeing you!

F& FI N E W S (Continued from page 10)

Supermodel Iman Teams Up with P/K Lifestyles Glamour has four duck cloths and three blends in its collection of seven fabrics. The collections are available at Calico Corners and Calico Home Stores and select retailers across the country. “The challenge that all businesses are encountering is the pace of the economic recovery,” said Abdulmaji. “But I always believe that there are more opportunities than challenges.” The company will launch a follow up collection in October 2011. Abdulmaji indicated that she is targeting everyone from the first time homeowner to the baby boomers. “Iman’s passion for home and sense of style, coupled with the notion of offering customers access to global luxury at an affordable price will allow us to produce collections inspired by treasures, trends and ideas from around the world.” IMAN Home has already made a name for itself having designed the 30-by-26 foot VIP Star Lounge for Mercedes-Benz during its fashion week which was held this past September at Lincoln Center in New York City.

Iman Home’s VIP Star Lounge for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

“I was so excited to partner with Mercedes-Benz on this project,” said Abdulmaji. “We worked tirelessly in preparation for the launch of IMAN Home and to have had that forum at MercedesBenz Fashion Week was a great way to unveil the collection.” Although a foray into home textiles, Abdulmaji has already established herself in the world of fashion accessories having launched her own cosmetics firm in 1994 that has now grown to include fragrance and apparel and reported annual sales of $25 million in 2009. She first appeared as a fashion model in Vogue in 1976 and became famous as a muse to such icons as

Newly Formed J. Queen Projects $20 Million In Sales for 2011 Sipco News Network

EW YORK, New York — J. Queen New York, the fashion forward textile design house formed in 2010 has already doubled the size of its original showroom in the historic Flatiron District and is projecting sales of $20 million for 2011, according to Anthony Cassella, CFO. “Our target customers are national department & specialty stores selling under the J. Queen New York Brand,” said Julie Brady, president and founder of the company. The showroom’s addition, which was unveiled in September, was J. Queen’s response to growing faster than it expected in its first few months of operation, according to Brady. For 2011, Brady projects that J. Queen will have an eighty-five percent stake in the domestic market, with the balance of fifteen percent staked in exports across every region of the world. In addition to New York, the company has offices in Dallas and Shanghai and a warehouse in Los Angeles, where it purposely overstocks its entire catalogue of products to ensure quick turn around times for clients that place large quantity orders. “So far we’ve been overstocking our warehouse with product but we’re finding ourselves restocking very quickly because of the large number of orders that we’ve been receiving,” said Jerry Mobley, head designer for J. Queen New York. J. Queen focuses on luxury bedding for master Kimberly Wright, Jerry Mobley, Julie bedrooms, bath acces- Brady and Vanessa Piper sories such as hand goods, towels, rugs and shower curtains as well as free standing window treatments, sheers, duvets, decorative pillows, area rugs, sheets and quilts. Currently, the company is selling ready-made products but is looking to sell in meters beginning 2011. J. Queen also recently announced the launch of its website, jqueen-ny.com. F&FI

www.fabricsandfurnishings.com

Gianni Versace, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Yves Saint-Laurent and Annie Leibovitz and later as the co-host of Bravo’s television program, Project Runway Canada with Isaac Mizrahi. She also made headlines in 1992 for a high profile wedding to David Bowie, to whom she remains happily married. F&FI

Prestigious Textiles Focuses on Wallpaper by Marc Weinreich

RADFORD, England — Prestigious Textiles brands itself as a textile manufacturer with a “kaleidoscopic of concepts, fabrics, colorways and designs” for everything from upholstery to literature and stationary, but the British-based company is focusing on making its wallpaper business one of the premiere areas of the company over the next two years. Trevor Helliwell

“We will be boosting wallpapers sales to thirty-percent of overall company sales by 2012,” said Trevor Helliwell, managing director of the company he founded in 1988. “To that end, we have invested in a 10,000 square-foot wallpaper warehouse in Yorkshire and we have 80 distributors for our wallpaper business across the 105 countries that comprise our export markets.” According Helliwell, business during the recession of 2008 and 2009 was better than before markets took a hit and he thinks (Continued on pg 20)

Winter 2010/2011 ■ F&FI

richloom fabrics group / 261 fifth avenue, new york, ny 10016 / 212 685 5400 / www.richloom.com

F& FI N E W S

Spradling Expects $50 million from Vinyl Marine & RV Acquisition by Eric Schneider

RUSSELS, Belgium — Spradling International Inc. projects a potential $50 million business in Marine Specialties Group/Global Products Solutions, a division of G&T Industries, a company that provides marketing and distribution to the marine and recreational vehicle industries. The acquisition was made official 18 months ago, according to Mark Goldstone, president of Spradling International. Spradling acquired the company in the depths of the recession. The purchase price was not disclosed nor was sales of the forerunner company disclosed. Goldstone

spoke to F&FI at September’s MoOD in Brussels where his supplier, Proquinal had a stand. Proquinal is a 50-year-old coated products manufacturer in Costa Rica and Colombia, South America with over 500 employees.

Mark Goldstone

Beekalene Invests $5 million for In-house Dyeing and Processing by Vish Wishwanath

UMBAI, India — Beekalene Fabrics Private Limited, the seven-year- old furnishing and weaving mill is investing $5 million in the construction of in-house dyeing and processing facilities and adding additional looms in an effort to produce pure linens and special fancy furnishings. “Various pure linen collections need that luxury edge,” said Kabir Sehgal, director of Beekalene Fabrics. “Control at all stages is crucial and monitoring has become a necessity. Our linen naturals enjoy a decent share of the marketplace but we are working on enhancing them because we are always taking a refined approach to our products.” The company is also adding 14 jacquard and four dobby width looms. Its new facilities will enable Beekalene faster delivery times and also enable it to process batch orders that are less than 100 meters. Sehgal’s fascination with linens grew while studying textile management at the University of Leeds in the U.K. “When I returned to Mumbai, I noticed that a majority of the home fabrics sold were shiny polyesters that didn’t appeal to me,” said Sehgal. “I soon chose to produce a new range of machine-woven modern-styled cottons and linen blends. I worked to engineer them to international color-fastness standards with friendly home washing properties. I first began with cottons and later dabbled with linens. It was expensive and time consuming but worth it. We have been pioneers in weaving linens in India while most were busy with polyester and silk weaving. Initially, the company began using blended linens made of cotton and polyester that provided a linen look, a cotton feel with polyester durability.” Since 2004, the linen blended range has sold over 10 million meters and the price tag ranges $2.50 to $8 per meter while pure linen is priced from $8 to $25 per meter, according to Sehgal. Beekalene in now working on branding and preparing a stock program for its exports as well. “We have already moved to cut length supplies of the Aura brand in the domestic market and we will start seed marketing during Heimtextil in order to introduce in phases,” Sehgal said. The Aura brand is comprised of mid to high end products including jacquards, draperies, embroideries and digital printed curtains fabrics. F&FI

“We started servicing G&T Marine in 1987 and built it into a 45 million yard account so when it became available to us, we saw an opportunity,” Goldstone said, explaining that Spradling International Marine (SIM) became the new name of the acquisition. It gave Spradling control over its distribution to the boat and RV trade. “We also launched a vinyl program to the European marine distributor trade through this purchase.” Spradling was able to consolidate the G&T business in its existing warehouse in Byron Center, Michigan. Goldstone also reduced the number of sku’s sold through SIM and realized other efficien-

cies. He said that sales have skyrocketed since the acquisition and expects a bright future. “There used to be a distinction between the USA and Europe in vinyl products but the taste levels have now melded,” said Goldstone. “We sell 60 sku’s of vinyl to the European market while we have 185 sku’s in the USA. We’re leveraging our resources as one of the largest suppliers of coated products in the world.” In the fourth quarter of 2010, Spradling announced the Soleil Collection, its latest line of outdoor urethanes. It boasts high UV, mildew resistance, a durable surface and a soft hand in a variety of colors. Soleil

Soleil Collection

was on display at The International Boatbuilders’ Exhibition and Conference (IBEX) in Louisville, Kentucky in September. F&FI

(Continued from page 16)

Prestigious Textiles Focuses on Wallpaper for 2011 this was made possible in part because Prestigious Textiles launched its lucrative wallpaper business less than three years ago. “We are releasing two new wallpapers per year and broadening our customer base beyond traditional wallpaper accounts,” said Helliwell. “Export sales account for fifty percent of our business so we are growing our presence overseas and we plan to make our collections of wallpaper a big part of this international growth.” The “multi-national” company has partner businesses in Ireland, France, Germany, South Africa and the Benelux regions as well as trading agreements in markets across another 93 countries. Its wallpaper business is one of the newest areas of the company; over the years, it has made a name for itself by manufacturing silk, velvets, voiles, jacquards and appliqués

for domestic soft furnishings, decorative window dressings and fixed upholstery. The bulk of its operations, however, are based out of its Bradford site including its sales and administrative headquarters as well as 45,000 square-feet of warehouse facilities for bulk storage of piece-goods and customized cut-lengths. A computerized sample and cutting distribution department on-site supports its operations in an effort to manage quality control of all cuttings, pattern books and sales support. Styleline Blinds U.K., a subsidiary of Prestigious Textiles, runs a warehouse and sample manufacturing unit offsite that totals approximately 30,000 squarefeet in order to service the niche market of customized window blinds. Many of its new collections can be seen at Heimtextil 2011 in Germany. F&FI

From Wall Street to Wool Street by Marc Weinreich

TUART, Florida — Duncan Thomas and Eimar have acquired the name and inventory of Anton Maix, a wool fabric specialist since 1948. The company has relocated its office and warehouse close to their home here. Thomas is new to the fabrics industry; he began his career after 15 years as a security analyst on Wall Street. “I didn’t like Wall Street but I have always liked fashion and design. The fabric industry has a lot of opportunities for growth, particularly in wool fabrics which

has been out of favor for many years but is getting back in style because green fabrics represent a long-term trend,” said Thomas. Thomas said he has a good relationship with some of the remaining wool mills, which he estimates there to be about 20 worldwide. According to him, most of them are located in New Zealand, Norway, Germany and Italy. “Many of them do not distribute in the USA today but I plan to change this,” said Thomas. The Anton Maix line consists of dobbies and solids, which compliment other designs bought by his customers. Thomas is currently

Duncan Thomas

looking for representation to the interior design community. F&FI

Bedding Veterans Launch Lazarus Manufacturing Sipco News Network

M Alma Franqui

Eric Lazarus

EDLEY, Florida — Bedding industry veterans Eric Lazarus and Alma Franqui have launched Lazarus Manufacturing. The hospitality window and bedding treatment manufacturer opened its doors in the Miami suburb of Medley last spring.

www.fabricsandfurnishings.com

The partners were with B. Lazarus Inc., a bedding fabricator started in 1927 by Benjamin Lazarus, Eric Lazarus’ grandfather. Eric had been senior vice president of Sales and Marketing. Franqui was office manager. B Lazarus, based near downtown Miami, closed in July.

Franqui runs inside operations at Lazarus Manufacturing. Eric Lazarus focuses on sales and marketing to the hospitality and healthcare industries. His father, Harvey, 69, serves as a part-time consultant for the new company. The company is online at LazarusManufacturing.com. F&FI

Winter 2010/2011 ■ F&FI

F& FI N E W S

RM Coco Shuffles Personnel With Departure of Mike Edwards by Eric Schneider

APE GIRARDEAU, Missouri — RM Coco, an international wholesaler with 84 affiliated showrooms in the USA, Canada and Asia has made adjustments in its design and purchasing department in the wake of the departure of Mike Edwards, a minority owner who for 18 years handled sourcing and design as vice president of marketing and purchasing. Edwards oversaw purchasing and customer service but left the firm in early August and was offi-

cially off the payroll in October. He did not indicate what he intends to do going forward but he is pursuing other opportunities, some of which are outside the fabrics industry.

“I’ll share my plans with all of my friends out there as soon as possible,” said Edwards in a statement to F&FI. “Right now, I have been working on my golf game

and am happy to report that my handicap is now in single digits. I am open to all ideas but my true expertise is in sourcing.” RM Coco, now in its 41st year of operation, reported a more stable business situation with a sales improvement “starting in February of 2010 over 2009 when the entire industry took a hit,” said Jim Rust, CEO and founder. Rust was present at MoOD after skipping the fair the last four years. “I thought MoOD Mike Watson, Jim and Beverly Rust

was good this year. We expect to attend Heimtextil as well.” Rust has three other partners including Mike Watson, a sales manager for 30 years with RM Coco. Rust expects to replace Edwards’ previous role. “We hired Elizabeth Sprangett, the design consultant when Mike was leaving,” Rust said. “We also promoted Jocelyn Anderson internally to handle some of Mike’s responsibilities in design and development.” Anderson has been with the firm for two-and-a-half years since she graduated from the University of Missouri. Beverly Rust, Jim’s wife, has also provided design input for the firm and will continue in this capacity, according to her husband. Additionally, Annette Emmons is helping with the purchasing function. RM Coco has three lines of products. ‘Allure’ is the high end collection which is ninety percent exclusive to the firm, Coco Colors is a multipurpose fabric with thirty-percent exclusivity to the company and Coco Classic, which is also multipurpose and fifteen percent exclusive to the firm, according to Rust. F&FI

(Cont. from cover)

Kobe Warehouse Rises from Ashes

De Leo Textiles European Design for American Sensibilities

Fashion-forward woven chenille, textures, jacquards and both solid and cut velvets for upholstery and specialty applications. High-styled designs colored for the American eye.

aged either by fire, smoke or water and the company announced a day after the incident that it was suspending delivery of all orders. That suspension was in effect for only a short period of time as the new warehouse was brought up to speed to include all operations. Kobe did not waste time in moving forward with phase one of the reconstruction process. On July 22, a day after the incident, the company secured the new 10,000 square-meter warehouse and began readying it for new stock. Now that the new warehouse is operating with full functionality, the company is preparing for a presence at upcoming exhibitions in 2011 beginning with January’s Maison & Objet in Paris, France. F&FI

Main Office: 53 Dwight Place, Fairfield, NJ 07004 USA | 800.443.6909 | deleolion@deleoco.com Highpoint Showroom: Textile Tower 305 West High Street Suite 2005, High Point, NC USA | 336.510.1482

www.deleoco.com

A Division of EDWARD B. DE LEO CO. INC.

www.fabricsandfurnishings.com

Rolling out stock for the new warehouse

Winter 2010/2011 ■ F&FI

Contract/HospitalityNews C/HNEWS I Robert Allen COO Greg Tarver Changes Sales Team, Launches Mobile Designer Site by Marc Weinreich

EW YORK, New York — In his six months since being appointed to President and Chief Operating Officer of The Robert Allen Group, Greg Tarver has realigned the company’s senior sales staff, launched a mobile site and developed key strategic partnerships that he plans to grow in 2011. “Greg’s understanding of our operations and different customer bases will foster an even closer cooperative effort across the organization,” said Jeff Cordover, whose appointment to CEO was announced concurrently with Tarver’s promotion. Tarver, who even majored in textiles in college, has 26 years of industry related experience in the development, production, distribution and merchandising of home textiles. His focus has been primarily in bedding, bed linens, accessories and bath products. After being promoted to executive vice president of manufacturing and operations at the beginning of 2006, he was given the responsibility of general manager, commercial businesses in 2008. He had previously spent nearly two

Left: Greg Tarver Above: Jeff Cordover

decades at WestPoint Stevens before relinquishing his role as senior vice president of the Bath Division to join The Robert Allen Group in May of 2003. One of Tarver’s biggest moves to date is the repositioning of senior sales staff. He promoted Robert Duban to senior vice president of contract sales. Duban has 24 years of industry sales management experience and was most recently a vice president of contract sales. Tarver has also delegated sales management responsibilities to Brian Richards, vice president for Robert Allen Canada. Richards has 30 years of experience in wholesale, retail and man-

C/HNEWS I Mead Leads Surge for Spradling International Marine Sipco News Network

ELHAM, Alabama — Spradling International Marine (SIM) is now reaping the benefits of an acquisition it made of G&T Marine in June of 2009 under the leadership of Terry Mead, sales manager of SIM and 25 year RV and boat industry veteran. “The boat business is coming back; though it’s not a ‘wow’ situation yet,” said Mead. “Major inventories have been worked down. As a result, boat builders started to buy fabric again in 2010.” According to Mead, the acquisition is expected to launch major products that will feature “serious enhancements for tough environments in 2011.” Mead logged 30 years in the marine industry as a supplier of textiles and soft surface materials. Prior to joining SIM, she was president of the Global Products Group at G&T Marine, the forerunner company, where she worked for 25 years. At the time of its sale to Spradling, G&T had also sold its aircraft group to Perrone Aerospace, which sells leather, urethane and vinyl. Perrone purchases vinyl from Spradling, according to Mead. “When news broke of the financial Terry Mead meltdown, many com- (Continued on pg 27)

ufacturing and was most recently general manager. David Lappert rejoined the company as vice president of residential sales, effective November 1.

He has more than a decade of experience with the company but had left to become general manager of American Century Home in 2005. In the wake of the October departure of Glenn Gold, executive vice president of residential business, Jennie Wilde has taken over marketing while maintaining her role overseeing product design as vice president of product development. Ron Cordover, former CEO, will remain with the company as “Chairman Emeritus,” a non-executive position and will continue to be engaged on its Board of Directors. In September, Tarver announced the launch of Robert Allen Mobile — m.robertallendesign.com

— a new mobile website for all Smart Phones including iPhone®, Blackberry® and Droid® that includes a new feature called Online Librarian, which also appears on the company’s main website. The “Librarian” is designed to provide interior designers with a time-saving tool for searching and ordering fabrics using real-time inventory levels of all brands: Robert Allen, Beacon Hill, Robert Allen @ Home and Robert Allen Contract. “Customer service is my number one initiative,” said Tarver. “I paid my way through college by working at a mill, so I’ve come up through the ranks and understand (Continued on pg 26) the impor-

C/HNEWS I Stanton Buys F. Schumacher Carpet Dealer Distribution Business, Rosecore Brand by Eric Schneider

EW YORK, New York — F. Schumacher & Co., a designer, marketer and wholesaler of decorative fabrics and other interior products since 1899, has sold its carpet dealer business and Rosecore brand to Stanton Carpet. The purchase price was not disclosed. Under the terms of this deal, F. Schumacher & Co. will no longer distribute floor covering products directly to the dealer market. Instead, Stanton Carpet and F. Schumacher & Co. have entered into a strategic partnership whereby F. Schumacher & Co. will continue to create some designs for the broadloom category and Stanton Carpet will produce and market these products under the Rosecore brand name. F. Schumacher flooring dealers will become Rosecore floor covering dealers. This transaction is specific to F. Schumacher & Co.’s wholesale Floor Covering Dealer Distribution Division and will not impact any of the other business units according to Bill Rambo, senior vice president of F. Schumacher & Co., and Jonathan Cohen, COO of Stanton Carpet. “We are really excited about this deal,” Cohen said. “The Schumacher floor covering products have a unique position in the very high style end of the market, particularly with Wiltons. The products are very different from Stanton’s; the Rosecore brand will act as a great compliment to our existing assortment.” Rambo described the deal as “a win-win arrangement. “ “This deal will also enable F. Schumacher & Co. to deploy additional resources towards strategic growth initiatives in our core businesses,” said Rambo. Schumacher is involved in the creation and marketing of wall coverings, trimming, fabrics and occasional upholstered furniture. For F. Schumacher, the

www.sipco.net

focus will be on trade showroom business relative to floor coverings, which includes custom and handmade rugs and carpeting in addition to what Rambo described as “superior broadloom.” Schumacher stopped Jonathan Cohen converting its Waverly lines and the related retail business in 2006, favoring a royalty agreement with P/Kaufmann which continues to make the Waverly lines today. Under this arrangement, which is slightly different from the Stanton deal, F. Schumacher collects royalties from P/Kaufmann as the licensee. P/Kaufmann essentially purchased a license from Waverly to develop and distribute Waverly piecegoods in the USA and worldwide. Through the companies’ new strategic partnership with Stanton, F. Schumacher & Co. and Stanton Carpet will work collaboratively to augment the Rosecore product portfolio with new offerings in the brand’s handwriting at more moderate price points. Stanton Carpet will focus on growing the business within the existing network of Schumacher floor covering dealers, which are now Rosecore dealers. New Rosecore products will continue to be marketed through the existing network of sales agents and will be led full time by Bob Tucci, currently a vice president with Stanton Carpet. Assuming all operational responsibilities for this business, Stanton Carpet will re-locate existing inventory to its Calhoun, GA distribution center. “This arrangement is a marriage of strengths that creates value for both companies and, most importantly, for the customers of the Rosecore brand,” said Mason Morjikian, vice president, Schumacher Floor Covering business. F&FI

Summer 2010 ■ F&FI

COMPANY RAGOLLE, FOUNDED BY MR AND MRS ALFRED AND Maria Ragolle in 1954, started as a weaving mill for upholstery fabrics that were, mainly woven velvets. Throughout the years, it changed into an up to date and state of the art weaving facility, fully integrated, producing quality woven jacquard upholstery fabrics, serving the major European furniture manufacturers, wholesale and distributor companies all over Europe and parts of the world. Continuous investment and innovation in the machinery park have provided the company Ragolle a leading role on the major European markets such as United Kingdom, Germany, France, Benelux and Scandinavia. Creativity and daily research for new constructions, together with a full modern equipped in house design department, innovation in weaving technique, developments of particular yarns and special finishes have allowed the company Ragolle to establish a worldwide know how and respected name in our industry. At the time that the second generation came on board, the decision to start up a full size carpet division was made and seriously developed within the coming years. Today, the carpet division, run by Mrs Myriam Ragolle, oldest daughter and her husband Herman, is a profitable operation within the Ragolle Group and exporting worldwide its medium to high end product ranges in all sized carpets. The youngest daughter, Roseline, together with her brother Jean Marie and his wife Veerle are running the two other divisions, upholstery fabrics — for domestic and contract end use — home interior decoration fabrics — curtain, drapery, top of the bed and cushion fabric — all woven and finished at the one and only facility in Waregem — Belgium. Being one of the main suppliers for several years on the European market, Ragolle has been seriously confronted like most of the Belgium and European weaving mills, with the tremendous imports from Far East and more particular, South East Asia ( China – India ). Company Ragolle has reacted to the serious fall down of the European textile industry, becoming a confident and trustful supplier, emphasizing a quality woven “European” product, innovative in design and color, keeping service and delivery time in mind, offering still affordable pricing. Close relationship with their customers, custom made developments and continuous research for new markets and niches, show the firm motivation of the family Ragolle and its entire team to further expand growth in this industry. For the past three years, Ragolle engaged an “old, well known fellow” in this industry. Guy H. Parmentier joined the Ragolle Team to focus on the more international — oversees and intercontinental part of the export business for company Ragolle. One of the main goals of this export strategy is to seriously develop the business in the North American market, in particular US, Canada and Mexico. Step by step, exploring those markets, focusing on the medium to high end niches, bringing quality European woven products, offering piece ordering and quick delivery, company Ragolle is gaining market share in the US, Canada and Mexico. Mainly operating throughout distribution with jobbers and convertors on an exclusive basis. Looking forward to presenting their New Hospitality Product Line, qualifying with the NFPA 701 regulation (for curtain and drapery fabrics) and Crib 5 standard (for upholstery fabrics), the launching is scheduled for HEIMTEX 2011. The management and the entire Ragolle Team is convinced it will become once again a main player, all over the world in this industry, focusing on fine quality woven products, innovative and creative in design and color, correct pricing with a first class service and keeping the demands and requests of their highly respected customers in mind. The world has changed, the economy becomes daily a global enterprise; our textile industry has seriously changed but quality, creativity and service oriented companies, always will remain in this new world! Well, company Ragolle has decided to be one of them and is daily working hard to succeed! The future is ours! Let’s go for it!

Ragolle NV, Vichtseweg 123-129, 8790 WAREGEM | Tel. +32 56 77.74.79 | Fax +32 56 77.57.28 | i nfo@ragolle.be

C / H N e w s

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Robert Allen Shuffles Management, Launches Site tance of keeping a customer happy, especially during tough times. Jeff and I are tech guys and this is why we’re excited to use the latest and most popular technology to stay connected to our customers.” Jackie Jordan

Beacon Hill remains the company’s highest fashion entity; Tarver labels it as the “upper end of our product mix and a real luxury for our most sophisticated customers.” Currently, it sells for $60 to $90 per yard, with some fabrics costing as much as $200 per yard. Tarver said that the “sweet spot” for the entire company ranges $24.95 to $34.95 and that, despite tough economic times the company made just one modest price increase during the past two years. Using the mobile site, clients can also request samples, get updates on inventories and deliveries and obtain up-to-the-minute piece-level yardage quantities for all sku’s contained within any of the sample books of The Robert Allen Group’s brands. Sample books are searchable by book name, book number or release date and clients will be offered an instant inventory snapshot for maintaining libraries and showrooms featuring trim books for all of the company’s brands. “Over the past few months, we’ve been focused on making it quicker and easier for interior designers to search for product and place orders,” said Tarver. “Now we provide interior designers access to the critical information they need at

the moment they need it, no matter where they are working.” Tarver and Cordover are also focusing on the exclusive design partnership that The Robert Allen Group signed in the spring of 2010 with DwellStudio, a contemporary home furnishings company that Tarver calls “a young national brand fresh with talent.” "We're very happy to be DwellStudio's exclusive partner in this market and believe that their distinct modern aesthetic will be an exciting new resource for designers and specifiers," said Cordover. The Eclectic Modern collection, the first in a series expected from the joint venture, offers residential decorative fabrics in wovens and prints and is offered in 70 designs. It was introduced at Showtime in High Point, North Carolina in June and began distribution in August. 41 upholstery and privacy curtain designs debuted at NeoCon in Chicago shortly after the partnership was announced. Tarver is also pursuing a partnership with Sherwin-Williams, which first opened a color-studio in the Robert Allen Beacon Hill showroom in the D&D building in New York City in 2009. Following in the success of this opening, Tarver helped orchestrate the opening of three new color studios in Robert Allen showrooms including one in Chicago’s Merchandise Mart as well as others in Seattle and San Francisco. “This partnership is proving to be a real success for both companies,” said Tarver. “We are developing a rich history for paint and fabric by teaming with a leading company in Sherwin-Williams to make it even easier for designers to coordinate fabric with paint colors.” Designers from both companies worked together to create a palette of complementary SherwinWilliams colors that is now included in the Robert Allen Color

Library with upholstery and multipurpose fabric collection books. Designers who visit the SherwinWilliams Color Studios have access to Sherwin-Williams’ complete color system as well as large color samples. Jackie Jordan, director of color marketing for Sherwin Williams, traveled to all 15 Robert Allen showrooms across the country to present colormix 2011, a CEU–accredited color forecast for 2011. For all of his initiatives, Tarver must deal with changes to sourc-

ing and figure out ways for vendors to become better suppliers. The Robert Allen Group currently has 430 suppliers worldwide in 35 countries. “Design is certainly the top priority when dealing with sourcing,” said Tarver. “Next in importance is availability. Everyone has reduced inventories and it created a very new dynamic in the market. It became more critical to have product available and we have become even more vigilant to avoiding price increases.”

Despite fluctuating market conditions, Tarver said he still operates under the same governing principles when he first entered the industry. “From the time I started in this industry as a small manager in a mill to where I am today, it’s always been about supply chain management,” said Tarver. “The bottom line is availability and speed to market. It was the same recipe for success back then, and despite changing dynamics now, it’s still the business plan for success today.” F&FI

Dicitex Furnishings Prepares for Domestic Upswing In India by Vish Wishwanath

UMBAI, India — Dicitex Furnishings, which is expecting to grow its domestic business by twenty-five percent in 2011, is building dyeing facilities and adding 12 velvet weaving machines in order to become more vertically integrated for the new year. While growth slowed across American and European markets during the last two years, the rising demand in India’s domestic market is compensating for a lack of exports. “Indian furnishing markets have been booming for three years,” said Nimesh Arora, managing director of the company. “We are bullish and hope to double our current domestic sales to $40 million over the next 18 months.” Distribution operations have begun to reach retailers, and print and kiosk advertisement campaigns have already begun. “With the exception of select lines of furnishing collections which are custom prepared for exclusive clients in overseas markets, we now offer exclusive collections simultaneously in India too,” Arora said. Indian retail sales has only recently begun to expand and retail formats are still in its infancy stage. Independent retail outlets and malls, however, are shaping up as Indian consumers with deep pockets are becoming exposed to a larger variety of home furnishings. “Indian markets are rapidly expanding so now is the most appropriate time to start building relationships with the consumer,” said Arora. “Consequently, branding has become inevitable. As such, we have signed Bipasha Basu, a leading Bollywood actress

Choose colour fastness instead!

who is now our brand ambassador and is already using our collections to decorate her home. She is defining the collections in terms of class and style for Indian home decoration. Our brand targets the urban youth segment and a fresh sensation in home furnishings. In all of her class and charm, she reflects our efforts to target this segment of India.” Basic and varied textures of new colors such as solid hues, coco browns and blacks will be displayed during Heimtextil and will be displayed in coordination with 25 collections of draperies and sheers,” said Rajneesh Arora, managing director of Dicitex Furnishings. Basics will be priced from $5.50 to $7. Lazer cut embroideries and basic textured upholstery in new colors will also be introduced for global markets. F&FI

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C / H N e w s

U.K.-based Camira Fabrics Opens in North America by Marc Weinreich

NDIANAPOLIS, Indiana — Camira Fabrics, the independent U.K. based textile manufacturer is selling direct to designers in the U.S., an opportunity made possible by the September opening of a new office in Indianapolis replete with staff, stockholding, and samples targeted for the North American market. The company, which recently completed a four-year non-compete agreement after a management buyout in 2006, is going direct-tomarket by stockholding its own collections in its warehouses. “We’re our own jobbers now,” said Paul Bennotti, Camira’s new director of business development.

“One of the main reasons we can claim ownership from a jobbing perspective is over time we've raised our portfolio of products to bring more variety and color driven fabrics that are much more appealing to interior specifiers now. Previously, we were much more volume driven, whereas now product development has come a long way and we're bringing new finishes and raw materials to new markets. This is one of the many ways we’ve evolved.” In August, the company hired Bennotti to manage its business development staff. He has been named the company’s director of business development and brings with him more than 20 years of industry experience including most recently nearly two years as

Paul Bennotti

Camira Stripes

director of marketing for the North American textile manufacturer, Victor Group. Camira announced in October that it has become a Principal Member to the industry’s premier textile professional trade body,

Romo USA Opens Showroom Behind Double Digit Growth for 2010 by Eric Schneider

HAGRIN FALLS, Ohio — Romo North America is expecting to close 2010 with a double-digit increase in sales for its fabric and wall coverings business despite a slight dip in 2009, according to Frédéric Henry, CEO of the U.K. fabric wholesaler and editeur. The turnaround for Romo North America was made possible in part by its acquisition and renovation of a 24,000 square foot multi-tenant building that now serves as the company’s base. It includes a staff of 25 people including Frédéric’s wife, Nicola, design director for Romo. It also contains a showroom, a leading edge designed office of 10,000 square feet and a 14,000 square foot warehouse which stores display fabrication, sample books and memo items. There is no fabric stock in the Chagrin Falls warehouse. Instead, the fabric orders are filled by two day air from the Nottingham, U.K. warehouse, the 108-year-old home to Romo. “There is a strong agreement

to build Romo in the USA,” said Henry. “We’re here for the longterm. We’ll never have more than five showrooms in this market. Chicago is a target for a possible opening and maybe one in Los Angeles in concert with our agent there. In 2011, we expect to continue our growth rate. In 2009 and 2010, we took market share even though the overall U.S. market shrunk.” According to Henry, the building in Chagrin Falls was in bad shape when it was bought in November of 2008 for $850,000. Romo invested $1 million in renovations, which were designed by Frederic and executed without a general contractor. He was previously responsible for creating Romo showrooms in New York and in Florida. “The main reason we built the showroom here was to show the salesmen and the local designers how Romo product looked in a proper setting instead of only looking at small samples,” said Henry. “Having an attractive building enables the designer to come and see the collection in the ‘C’ market

that Cleveland represents. It also helps us properly showcase our corporate brands. Villa Romo is accessible to the top forty percent of the market, Zinc caters to the top twenty-five percent and Kirkby upholstery and Marc Alexander target the top fifteen percent.” Romo USA is also the exclusive Omexco wall covering distributor, which offers a different handwriting from the typical British lines, according to Henry. Omexco offers natural products in mica, sisal paper weaves, textile wall coverings and non-wovens in upper niches sold to designers. According to Henry, Romo has approximately 9000 sku’s that it can deliver in two days. “This is a small collection compared to other American wholesalers but we have a high success rate with our collections,” said Henry. “Romo, our parent, holds about three million yards of stock in Nottingham. This stock also has branches in Holland and Munich, Germany. We have 18 showrooms in the USA. Three are corporate and 12 to 15 agents run the others. We feel it is more profitable to have agents instead of fixed company showrooms. That’s how we see building the business.” Although Frederic is a native of Hasselt, Belgium, he said he feels right at home in Chagrin Falls where he has lived for the past 10 years, the same amount of time Romo has had US distribution. F&FI Interior shot of Romo’s new showroom; Frédéric and Nicola Henry

Winter 2010/2011 ■ F&FI

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Association of Contract Textile (ACT). Its membership confirms Camira’s commitment to the North American interiors marketplace and will require the company to supporting best practice in textile competence in the United States and Canada. Camira is also registered to ISO 9001, the quality standard, and ISO 14001, the environmental management. “Everything is now in place for us to provide a new value proposition to the North American textile interiors industry,” said Simon Whittaker, a senior sales professional from Camira’s European Division who recently relocated to Indianapolis to serve as director of sales for its North

(Continued from Page 24)

Mead Leads Surge for SIM Following Acquisition of G&T panies didn’t build a boat for over a year to work off inventories,” said Mead. “Consolidation accelerated when the recession hit the OEM boat and RV industry a few years ago.” According to Mead, there are only half as many boat builders today as there were 15 years ago. “Strong independent boat builders have also formed buying cooperatives,” said Mead. “Giants like Bombardier make different transportation vehicles or Brunswick makes engines. There is the power of leverage, either through cooperative purchasing or consolidation into giants.” Mead reported a fifty percent sales gain for Spradling in 2009, in part because she purchased her former employer, G&T, in the third quarter of 2009. Industry professionals considered the purchase a bold move, according to Mead. “We put wheels on this OEM business, which has gone through a major consolidation phase in the past five years.” G&T Marine was an employeeowned company before Spradling purchased it. Mead continues to

American markets. “We have great products, fantastic pricing, and most crucially the systems and staff in place to fulfill customers’ comprehensive sampling needs and provide rapid cut yard logistics.” The company hired over a dozen independent sales reps for U.S. and Canadian territories in order to address its largest markets: Grand Rapids, MI; Chicago, IL: Atlanta, GA: New York, NY; Los Angeles, CA; and parts of New Jersey. “Our goal for the new office during this next year is to contribute about half a million dollars in sales towards the overall sales for the company in 2011,” said Bennotti. The company is also looking at 2011 as a year to expand its line of sustainable products. Camira Fabrics was independently awarded this year with the prestigious Queens Award for Sustainable Development for its outstanding product innovation and environmental best practice. Second Nature is Camira’s trademarked label of environmental fabrics, which includes the award-winning Sting fabric made from a blend of cultivated nettles and pure new wool. (Continued on pg 30)

sell vinyl and urethanes to the OEM boat and RV industry through Spradling, the U.S. distribution arm of Proquinal, a vinyl producer in Colombia and Costa Rica. Proquinal also converts urethanes in Asia. SIM sells exclusively to the OEM market while Spradling, the parent company sells through jobbers. “We can pass the performance characteristics and design trends of the OEM market to the jobber after-market through Spradling,” said Mead. “What’s hot one year in OEM enters the jobber market one to two years later. People are constantly redoing their boats — once every seven or eight years.” The RV business took a similar path. Thor RV, Forest River and Winnebago are the large financially sound players that capitalized on the industry-wide slowdown by turning it into an opportunity to buy up their respective brands. Vinyl is eighty percent of Mead’s business with only the balance of twenty percent devoted to urethanes. “Vinyl is still the best bet for long term performance because it’s perfect in tough environments,” she said. Spradling International Marine has warehouses for its OEM customers in: Grand Rapids, MI; Maryville, TN; and Los Angeles, CA. Headquarters are in Pelham, Alabama and Los Angeles. F&FI

C / H N e w s

DFA Puts Designers Within Consumers’ Reach Sipco News Network

EW YORK, New York — The Furnishings Decorative Association held a membership meeting at Sotheby’s in New York City on October 7, 2010. The event, which was attended by industry executives including senior management from Kravet, The Robert Allen Group and Brunschwig & Fils addressed a number of initiatives

that the DFA will be launching throughout 2011. Chief among these programs to roll throughout 2011 is a national advertising campaign that promotes the value of working with a designer. The advertisements will be seen beginning the first quarter and will be published throughout eight shelter magazines. “We have one objective and that is to create more consumers of

Pam Jaccarino, Cary Kravet, Jennifer Matthews and Steve

design,” said Steve Nobel, executive director of the DFA. “If industry does not lead the renewal, nothing else will. Our members are causing the effect: widening the funnel between product supply, design and consumer demand for design. Yet there is more to do.” The DFA is also launching a website that gives clients making a foray into design a plethora of resources for finding designers, design centers and members’ brands. A 7-step plan is also being implemented into ongoing initiatives in order to provide a set of guidelines by which design centers can customize and develop systematic programs to spark consumer interest and promote a more involved engagement with all sectors of the design community. “We are also planning town hall meetings and workshops throughout 2011 to address factors that compel the design market to change and what the benefits are for each segment of the market,” said Nobel. Cary Kravet, owner of Kravet Inc., was among the members in

Issues of F&FI are now available online at FandFI.com!

attendance. A week earlier, Kravet co-hosted a golf outing in partnership with North Shore Long Island Jewish Hospital at the Brookville Country Club in Old Brookville, NY. Our editor, Marc Weinreich is pictured here at the golf outing with his team from Kravet. F&FI Jesse Lazarus, Eugene Cordi, Bob Beloff and Marc Weinreich

J. Ennis Fabrics Launches North American Converter Brand ‘Vision Fabrics’ at Showtime by Eric Schneider

LBERTA, Canda — J. Ennis Fabrics has created a converting business under the Vision Fabrics brand after 10 years of importing container loads of fabrics from China, according to Jim Ennis, CEO.

Jim Ennis

The 2,500 sku collection of bedding, upholstery and drapery fabrics is available to North American wholesalers on an in-stock basis with generally two days for delivery. It ranges $3.95-$12.95 per yard with minimums as low as 1/8 yard, according to Ennis. The line, warehoused in Indianapolis, Indiana will be displayed for the first time at Showtime in High Point December 5 in a 1,200 square-foot showroom, #1-806 in Market Square. “We started converting out of necessity when the U.S. mills started to disappear,” said Ennis. “We could support ourselves by doing our own collections but more importantly, we could do business with other jobbers in North America.” F&FI

(Continued from Page 27)

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Bennotti indicated that the products first to hit the North American market are deep dyed natural wool fabrics for use with plains and high design jacquards. The goal of Camira now is to become a new resource for North American specifiers by enabling them to source wool products and jacquards directly from Camira’s warehouse in Indianapolis, according to Bennotti. The price range for the Second Nature line of wool is $30 to $50 per yard for the U.S. market. There are no minimums and Camira is maintaining inventory on all sku's, offering cut yardage and full rolls as well. If an order is placed for a product that is not in stock in Indianapolis, it will be pulled from the warehouse in the U.K. and delivered within 10 days of placing the order. Camira Fabrics is also increasing its presence in Asia with a warehouse in Shanghai that opened during the last quarter of 2010. It will serve as the company’s hub for all Asian operations. It also has an office in Hong Kong that supports service to China and Thailand, and the company also has distributors in Southeast Asia. We’re calling on the community of specifiers in China to push our wool products,” said Bennotti. “There’s a segment of the population in China that wants high end product, especially in wools and polyester that aren’t just about quantity over quality.” Camira Fabrics, which was founded in 1974 as Camborne Fabrics and then borne out of a management buy-out in 2006, employs about 400 staff and has a share of nearly every corner of the market including commercial office, hospitality, education, healthcare and public transport. It is selling more than 10 million yards annually to clients in over 80 countries and reports annual sales of approximately $75 million. Other than its share of the domestic U.K. market, Scandinavia is its biggest market. France and the Benelux region are also big markets for the company and it has a manufacturing plant in Lithuania to help with distribution. F&FI

Winter 2010/2011 ■ F&FI

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

High Expectations for 2011 based on

Positive MoOD 2010 BRUSSELS, Belgium — Hi Eric, how was MoOD? I’m glad I went. After last year’s show and the general business climate this past year I was not really in the mood for the show. I wasn’t sure if many customers would be there and what the general feeling would be, but from the first day I could feel the positive vibe all around. The exhibitors who were there made a real effort with their products and presentations making the fair interesting and inviting. There were more customers then I expected attending. It was very busy and I never felt any lull in the show. Lots of people who were not exhibiting at the show came to see what was happening, which is a good sign. Many I talked to felt that business is getting better, and that the MoOD this year is a sign of good things to follow. — Kathy Carr Rickwood, Sales Agent, Mixed Bag Textiles Marco Parravicini, principal of Para, Sovico, (MI)Italy with Rick Brown, managing director, Marco Fabrics, Victoria, Australia

Anne Loiseau, manager of Les Tissus Colbert, Brussels fabric retailer with Claude Pelardy, owner of Stof and PTA, La Tourette, France.

Erasmo Figini of Figini Pagani Progettazioni s.r.l with Elvio Pavanello, Clericic Tessuto & Co., Ida Farkas and her associate, Lifestyle Creations Rima Coimbra, U.K.-based interior designer with Levent Dogan, sales & marketing manager for Teksko Velvets of Istanbul, Turkey

Sandra and Brett Fleetwood, New Zealand agents with Jean Paul Deprataere, principal of Escolys of Belgium and Colin Hirschman, product development manager, Weave, James Richardson Ltd., Melbourne, Australia

Max Schaumann, managing director, Danish Art Weaving A/S, Tylstrup, Denmark, with Luc Callens, marketing director of Algemene of Belgium

Guy Parmentier, export manager and Rosaline Ragolle, general manager, both of Ragolle, Belgium, and Norman and Harriet Gilman, U.S. importers of the Ragolle Line

Renata Annabale of the Italian Mill Agency with family team members of Industria Pozzi: Mirella Pozzi, Roberto Pozzi, Denys Annable, Cristina Proserpio Pozzi and Rosetta Oberti

Winter 2010/2011 ■ F&FI

Blake Millinor, president of Valdese Weavers Contract presents on his iPad® which allows the designer to pick the fabric design as well as the virtual yarn color before a yard is woven.

Andreas Zimmer of Frankfurt-based Zimmer + Rohde with colleagues Sybille Ruge of Frankfurt design fame and Rieta Romer, director of creation and design for Zimmer + Rohde

www.fabricsandfurnishings.com

Jacqueline Tan, managing director of Roselle Mont-Clair Furnishing Pte. Ltd, Singapore, with Stan Fradin, president of Rockland Mills Inc., Baltimore, MD, with May Yap, marketing manager for Roselle Mont-Clair, Singapore

Mark C. Pollack, principal of Pollack Associates, in New York with Kaya Cinoglu, export manager for Marteks, Bursa, Turkey

Giuseppe Vani, manager of Club House Italia, Forli, Italy, with Stefano Morotti, managing director, Enzo Degli Angiuoni, Birago di Lentate, Italy

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

Competition Heats Up at

Intertextile Shanghai 2010 SHANGHAI, China — F&FI sent me to Shanghai to report on Intertextile 2010 and it was an eye-opening experience. After celebrating my birthday at 30,000 feet during the overnight flight from New York, I attended the Expo over the course of the next three days and met a lot of company executives from Chinese mills, wholesalers and jobbers as well as industry professionals from a number of other countries including Spain, South Korea, Germany and Turkey. From speaking with them, often through an interpreter, I gathered that although there were still residual effects from a global recession, business was picking up over the last quarter heading into 2011. In July, a month before Intertextile, it had been confirmed that China replaced neighboring Japan for the world’s second largest economy and it was apparent from my conversations that Chinese textile companies are shifting away from exporting to focus on new collections excusively for the local market. To compete, countries like Turkey are allocating more funds for textile designers with the hopes of offering art that’s difficult to replicate. All in all, it was a successful and memorable visit to Shanghai! Zài Huì! — Marc Weinreich, Associate Editor Light and Water Show, World Expo Shanghai

Mike Tian, sales manager, Hightex

Gonzalo Ferri, owner, Javier Mico, export manager for Gonzalo Ferri, Spain

Glenda Spangler, head of Richloom Shanghai Trading

Yu-Soon Lee, director, YoungDo Velvet

Bayram Ali Boralli, owner of Turkey's Borelli Tekstil, with son

BoHua Xu, owner, Huatex International

Kurniadi Tjandra, owner, and Samuel Stepanus, manager, Ateja, Indonesia

Breakdancing at the Korean Pavilion, World Expo Shanghai

www.fabricsandfurnishings.com

Hans-Dietrich Zschau, purchase and sales manager, Ruther & Einenkel KG, Germany

Winter 2010/2011 ■ F&FI

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

Turkish Textile Companies Refuse to Bow to Chinese Competition by Marc Weinreich

STANBUL, Turkey — While many countries spent 2010 watching their textile industries all but disappear to the Chinese market, Turkey managed to keep its footing as the fourth largest exporter of home textiles in the world. Having navigated volatile world markets, Turkey has not only weathered the storm, it also appears poised to make 2011 a year in which it furthers its key position in the global home textile markets. The secret to its survival? Many Turkish textile companies are investing in double and triple warps, novelty yarn production and diversifying product color schemes in an effort to combat low prices in China. “One way to stay alive in this economy, especially in the face of China, is to invest in marketing as much as technology,” said Mehmet Necati Kurtcan, vice president of Rekor. The company is a Turkish manufacturer with headquarters in Bursa and has seven show rooms across Turkey and London. “But the tricky part is to not invest in technology before expanding the company’s markets.” Turkey offers not only highlystructured designs but also exclusive plains, high-end leathers and natural fibers such as viscose yarns, linens and cotton while Chinese companies struggle to reproduces such intricacies and instead focus on mass-pro-

ducing acrylics and polyester. “China would be a problem for us except for the fact that a majority of its product are of ‘C’ quality,” said Umit Altiner, product and marketing manager for Sertex, a subsidiary of Istanbul-based Flokser Group which manufacturers and exports fabric, leather and suede and reportedly owns the country’s three largest textile mills. “We only concentrate on high-end ‘A’ and ‘B’ quality products and are able to compete because of it. We also keep everything in stock and can offer quicker turn-around times than China for orders from Russia and Europe, which are our biggest markets.” Sertex has nine warehouses in Turkey and a presence in Europe and the Middle East as well with warehouses in Spain, Italy and Iran. Sertex was one of nearly 50 Turkish textile companies to exhibit at MoOD 2010 in Brussels, making it the country with the largest representation of textile companies at the Expo except for Belgium. As such, Turkey was the only country at the Expo with its own pavilion, an initiative spearheaded by the Turkish Deco Team which serves as an extension of the country’s Uludag Textile Exporters’ Association. Turkey managed to keep its five percent share of the global home textiles market by carving out this niche area of high-end naturals which companies in China cannot reproduce with the same authen-

ticity. With home textile hubs in Istanbul, Bursa, Deinzli, Izmir, and Usak, Turkey’s textile industry is expected to rebound in 2011 to levels in 2009 when home textile exports generated $2.5 billion. The city of Denizli in particular is proving its worth to Turkey’s economy. After reporting $1.3 billion in exports for 2008, the city quickly retreated to $1 billion in exports for 2009. But the city’s home textile market is expected to close 2010 up nearly $300 million and continues to grow heading into 2011, according to Süleyman Kocasert, head of the Denizli Exporters’ Union. “Out of 700 middle-scale firms, only 11 were shut down during the crisis period,” said Kocasert. “It is quite normal.” Polmen, another exhibitor at MoOD 2010, is the largest contract supplier in Turkey and reported steady growth rates of nearly tenpercent every year since 2007. Although its distributors include some of the biggest global names in the business, the company sells direct to its customers in Turkey. It has a mill in Ankara that does twisting of yarns, finishing, weaving and has an in-house dyeing facility. The company also has an office in

Ankara and Istanbul and a U.S. office in Highpoint, North Carolina. Some of its largest clients in the contract business are located in Saudi Arabia and Georgia and the company estimates that fifty percent of its business is in exports, with many of those clients in China. Like many other Turkish companies, Polmen is doing what it can to survive amid the burgeoning Chinese market, including a strategy to embrace the competition. “We don’t see ourselves as a direct competitor of China but we recognize that we have to do what we can to keep business growing in this economy since China is doing so well,” said Brad Dobbins, Polmen’s U.S. director of sales. “Clients recognize that Turkey is more reliable than the Far East. The colors and patterns you order are the colors and

Umit Altiner

patterns you receive. Minimums are usually higher in the Far East and transportation costs outside of China’s domestic market are much higher than it would be for Turkey to transport.” The Turkish Deco Team continues to organize Trend Forums and Turkish Home Textile stands at Expos such as Evteks Turkey, Heimtextil Russia and Intertextile Shanghai in an effort to promote a vital segment of the country’s overall economy. F&FI

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Dolan Expands Production for Indoor, Outdoor Market by Eric Schneider

RUSSELS, Belgium — Austria-based Lenzing Fibers Group ran its production of Dolan® solution dyed acrylic fiber at one-hundred percent capacity for 2010 and is in the process of expanding production by 1400 tons to 15,400 tons per year, an increase of ten-percent, in order to meet the global demand for the indoor and outdoor fiber in 2011. "This added capacity will be fully on-stream by 2011," said David Hoyland, managing director, who spoke with F&FI at MoOD. "We have taken market share from Montefibre and Axa of Turkey. Of course, we have also benefited from the general economic recovery. We are now supplying almost every manufacturer and user of solution dyed acrylic in the world. The growing demand for carbon fiber has further tightened the supply of solution dyed acrylic because it is also the basis or precursor fiber for carbon fiber manufacturing.” Hoyland also pointed to new

Winter 2010/2011 ■ F&FI

David Hoyland, Jeff Jimison and Alexandra Walz

trial-testing developments in acrylic flock for seating in the automotive industry. Dolan is also the sole supplier of fiber for fabric to Audi for use on its convertible tops. Dolan sponsored outdoor lounges at MoOD for visitors to enjoy R&R. DOLAN GmbH also produces technical fibers under the brand name Dolanit® to be used for applications such as hot gas filtration, friction linings and reinforcements for construction materials. It also sees itself as ideal for textiles used in garden and furniture fabrics, awnings and sun umbrellas as well as car tops and boat covers. F&FI

www.fabricsandfurnishings.com

F& FI C A L E N D A R January 10 – 12 Printsource New York Printsource New York, The Premier Market for Surface and Textile Design in the USA, holds three shows a year at 7 West 34th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues. As the hub for the world’s top creative talent, Printsource showcases hundreds of collections by international surface and textile design studios and agents. England, France, Italy, Spain, Australia and the USA are just some of the countries featured each season at the Show. As the first buying stop of the design season, Printsource is the cornerstone event for thousands of apparel, paper goods and home textile manufacturers and retailers Tel 212.352.1005 Fax 212.807.0024 Email Info@printsourcenewyork.com, http://www.printsourcenewyork.com/ 7 West 34th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues New York, NY 10014

12 – 15 Heimtextil Heimtextil is the biggest international trade fair for home and contract textiles and the global benchmark for quality design textiles of innovative functionality. As the first trade fair of the year, Heimtextil, which is held on four fair days in January, is a platform for manufacturers, retailers and designers. Organizing by Messe Frankfurt GmbH at Exhibition Centre Frankfurt, LudwigErhard-Anlage 1, Hessen, Germany, the Heimtextil Frankfurt is recognized a sone of the biggest home and contact textile trade fair. It is 4 days event and is expected to welcome more than 86,000 trade visitors from all over the world. The Targeted Visitors For Hong Kong Fashion Week are - importers & exporters from all sectors of the textile machinery industry, including spinning, nonwovens, weaving, knitting, dyeing and finishing, garment making, testing, software as well as dyestuffs and chemicals & General Public. Exhibitors include manufacturers from all sectors of the

textile machinery industry, including spinning, nonwovens, weaving, knitting, dyeing and finishing, garment making, testing, software as well as dyestuffs and chemicals. http://heimtextil.messefrankfurt.com Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH Ludwig-Erhard-Anlage 1 60327 Frankfurt a. M. Tel.: +49 69 75 75 - 0 Fax: +49 69 75 75 - 66 09

18 – 20 Texworld USA Texworld USA is the most prominent trade fair in North America devoted to apparel & fabric industry. More than 200 exhibitors are participating from across the world to showcase their latest products/services. Large numbers of professional visitors are expected to attend the show. Texworld USA is the perfect place to explore textiles of inventive structures, material mixes and amazing shade palettes. The show will provide wonderful opportunities to the designers to amplify their business by displaying the hottest fabrics and accessories to the potential buyers. The event will be equally beneficial for fabric buyers and professionals willing to find out innovative talents and wanting to get influenced by the latest trends & textiles. The targeted visitors in the event Texworld USA are: manufacturers, trading companies, wholesalers, retailers, agents, designers & buying offices. Last year (2009) 2,675 professional visitors attended the show. The targeted exhibitors in the event Texworld USA are related to: cotton, denim, embroidery, fibers, functional fabrics, knits, lace, linen, prints, silk, silky aspects, wool & findings/trims. Last year (2009) 138 exhibitors from 13 countries participated in the show. Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York, New York Messe Frankfurt, Inc. 1600 Parkwood Circle, Suite, Atlanta, United States Of America Tel:+(1)-(770)-9848016 Fax:+(1)-(770)-9848023

21 – 25 Maison & Objet MAISON&OBJET show will take place at the Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre in Jan 2011. The trade show will be targeting professionals from the field of Home fashion and design. The trade show will be attracting trade visitors from across the world. MAISON&OBJET show is not open to general public. It will serve as a unique opportunity for buyers and suppliers to establish foundations for new business contacts.The Targeted Visitors For Maison & Objet are: importers & exporters of Decoration, Home & Office Design, Furniture, Lightning, Fabrics Clothing Textiles, Handicraft Products, Gifts & Souvenirs, Home Exhibitions, Kitchen & Bathroom accessories & General Public. In Maison & Objet Exhibitor from following Sectors can display their products: Decoration, Home & Office Design, Furniture, Lightning, Fabrics - Clothing Textiles, Handicraft Products, Gifts & Souvenirs, Home Exhibitions, Kitchen & Bathroom accessories will be participating in the exhibition. Paris Nord Villepinte 95970 Roissy Cedex Phone: 33 (0)1 40 68 22 22 Fax: 33 (0)1 40 68 20 06 http://www.maison-objet.com/

24 – 28 Las Vegas Market At Las Vegas Market you will join key buyers, designers and industry professionals from around the world in discovering a unique marketplace whose content and scale allow you to tailor the market experience that is right for you. To enable you to make the most of your time here at Las Vegas Market, we have culled together some important tools to help you plan and customize your market experience. The January 2011 Las Vegas Market promises productive and efficient use of your time. With 1,500 exhibitors spanning three buildings and four Market Destinations, buyers, designers and industry professionals can spend their

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MIAMI OFFICE:

170-G Penney Road, Forest Park, GA 30297 TEL 1(404) 765-9891 • FAX 1(404) 765-9825

9990 NW 14th St., Suite 111, Miami, FL 33172 TEL 1(305) 592-3344 • FAX 1(305) 592-9988

CHARLOTTE OFFICE:

NEW YORK OFFICE:

OVER 100 MAJOR AIRLINES

1901 Associates Lane, Suite J, Charlotte, NC 28217 TEL 1(704) 359-8900 • FAX 1(704) 359-8600

147-20 184TH St., Jamaica, NY 11413 TEL 1(718) 995-2900 • FAX 1(718) 656-0859

AUTOMATIC E-MAIL FLIGHT

CHICAGO OFFICE:

SEATTLE OFFICE:

INFORMATION

1350 Michael Drive, Suite D, Wood Dale, IL 60191 TEL 1(630) 521-8525 • FAX 1(630) 521-9490

21086 24th Ave South Suite 127, Seatac, WA 98198 TEL 1(206) 241-5500 • FAX 1(206) 824-1140

HOUSTON OFFICE:

CENTRALIZED CUSTOMER

2700 Greens Rd, Bldg. J, Suite 102, Houston, TX 77032 TEL 1(281) 590-4500 • FAX 1(281) 590-4501

SERVICE

LAS VEGAS OFFICE:

2-3 DAY TRANSIT TIME

6375 S. Pecos Rd., Suite 106, Las Vegas, NV 89120 TEL 1(702) 307-3809 • FAX 1(702) 638-9000

WORLDWIDE

•

ATLANTA OFFICE:

BILINGUAL STAFF

WASHINGTON DC OFFICE: 23723 Air Freight Lane Suite 220, Dulles, VA 20166 TEL 1(703) 996-8885 • FAX 1(703) 996-0415

LOS ANGELES OFFICE:

HONG KONG OFFICE:

5733 Arbor Vitae St., Suite 204, Los Angeles, CA 90045 TEL 1(310) 642-8001 • FAX 1(310) 642-8012

Rm B, 11/F, Nathan Commercial Building, 430-436 Nathan Road Kowloon, Hong Kong 852-27700218 • 852-27700215

www.fabricsandfurnishings.com

days at Market, with evenings free for fun in the exciting city of Las Vegas. World Market Center Las Vegas 95 S. Grand Central Parkway Las Vegas, NV 89106 info@wmclv.com (888) 962-7469 http://www.lasvegasmarket.com

28 – Feb 3 Home Textiles Market Week 2011 At Home featuring Home Textiles showcases leading home textiles suppliers and established luxury brands at the Javits Center, as an extension of Home Textiles Market Week® in New York—the nation’s largest collection of mid- to high-end home textiles for bed, bath, and table. At Home – Furniture, located on Pier 94 represents a comprehensive, sophisticated collection of furniture, floor coverings, home textiles, wall art, lighting, decorative accessories, and more. Jacob K. Javits Center Pies 92 & 94 New York, NY customerrelations@glmshows.com 800-272-SHOW

March 15 – 17 Techtextil North America The eighth edition of North America’s only dedicated show for technical textiles and nonwovens will be held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Techtextil North America assembles all vertical aspects of the technical textile industry. From research and development, through raw materials and production processes and finally ending in conversion, further treatment and recycling. Held in conjunction with the exhibit hall, is Techtextil North America Symposium which will offer dozens of sessions focusing on the latest in research and emerging technology. Mandalay Bay Convention Center Las Vegas, NV, USA Contact

1600 Parkwood Circle, Ste. 615 Atlanta, GA 30339, USA Phone: 770.984.8016 ext. 411 Fax: 770.984.8023 E-mail: ttnainfo@usa.messefrankfurt.com

18 – 21 Intertextile Guangzhou Home Textiles Hometextile China is the International specialized exhibition and salon in the home textile industry. This is a high-profile, high-energy atmosphere where companies introduce new products for spring & really make a splash. 117, Liuhua Road, Guangzhou, China Tel:+(86)-(20)-86673473/26081629 Fax:+(86)-(20)-86663416/86681629

April 20 – 23 Hong Kong International Home Textiles Fair Hong Kong International Home Textiles Fair is directed towards emerging as a perfect platform for home textiles industry trade in Hong Kong. Being convoked at Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), the show will be organized by Hong Kong Trade Development Council. It is 3 days show which will be attended by Professionals related to the field of Offshore manufacturing resources for home fashions including bed and bath fashions, table linens, kitchen textiles, pillows etc. Importers/exporters, agents, buying offices, manufacturers representatives, product development and design teams, and large volume retailers including: bed, bath & linen stores, carpet/floor covering stores, catalog/mail order companies, department/chain stores, home centers, home furnishings/decorative accessory stores, mass merchandisers, TV home shopping programs, warehouse clubs. Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), Hong Kong, China (Hong Kong S.A.R.)

Advertiser Index For more information about one of our advertisers, see the page number listed: Company Page # Babei . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11 Beekalene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28-29 Breakfast at Showtime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Classical Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 DeLeo Fabrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Dicitex Décor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5, 7, 9 Dicitex Furnishings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14-15 Dolan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Express Air Freight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Glen Raven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 GM Fabrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 High Five Textiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Hong Kong International Home Textile Fair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 Joanne Fabrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Kravet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Lead2Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 New Line Fabrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3 Ragolle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 Richloom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-19 Rockland Mills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-13 Textirama/MoOD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Winter 2010/2011 ■ F&FI

C L E A N.

S I M P LY B E A U T I F U L.

Its beauty, undeniable. Its cleanability, unmatched. Sunbrella® performance fabrics set the standard for ease of cleaning. Your customers will no longer have to worry about spills, or stains in any room—indoors or out. Insist on Sunbrella with hundreds of fade-proof colors, patterns and textures, all backed by a 5-year warranty. For more information, call Glen Raven Customer Service at 336.221.2211 or visit www.sunbrella.com. O U T D O O R F U R N I T U R E - I N D O O R F U R N I T U R E - W I N D O W T R E AT M E N T S - A W N I N G S - U M B R E L L A S

Sunbrella® is a registered trademark of Glen Raven, Inc. Richard Frinier chair by Century Furniture LLC.

SIMPLE TO

naturally inspired. kravet

fabrics. furniture. carpets. kravet.com