ITA Member News

AMERICAN SILK MILLS ADDS JEFFREY W. SMITH AS DIRECTOR OF SALES

American Silk Mills announced that Jeffrey W. Smith has joined the company as director of sales. Smith will report to David Corbin, CEO of American Silk Mills. The addition of Smith will help fulfill the company’s business development strategy and strengthen its sales capabilities.

Smith has more than 20 years of experience in the home furnishings industry. Prior to joining American Silk Mills, Smith worked for Hughes Furniture Industries as national sales manager where he was responsible for hiring, training and managing its sales team. Smith also worked directly with merchandising and product development to create new products, as well as develop marketing and training programs with the companies he has represented. Smith held executive positions of VP of Sales and VP of Business Development at Ashley Furniture Industries, Regional Sales Manager at Broyhill Home Furnishings and VP of Sales at Lane Home Furnishings.

“We are very pleased to welcome someone with Smith’s knowledge and experience to the American Silk Mills team,” said David Corbin, chief executive officer of American Silk Mills. “We believe his leadership in this industry will help us continue to provide our customers with innovative strategies and solutions, as well as create an immediate impact for the company.”

In his role, Smith will be instrumental in analyzing the growth opportunities for American Silk Mills. He will assist in hiring additional sales representatives focused on the residential, jobber and designer end-markets, while also leading business expansion into the Northwest, Southwest, Midwest, Southeast, and international territories.

“It’s a great opportunity to be part of American Silk Mills, a company rich in both heritage and transformation,” said Smith. “I’m looking forward to building lasting customer relationships and growing our business both domestically and internationally.”

BARTSON FABRICS IS LAUNCHING A NEW COLLECTION OF 100% RECYCLED POLYESTER YARNS in both the warp and weft yarns that will have an amazing sustainability story. Yarns made from repurposed plastic bottles that will prevent them from ending up in a landfill or the ocean!

BEVERLY ANGELES ANNOUNCES NEW COLLECTIONS Beverly Angeles introduces first-quality (+100,000 double rubs), in-stock (Los Angeles), no-MOQ new collections. Collections include: Linen - upholstery (3 styles & 14 colors in each), Leather - upholstery (3 styles & 12 colors in each), Double-width sheers (approximately 20 styles all including colors of pure white, off white, ivory, & gray)

View products at www.beverlyangeles.com.

CATANIA FABRICS PROVIDES FABRIC FOR DONATED FACE MASKS The masks pictured are made out of our 100% cotton animal prints. These were donated to the local hospital. Catania has donated more fabrics to various organizations from California to Connecticut to make masks.

CORTINA LEATHERS OFFERS LUXURY LEATHER WITHOUT THE WORRY Thanks to Cortina Leathers you can specify luxury without the worry. The recognized leader in performance textiles, Crypton® is exclusively available on Cortina Leathers. Technical experts at our U.S. manufacturing facility worked extensively with Crypton’s chemists to create stain-, water- and bacteria-resistant leathers with the same look, feel and smell as unprotected leathers—making them perfect for residential and high-traffic spaces. Choose from five bleach-cleanable genuine leathers in over 100 colors and never sacrifice style for safety again. These leathers can be sanitized with 5% bleach solution or common bleach-containing cleaners from Clorox®, ClickSan®, Fantastik® and more. Cortina Leathers collections protected with Crypton include Café, Catalina, Chesapeake, Como and Florence.

CORTINA LEATHERS INTRODUCES TWO NEW COLLECTIONS WITH INTERIOR DESIGNER AND TREND AUTHORITY VIRGINIA LANGLEY Luster by Virginia Langley

Cortina Leathers is releasing their 2nd collaboration with renowned interior design authority Virginia Langley. Unique to the market, Langley worked closely with Cortina Leathers to add three different textural finishes to their best-selling Italian suede collection. The result is a fresh, new look for suede.

For the collection, named Luster, Langley introduces a pressure-meets-texture technique to give these luxurious suedes added texture and longevity that make them perfect for today’s design trends for hospitality markets worldwide. “The velvet organic touch of these beautiful Italian suedes have been innovatively embossed and textured to bring about a sophisticated and luxurious finish,” says Langley.

Luster is combined of three fashionable and sophisticated styles:

ESPRIT True to its name, this suede breathes a free spirit into interior design. The inventive embossing technique imparts free-form, open texture. The result: a sheen that is unusual to suede—one not unlike leather, but that maintains a velvety hand. Available in four colors.

PALMERO Exotic and organic like its namesake: the swaying palm trees of the tropics. Palermo’s fashion-forward, embossed effect is naturally sophisticated with a close texture that invites the hand to reach out and experience the suede softness. Available in four colors.

SANYATI The look of ostrich skin, the feeling of suede. Rendered in a versatile neutral palette, the texture is achieved through a process that maintains softness while imparting unexpected detail. It’s both natural and intriguing—just like the lush African river valley it’s named after. Available in four colors. Cortina on Trend: Contemporary Western

For the new Cortina on Trend collection Virginia Langley curated a grouping of enduring leathers in colors and textures that define this hot trend. These all-natural leathers offer a feast for the senses through touch, sight and scent and contribute to creating a natural environment for our hospitality interiors. Langley comments, “The natural durability of leather is a testament to the longevity and sustainability of this unparalleled material. As current styles prove, Western influence is everywhere in the fashion and interior design markets. I have curated this collection to reflect the trend and inspire your next design adventure.”

Contemporary Western features 14 curated leathers including Italian aniline and suede leathers, along with semi-aniline and nubuck leathers from Germany.

CREST LEATHER USA APPOINTS JAKE JACKSON AS OPERATIONS MANAGER Jake Jackson has joined the Crest Leather USA family as Operations Manager. He will liaise with the tannery and our customers to ensure that operational efficiency aligns with today’s highest manufacturing standards and customers’ quality expectations. Additionally, Jake’s entrepreneurial approach, merchandising experience and extensive leather knowledge render him an essential member of our product development team. While Jake brings substantial operations experience to Crest, he will occasionally assist sales and marketing efforts and strengthen our overall customer experience. Jake is a native of Atlanta, Georgia, and graduated from High Point University where he majored in Business Administration with a concentration in Entrepreneurship and a minor in Furnishings and Product Development.

KASLEN TEXTILES ANNOUNCES NEW DIVISION, KASLEN CONTRACT STRONGER TOGETHER- As we navigate these times of COVID-19, KasLen Textiles is committed to serving our customers and rebuilding our nation together. KasLen

Textiles will continue to stock our best sellers you depend on and introduce new collections for 2020/2021. We are proud to announce our newest division, Kaslen Contract, which offers an extensive line of modern textiles specific to the contract and hospitality trade. Through these tough and uncertain times, we want you to know that you can count on us to be here when you need us most.

MILLIKEN PIVOTS TEXTILE MANUFACTURING TO PRODUCE ADVANCED MEDICAL PPE Global textile manufacturer Milliken & Company is leveraging its materials science expertise to manufacture much needed personal protective equipment (PPE) for the healthcare industry amid the current COVID-19 global pandemic. Milliken’s new advanced medical fabrics and barriers are currently available and complement Milliken’s breakthrough BioSmartTM antimicrobial technology used in scrubs, lab coats and hospital privacy curtains, harnessing the power of bleach to kill up to 99.9% of common bacteria on contact.

Milliken is manufacturing critical barrier protection fabrics to be used in gowns and headcovers for healthcare professionals. Milliken is also researching and developing materials for incorporation into N95-grade masks. These new innovations complement its existing range of products that can be used for temporary shelters in situations where it’s deemed necessary to set up transitory field hospitals.

“We have focused our development and manufacturing processes to help fight the battle against COVID-19,” said Halsey M. Cook, Milliken & Company president and CEO. “We began by engineering our existing textiles into medical-grade fabrics for PPE, and we will continue to seek critical solutions as we navigate this uncharted territory as a company, a nation and a world.”

These new advanced medical textiles and barriers are made in the USA and a result of the company applying deep knowledge in material science to modify fabrics to meet the critical requirements for garments worn by healthcare workers fighting the COVID-19 virus. “Our team of scientists and developers is fully engaged, uncovering solutions to address critical medical and protective needs for those fighting on the front lines of this pandemic,” stated Chad McAllister, president and EVP, Textile Division.

Categorized into Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3, Milliken’s advanced medical fabrics and barriers tested to the ANSI/AAMI PB70 Standard and suit multiple medical environments and usage situations.

• Level 1 Medical Textile, Milliken Perimeter™ :

Suitable for minimal risk situations, including basic care settings and standard hospital medical units, this gown textile provides a slight barrier to small amounts of fluid penetration. Tested to the ANSI/

AAMI PB70 standard.

• Level 2 Medical Textile, Milliken Perimeter™ :

Designed for low risk situations, including suturing and the pathology lab, this gown textile provides a barrier to larger amounts of fluid penetration through splatter and some fluid exposure through soaking. Tested to the ANSI/AAMI PB70 standard.

• Level 3 Medical Barrier, Milliken Perimeter™ :

Designed for moderate risk situations, including hospital emergency rooms and trauma care, this

PPE gown textile provides a barrier against larger amounts of fluid penetration through splatter, and more fluid exposure through soaking than Level 2.

Tested to the ANSI/AAMI PB70 standard.

Milliken has a storied, 150-year legacy in American textile manufacturing and is known worldwide for industryleading performance and protective textiles, including fabrics for first responder PPE, flame-resistant workwear, military uniforms, airbags, commercial and residential interior environments, napery and more.

MILLIKEN & COMPANY DONATED FABRIC TO ROWE FURNITURE to support their initiative with the Healthcare Mask Collaborative. Several associates from Rowe Furniture have been volunteering to sew these masks which have been distributed to multiple organizations. The 100% cotton fabric Milliken donated translated into 515 masks of the 600 masks that were donated to the LAPD.

Read more about this initiative on their blog: https://blog. rowefurniture.com/hope-with-healthcare-mask-collective/

MILLIKEN & COMPANY EARNS RECOGNITION AS ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST ETHICAL COMPANIES® FOR 14TH YEAR ETHISPHERE: HONOR UNDERSCORES GLOBAL MANUFACTURER’S UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO ETHICS IN BUSINESS AS IT WORKS TO MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT FOR GENERATIONS A capstone recognition for the diversified global manufacturer, Milliken & Company celebrates its 14th year among the World’s Most Ethical Companies. Selected by the Ethisphere Institute, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices, the esteemed designation honors companies with purpose-driven strategies that strive to create positive change throughout their global communities.

Milliken & Company, a materials science expert with a portfolio of industry-leading specialty chemical, performance textiles and floor covering innovations, is one of eight industrial manufacturers to receive this designation in 2020. Notably, the company is one of only seven companies to receive this honor for 14 consecutive years—every year since the award was first introduced.

“At Milliken, we constantly raise the bar on the ethical business practices that guide our day-to-day operations and our long-term vision,” said Halsey Cook, president and CEO of Milliken & Company. “Doing the right thing is as important to us as reaching our goals.”

Over the past year, Milliken challenged itself to think bigger about what a relevant sustainable enterprise is in today’s world and embarked on aggressive sustainability goals—covering people, planet and products—to achieve by 2025. The company recently joined the U.N. Global Compact, signed a CEO pledge of inclusivity and has heavily invested in energy projects to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. Milliken views its robust ethics and compliance program as key to fostering trust among key stakeholders and advancing Milliken’s purpose to positively impact the world.

“For 14 years, Milliken consistently demonstrates the power of values-based business ideals in action,” said Ethisphere Institute CEO Timothy Erblich. “Whether it is by developing leading innovations that positively impact the world or by thoughtfully engaging with its communities to spark real change, Milliken embodies a holistic ethical mindset throughout its organization.” Ethics & Performance Ethisphere’s annual practice of tracking how the stock prices of publicly traded honorees compare to the Large Cap Index found that listed 2020 World’s Most Ethical Companies outperformed the large cap sector over five years by 13.5%, confirming that ethics is a competitive differentiator.

Methodology & Scoring Grounded in Ethisphere’s proprietary Ethics Quotient®, the World’s Most Ethical Companies assessment process includes more than 200 questions on culture, environmental and social practices, ethics and compliance activities, governance, diversity and initiatives to support a strong value chain. The process serves as an operating framework to capture and codify the leading practices of organizations across industries and around the globe. Best practices and insights from the 2020 honorees will be released in a report and webcast in March and April of this year.

All companies that participate in the assessment process receive an Analytical Scorecard providing them a holistic assessment of where their programs stand against the demanding standards of leading companies.

Honorees The full list of the 2020 World’s Most Ethical Companies, which includes 132 honorees, representing 21 countries and 51 industries, can be found at: https://worldsmostethicalcompanies.com/honorees.

SATTLER® / OUTDURA® ANNOUNCES ADDITION OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING MANAGER Outdura, a division of The Sattler Group, Austria, announces the addition of Teresa Buelin as Business Development and Marketing Manager, Casual Furniture Division.

In her new role, reporting directly to Uli Tombuelt, CEO, she will focus on building brand awareness, as well as planning and overseeing marketing initiatives to enhance Outdura’s image and create longterm value to the organization while closely working with the sales team and CEO.

Buelin comes to Outdura with years of experience in the casual furniture industry beginning at Lane Venture in several roles as Customer Service Manager, Director of Advertising, Sales Operations Manager and ending as

V.P. of Sales in 2014. More recently, Buelin was Sales and Merchandise Manager for Klaussner Outdoor for the past six years.

“We’ve been in need of this position,” Tombuelt said in a statement. “The addition of Teresa to the group demonstrates Sattler’s commitment to strengthen the Outdura® brand in the casual industry and Sattler® in the U.S. We are pleased to have Teresa on our team.”

Buelin is looking forward to the opportunity. “I’m excited to be with such a well-respected company and valued partner of the Casual Industry. The strength of the company in technology and design, along with the parent company in Austria in full support of the U.S.-based Outdura facility, is all set for doing many exciting new things for the marketplace.”

Sattler AG, headquartered in Graz Austria, is a fifthgeneration, family owned company with 145 years of history in the solution-dyed acrylic fabric market. They specialize in manufacturing and marketing fabrics for awning, marine, transportation and industrial applications throughout the world. Outdura is headquartered in Hudson, N.C. with manufacturing, sales and marketing, corporate services and distribution / logistics all based in Hudson.

SPRINGS CREATIVE INTRODUCES ABSTRUCTURE COLLECTION Curated from its very own Baxter Mill archives, the Abstructure collection by Springs Creative is part of the Spring 2020 introduction. This collection of prints features a mix of natural elements paired with organic geometrics. By softening the hard lines of structured shapes and using the juxtaposition of large-scale botanicals, the Abstructure collection offers a sophisticated approach to embracing imperfection.

The color palette takes inspiration from sun-baked clay hues and earth tones, balanced with soft blues and rich greens. The imperfect lines and watercolor textures embrace the hand-drawn element, while printing on a variety of over 20 textured griege goods gives the appearance of woven textiles. All of these digital prints are created and produced in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and available for use on upholstery, drapery, and other soft goods.

TOM BYRNES It is with great sadness we announce that our dear colleague, Tom Byrnes, passed away at the age of 61 on March 21, 2020, after a courageous battle with cancer, shared Springs Creative.

Tom joined the Springs Creative team in July of 2016 as VP of Merchandising. He brought over 30 years of experience having worked with some of the best furniture manufacturers and textile mills throughout the world, including MasterCraft, PKaufmann, and his own consulting firm Rag Poetry. His capabilities in sourcing, developing, and marketing textiles was impeccable and was paired with his passion for this industry and business. Tom was a dedicated father, inspirational leader, supportive co-worker, encouraging mentor, upstanding colleague, and above all, a friend. His knowledge and talent had an immediate impact on our company and will be long lasting for years to come.

Tom is survived by his daughter Riley Peterson and husband Hayden, son Sean Byrnes, and his brother Joe Byrnes.

The Tom Byrnes Scholarship for the Advancement of Culinary Science and Arts will be hosted at the Foundation for The Carolinas (FFTC) and be available to students attending Central Piedmont Community College. For information on how to make a donation in Tom’s honor please contact Whitney Feld at 704-973-4913 or email wfeld@fttc.org.

SWAVELLE/MILL CREEK FABRICS ACQUIRES INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES OF KEYSTONE WEAVING MILLS Swavelle/Mill Creek, a major supplier of fabrics for the home furnishings industry, has acquired the intellectual properties of Keystone Weaving Mills. In addition to designs, with this purchase Swavelle has procured yarns, dobby looms, and other mill equipment that will allow for a wider breadth of product and enhanced service.

“We are very excited to be able to expand our offerings of upholstery product for the residential and furniture industries, and to leverage our domestic capabilities and resources,” remarked Greg Thomases, Vice President of Swavelle.

The company has also retained Keystone’s VP of Residential Upholstery (and industry veteran) Kristan Dally to develop product that will serve the residential furniture, jobber, retail and RV markets.

“Kristan has an accomplished career in the home textile industry,” continued Thomases. “Her design talents, along with the novelty yarns, will enable us to recreate patterns that customers may still need, as well as provide original styles.”

“I am so honored to be part of the Swavelle team and am thrilled to build on my past successes for the future growth of this company,” Kristan stated. “Establishing inspirational and luxurious fabrics is what drives me, and I look forward to helping Swavelle drive business through collections that appeal to the residential aesthetic.” A new line that will include both jacquard and dobby patterns, is currently in development. All product will be proudly made in the USA, woven in New Jersey at Wearbest Weavers, a Swavelle subsidiary.

SYMPHONY MILLS LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE Interior fabric trader Symphony Mills recently launched its new website. The new site showcases all collections that the company has to offer. The most notable feature of the site is the sample ordering system that was expedited after the Covid-19 outbreak. Customers now have the option to view the catalog online, order sample hangers and have them delivered directly to their front door.

Symphony Mills, a business line of fabric manufacturing group Global Textile Alliance, Inc., launched its new website as an update to its 2015 edition. The update is an enhancement that allows five worldwide hubs to service its customers with a more robust online presence.

Part of this innovation is the company’s online catalogue, which took nearly two years to develop. The company had not planned to launch its catalogue this early, as Sales Director, Jessica Norby, explained: “Our website was supposed to launch at the start of Summer, but with many of our customers working from home with no fabrics for their new furniture and curtain collections, we worked diligently to bring the website live to provide much needed product.” Symphony Mills accelerated its internal process and launched the website and online catalogue earlier than planned. “Orders are gradually coming in and we are noticing the positive effects from this new online investment,” Norby said. “We are now working to prepare all packages in our facilities while practicing social distancing.”

VALDESE WEAVERS TO OPEN A NEW HIGH POINT SHOWROOM Valdese Weavers is relocating their High Point showroom to 311 N. Hamilton Street from their previous location at Market Square Tower. The company will occupy the entire 3rd floor of the 311 building, in a prime N. Hamilton location.

“This is simply a very momentous decision for us,” said Mike Shelton, President and CEO of Valdese Weavers. “We have enjoyed a wonderful 30-year home at Market Square Tower and have a great relationship with its parent company, International Market Centers (IMC).

I want to first thank Bob Maricich and his team at IMC for all they have done for Valdese Weavers over so many great years for our company. I feel that we established an identity for Valdese Weavers on the 6th floor of Market Square Tower that allowed us to showcase, in the best possible way, our growing portfolio of brands. From a single showroom in 1990, to the 10,000 square feet of nine conjoined spaces most recently, it has been a great venue to host our customers and tell our story,” said Shelton. “I also want to thank Brian Casey for the support that the International Textile Alliance (ITA) has given us as a founding member and as a participant in all 60 Showtime fairs. I speak for everyone in our company in saying we are extremely proud that the ITA honored Valdese Weavers with their Best Showroom award at this past Showtime in November 2019.”

“Our industry and the markets that we are privileged to serve are extremely fluid and dynamic. We are all immersed in the most frenetic pace of change that I have experienced in my career, right now! Valdese Weavers strives to continue to be an industry leader. Our future presence in High Point needs to represent our evolving strategy by showcasing our products and services in a way that is consistent with that strategy. Along with our InsideOut Performance Fabrics™

Outreach Gallery at 200 Steele, our new home at 311 N. Hamilton will allow us to do just that! Our showroom will be larger with a much more open environment than before, and provides us with a clean canvas to create an elevated experience for our customers. We hope that when our customers visit us at Showtime and the High Point Market, they will understand immediately what we are saying to the marketplace with this exciting move,” said Shelton.

WEARBEST WEAVERS NOW SUPPLYING HOSPITAL GOWNS Wearbest Weavers, LLC has been committed to mobilizing their technology to support and serve medical personnel since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a matter of weeks Wearbest pivoted their production from performance textiles to weaving PPE fabric, and is now supplying fully tailored medical gowns.

The medical gowns are made with fabrics that are tested for ANSI/AAMI PB 70 standards for Barrier Levels I, II and III. These fabrics are constructed with durable, washable materials. The fabrics were retested after 50 commercial laundering settings in high temperatures as recommended by the CDC with consistent results.

“The healthcare industry primarily uses disposable gowns, for us to be competitive and environmentally conscious we took the extra diligence and effort to develop a washable gown that can be reused,” said Salman Chaudhry, Director of Operations.

The entire supply chain of these gowns is Berry Compliant. From raw materials to the finished product, everything is domestically sourced and Made in the USA. Production will not be impacted by any restrictions or disruptions on or by foreign imports.

Greg Thomases, Vice President of Wearbest parent company Swavelle adds, “The most efficient way to help during this crisis is to offer a fully finished product. Our fabric is woven in NJ, finished in NC, and the gowns are fabricated in NY. We are very proud to offer a Made in the USA product.”

WITHIT ANNUAL CONFERENCE GOES DIGITAL Women in the home and furnishings industry have been challenged to be leaders in our businesses and families as we navigate uncharted waters. WithIt has retooled the conference agenda to speak to us where we are and help us chart our course toward the future.

Join WithIT Conference emcee Denise Ryan Friday, June 26th for her insightful keynote and a day of inspiration, interaction and networking ending with a fun evening Social Hour on Zoom.

Renamed “Navigating Leadership in 2020” to reflect how the entire world has changed in the last two months, the professional conference will bring you new perspectives and tools that you need to navigate the business environment of today.

For more information or to register, visit withit.org.