35 minute read
WELL-CRAFTED: Lessons in Leadership
Chris Broome
BY JENNIFER JENSEN
Chris Broome is at the helm of his family-owned window treatment company, Draper, which specializes in commercial roller shades. Broome is the fifth generation to run the company. He took over the reins from cousin John Pidgeon in January 2020, right at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Broome’s father is vice president of manufacturing Mike Broome.
Broome started out as a regional manager for the Midwest sales territory. He covered five states and really got to know the business. “You started and you had several jobs,” he said. “You worked your way up, so you had to learn it.”
Family businesses come with benefits, but they can also come with challenges.
“You don’t want the business side to get into the way of the personal, family relationship,” Broome said. And he feels like that is why some family businesses fail.
In addition to that, there’s also extra pressure that comes with running a family business. “You want to continue to build that legacy,” he said.
However, he said he never felt pressured to lead the company. “I was always really fortunate that way,” he said. His father and cousin wanted to ensure everyone would be happy with the decision for Broome to take over as president. “They wanted to make sure it was a good fit,” he added. Broome uses that family legacy to his advantage, turning it into inspiration.
WFV: To be around for 120 years in the window treatment industry takes grit, determination and innovation. How has Draper sustained and continued to grow?
One of the biggest things the company has done is to constantly look for opportunities, whether they are new products or new markets, Broome said.
The company started out 120 years ago selling window shades to schools. It then expanded and offered projection screens to the schools and eventually offered window shades to commercial markets. Recently, it has expanded into
the residential market under the brand Draper@Home.
WFV: How would you describe your leadership style?
Broome said he learned a lot from his father and other mentors. He believes one should lead by example. “I’m also a person that thinks you have to be seen to lead,” he said. “You need to spend a lot of time out in the factory.”
Draper has more than 750 employees. Although he may not know them all, he said he tries to meet as many people as he can.
It is also important to bring people together in an organization. Reaching collaborative decisions together is good for business, Broome said.
“When you have somebody who makes all the decisions, in a dictator-type style, that can move the needle, but it doesn’t serve you well in the long term,” he said.
Broome said prior to making a decision, he thinks about all the stakeholders who will be impacted by it. He then puts all those people in a room to get their opinions.
In companies, it’s easy to become compartmentalized and have each department do their own thing and not communicate with each other, Broome said.
“The more you can break those barriers down, the more success you will have,” Broome said.
WFV: How do you encourage new ideas and where do those come from?
Leaders should encourage new ideas among employees and foster an environment where they feel comfortable bringing them up to management, he said. “You want people to be open-minded,” he added.
Another great place to garner new ideas from is your customer base. Broome encouraged companies to listen to their customers’ feedback.
Broome said he gets inspired when he goes out and spends time with his customers. He learns new ways to help them solve their problems.
WFV: How does Draper differentiate itself from others in the industry?
The company strives to ship in short lead times, he said. “We ship it when we say we’re going to ship it,” Broome said.
The company also offers exceptional customer service, he added. If there is an issue, the company will make it right.
WFV: How do you retain employees?
Broome said the company works hard to keep their employees happy and encourage retention. Besides the obvious pluses of competitive pay and good benefits, the company also holds employee appreciation days and luncheons where they solicit feedback from their employees.
The company also has an on-site health clinic where employees can receive primary health care services. This is a huge benefit for employees because the company is in the rural, small town of Spiceland, Indiana. The town is not located very close to health services. Complementing the clinic is an on-site wellness park, including walking trails, which can be used on lunch breaks or even after work.
“We do a lot of things to try and encourage our employees to stay,” Broome said.
And it seems to be working. The company has many employees who have been there for 20 and 25 years. One of their shade manufacturer department heads just celebrated 50 years at the company.
WFV: What’s next for the company in the short term?
In the near term, the company hopes to grow more into the residential marketplace. It already has a strong hold of the commercial market.
“We see the real, strongest, future growth opportunity through the residential channel,” Broome said.
And in growing this market, the company will need to continue to innovate.
“We plan to bring products to market that differentiate ourselves from our competitors,” Broome said.
The company will introduce a flex-style shade with decorative brackets. This has a “much more residential feel than any type of window covering product that we have produced,” Broome said.
The company has also begun construction of a 100,000-square-foot building.
“We’ll pick up more production capacity and we’ll pick up more warehouse space,” Broome said. This will help keep production timelines short, he added.
Broome said he is also proud that the company continues to keep all manufacturing facilities in Spiceland. The new facility will increase employees to about 800. Once complete, the company will have 500,000 square feet of manufacturing facilities.
“Being able to create jobs and opportunities in rural America is something to be proud of too,” he said. V
WHAT IS LUXURY?
The word means something different to everyone. What one might consider a luxury, another might consider a necessity. We all have our own standards and what we consider needs or wants. Some may think of things that are extremely extravagant when defining luxury, while others see comfort as a luxury. We gathered those in the industry to find out what luxury means to them and how they would describe luxury specifically relating to window treatments.
“I define luxury as a moment or a feeling of when you look around your surroundings and would not change a single thing. I personally believe that ‘rich’ means being around people and things you truly love; whatever that means to you personally. To me, combining these worlds to suit your every day is living a rich life of luxury.”
“Luxury window treatments suit the need of the space they’re in in an effortless way. When you need to filter light to best enjoy the space, the opportunity is there at your fingers to make adjustments and continue on. I think the best window treatments, similar to a great waiter at a restaurant or referee in a sports game, can often go unnoticed but are a vital element for a complete and enjoyable experience for all.”
—SARA LYNN BRENNAN
CEO AND PRINCIPAL INTERIOR DESIGNER, SARA LYNN BRENNAN INTERIORS
PHOTO: COULISSE
“Our sustainable fabrics made from recycled yarns are our new luxury. We have developed these fabrics, as we want to be careful about what we add to the world. We aspire to make better choices and think more about our products before launching them. This gives us a real sense of luxury. And, of course, together with our smart home concept MotionBlinds, we are bringing beauty and intelligence together. This is the ultimate form of luxury. Pure, beautiful and tactile fabrics working seamlessly together with our advanced systems and smart technology. Now we can all have luxury in our daily lives.”
—CATHARINA IDEMA
CREATIVE DIRECTOR, COULISSE
—RICK BAKER CEO, EXCITING WINDOWS BY GALAXY DRAPERIES
—BURNA WRIGHT
FOREST DRAPERY HARDWARE
Luxury is “something enjoyed or enhanced over and above the ordinary necessities in life.”
—PAULA DEASON PHIFER
—LINDSEY PUTZIER
LINDSEY PUTZIER DESIGN STUDIO
“I think the traditional definition—an inessential, desirable item that is expensive or difficult to obtain—has waned and evolved in the last several years. Luxury is more than just a product or a brand, it is about experience, accessibility or a feeling of being special because you are the only one who has it.”
“Though the key to luxury is always exclusivity, which usually equates into products that are perceived as quality, elegant, comfortable and are higher priced, this no longer holds true. The term ‘luxury’ is evolving to encompass several additional things. Not all luxury purchases are necessarily the most expensive … There is a shift in priorities from notions of ‘what you can do’ to ‘who you can be.’ Today our clients are looking for experiences that help them learn, differentiate themselves, express who they are and have a purpose beyond comfortable elegance.” “Modern luxury in window treatments applies to both the products we design and sell and the service experience we provide our clients. To me, luxury window treatments are sophisticated statements informed by the past, exquisitely crafted by artisans, and are creative solutions to each window that provide superior performance made of luscious materials. They are so much more than a finishing touch in a room. It’s about ‘true’ custom craftsmanship, not ‘designing’ from a pricing chart limited by your vendor options. It’s about the recognition of the hand and providing a product and service that is personal and unique to each client. Window treatment designers are becoming storytellers, curators and concierges of the luxury window experience.”
—DEB BARRETT
SPEAKER, DESIGNER, CONSULTANT AND COACH
PHOTO: DEB BARRETT
“Luxury custom window treatments are made up of three things: the materials used, the fabrication process and the installation. It doesn’t matter how well one of these is done; without the other two, it will be downgraded significantly. No matter how beautiful the fabric is, if there is no care in the fabrication or installation process, it will look like any other fabric. Two of these parts are not enough either. All three must be achieved in unity to provide a full custom luxurious product. Higher quality materials combined with attention to details and hand-stitching fabrication techniques, then handed off to be installed properly by a professional, will make that window treatment luxurious no matter the setting it is in. When materials, fabrication and installation all sync in unity, the final product is one to be envied.”
—ELIZABETH GERDES
OWNER, STITCH ABOVE THE REST
“In window treatments, luxury is expressed in all of the elements from concept, design, product selection, fabrication and installation. In some ways, all custom window treatments are luxury because they are ‘made to fit’ a space, designed for a client on purpose and not mass-produced. But the ultimate luxury in window treatments is a design that meets the needs of the client but enhances the overall look and feel of the room.”
—MICHELE WILLIAMS
CEO AND FOUNDER, SCARLET THREAD CONSULTING
LuAnn Nigara
“By definition, luxury is the act or product that adds pleasure or comfort but is not necessary.
Our consumer does not need to have custom window treatments, they desire them. So, when we show up as the professional—able to educate, design and provide a seamless experience—this translates value and draws the luxury consumer to us.”
—LUANN NIGARA
SPEAKER, AUTHOR AND PODCAST HOST
INTERIOR DESIGNERS DEFINE LUXURY
Three designers share their views on luxurious window treatment styles and products they are selling and what they see for the future.
BY JENNIFER JENSEN
Luxury is a loaded word and defining it can be tricky.
We asked three interior designers for their take on luxury. Each had somewhat of a different response, as there is no right or wrong answer. It is simply an opinion and one that can take shape in a multitude of ways. Luxury can vary based on location, stature and from person to person. When talking about luxury in interior design, one can’t ignore window treatments. Window treatments can be a statement piece in a room if done correctly. And for those selling to high-end clients, the options and wants can vary from client to client. As a designer, they must truly listen to their clients and inform them of the latest trends and styles.
For self-taught interior designer Rachel Moriarty, owner of Rachel Moriarty Interiors, luxury is “so much more than functional or essential, it’s sumptuous surroundings.”
Michelle Castagna, owner of Muse Design Studio, who has been serving high-end residential clients for 25 years, said luxury is defined by her client. “Luxury is where they see the value,” she said. “It’s an overall finished product. It’s how you make their lifestyle feel luxurious in an understated way.”
For Cheryl Luckett, owner of Dwell by Cheryl Interiors, luxury is extreme comfort. “Luxury is about having things or a lifestyle or a home that make you ultimately comfortable,” she said. “Those little things that before you need to request them, they’re already there.”
DESIGN BY CHERYL LUCKETT. PHOTOGRAPHED BY LAURA SUMRAK PHOTOGRAPHY.
DESIGN BY MICHELLE CASTAGNA. PHOTOGRAPHED BY IBI DESIGNS.
WHAT ABOUT LUXURY IN WINDOW TREATMENTS?
Luckett is very passionate about window treatments and said, in and of themselves, window treatments are simply luxurious. “You literally have tons of fabric floating on your wall,” she said. “That is luxury. That brings an element, a layer to the space. There is no substitute for that, for that feeling drapery brings.”
Moriarty defined luxurious window treatments as those that are “custom, detailed and layered with beautiful hardware and motorization.”
Castagna said luxury in window treatments is about scaling back. “People don’t want all the fuss,” she added.
And while each designer is located in a different part of the United States, there are some similarities in what they are selling to their high-end clients.
“I’m in Southern California and we have a very relaxed coastal vibe here,” Moriarty said. Lately for her clients, she has been featuring roman, woven and roller shades, as well as ripplefold drapery. Moriarty said while working on a lot of modern luxury beach homes, these are the things most requested. “But they also want them motorized,” she added.
While drapery still exists, these aren’t the major things Castagna is selling these days. She said people seem to want more of a clean look and are asking for much more simplistic window treatments. She is selling more panels, simple hangings, drapery pockets and less hardware and trimmings.
South Florida-based Castagna said she feels like there is a less is more mentality in the world. “Luxury is being represented on a more simplistic scale.” She attributes this to the two years during the COVID-19 pandemic when people were stuck at home, as well as the constant visual stimulation people are experiencing on a day-to-day basis. “We see more in a day than our ancestors saw in a lifetime,” Castagna said.
Due to this overexposure out in the world, people are wanting visual calm at home. Home is their sanctuary, she said. “We are all seeking that refuge from that visual chaos,” she added. While some of this might be true, for Charlotte, North Carolina-based Luckett, she is seeing some of the opposite as well. “We’re no longer spec-ing the simple things,” Luckett said. She feels there has been a shift away from the simple designs that have been so popular the last several years. “People want those things that feel special, really custom, made especially for their space,” she added.
DESIGN BY RACHEL MORIARTY. PHOTOGRAPHED BY DEBORAH SHIELDS PHOTOGRAPHY.
She agreed that the pandemic played a part in what people are asking for now. People are now wanting functionality out of their drapery, which is something that wasn’t asked for in the past. “They know how they live now and want something functional and that meets their extreme comfort desires,” she said.
Clients are asking Luckett for window treatments that are easy to close, can block the light and keep the room cool. Her company is installing more track systems from the floor to the ceiling and more motorization. Clients are also seeking a more maximalism approach. They want color, patterns, luxury and details, Luckett added. “People are yearning for those luxurious details with that functionality,” she said.
A huge trend that all designers are seeing and expect to continue is automation and motorization. These are those hidden components that one doesn’t see. But these “details you don’t see take more time,” Castagna said. Window treatments have been simplified into very basic forms and they become part of the backdrop, she added. “There is more of a flow and less in your eye kind of detail,” Castagna said. Luckett said she sees the pendulum swinging back to those old details, but with a technological touch. “You can have the pretty and the function,” she said.
Moriarty agreed that motorization is the future in window treatments. “My clients like to be able to schedule, open and close their window treatments from a remote or their smartphone or by voice using Google Home or Alexa,” she added.
Castagna believes automation and motorization will become more accessible in the future. It won’t be something just the high-end client can afford. They will get more sophisticated for the people who can spend more money on it. “To develop window treatments in a technical way is the evolution,” she added. V
HOW DO YOU DEFINE LUXURY?
We’d love to hear it. Send an email to editor@wf-vision.com. » Michelle Castagna:
MuseDesign.studio IG: @muse_design_studio
» Cheryl Luckett: DwellByCheryl.com IG: @dwellbycheryl
» Rachel Moriarty:
RachelMInteriors.com IG: @rachelmoriartyinteriors
THESE COMPANIES HIT THE MARK
BY JENNIFER JENSEN
To become a staple in any industry is no small feat and to be sustainable long enough to hit a major milestone is another one. This especially applies to such a niche market as the window treatment industry. Yet, there are numerous companies who are celebrating their 20th anniversary and beyond, even up to 120 years. We applaud those companies. Congratulations!
120 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE FROM DRAPER
Draper was founded in 1902 by Luther O. Draper in Spiceland, Indiana. The company manufactured and sold window shades to schools, initially in Indiana and western Ohio. In the 1950s, Draper’s grandson, Luther Pidgeon, invented the company’s first projection screen for schools. For many years, this was the company’s largest revenue stream.
In 1968, Draper’s great-grandsons John Pidgeon and Mike Broome joined the company and were part of much of its most dramatic growth. Now, Chris Broome is the fifth generation to lead Draper and members of the sixth generation are already working with the company as well.
Draper now designs and manufactures motorized window shades, as well as manually operated shades. The company also provides outdoor shading systems, including roller shades, “ZIP” shades, metal shading systems, and custom solar control solutions that are unique, one-off designs specific to each project.
“Our product diversification gives us capabilities that most other manufacturers don’t have,” said Terry Coffey, external communications specialist for Draper. “Our integrated manufacturing means we make most of what we need right here in our own factory, so supply chain issues are less of a concern for us.”
The company said it also provides a high level of customer service, quick manufacturing lead times and ships products on time.
Throughout Draper’s existence, the owners, managers, and employees have seen the company itself as a legacy—for the family, for the community and for the industry.
“Our ability to not only survive but thrive and grow over 120 years is a testament to hard work and commitment,” Coffey said.
PHIFER PIONEERS FOR 70 YEARS
In the 1950s, air conditioning was expensive and rare. The primary means for many to cool down was through ventilation in windows and doors and insect screening was a critical component to protect from insects. In October 1952, James Reese Phifer, an attorney with no previous manufacturing experience, transformed a five-employee weaving factory in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, into a screen and fabrics business.
The second generation began managing the company in 1984, when Beverly Phifer was named president. Under her leadership and dedication to product innovation, Phifer expanded its product lines with the development of SheerWeave, an interior roller shade fabric designed to manage light and heat at the window and Phifertex outdoor furniture fabric. Today, both product lines have continued to grow. The company is now in its third generation as a Phifer family-owned and -operated corporation.
In its history, Phifer said it has always worked to provide the highest quality products in the industries it serves. The company’s vision is “to excel in everything we do” and its mission is “to serve customers.”
When the company was founded in 1952, there were more than 60 weaving companies making insect screening in the U.S. Today, Phifer is the only made in the USA manufacturer remaining.
ROWLEY ROLLS INTO YEAR 60
R.H. Rowley and his wife, Vaughn.
Rowley has been in the window coverings industry for more than 50 years. It has grown and evolved since its founding in 1962 by R.H. Rowley and his wife, Vaughn. The couple moved to Atlanta and purchased The House of Draperies, a small drapery workroom and installation business. The business quickly grew to 11 workroom tables. The Rowleys sold the Atlanta company and moved back to New England. They saw a need for drapery supply wholesalers in the area and began supplying drapery and installation products to trade professionals in the region.
The company began to innovate in 1982 when Rowley came up with the T-handle, a solution for casement window cranks that prevented blinds and draperies from hanging correctly. “The phenomenal customer reaction to this product line, and several other unique problem-solvers, was the genesis of a national company,” the company said.
The company moved to Gastonia, North Carolina, where its company offices still remain today.
In the 1990s, the company’s product line continued to expand from several dozen unique items to more than 10,000 items to aid workrooms, designers, installers and upholsterers in exceeding their customers’ expectations.
The company continued to expand, into its sixth warehouse, and Rowley eventually retired and sold the company to private investors. They leveraged the company’s value proposition into new product lines and new channels of business while staying true to the foundation that made the company so successful. Then, it acquired custom decorative drapery hardware manufacturer Resin Solutions Inc., and then launched Finestra Decorative Hardware, an elegant line of handcrafted custom drapery hardware.
The company continued to innovate and implemented new operating systems to improve efficiencies in the customer service call center, warehouse and order packaging.
It opened a warehouse facility in Las Vegas, Nevada, and continued expanding its product line with a full line of metal decorative drapery hardware under the AriA brand. Rowley extended the Rowley brand directly to the home decor channel by launching a line of DIY products at JoAnn Fabrics stores, and further positioned the brand to the DIY market with the online launch of Rowley DIY.
It then acquired Article Inc., a leading designer and manufacturer of decorative drapery hardware. The business continues to grow under the banner of Home Décor International.
“We’ve remained true to our original focus of providing excellent customer service and delivering an experience that exceeds your expectations,” the company said.
Rowley said it distinguishes itself from its competitors by offering a one-stop- shop selection of competitively priced and innovative products for workrooms, designers, upholsterers and installers while also providing free expert technical support, education and training to help customers grow their businesses and enhance the experience for the clients that they serve.
The company calls itself a champion for small business owners who are able to access the products, resources and training they need to successfully develop and grow their businesses.
CUSTOM MACHINERY FOR OVER 50 YEARS
Creative Machinery was started by Michael and Irmi Tuskos (changed later to Tueskoes) after they immigrated from Hungary in 1957 with no knowledge of sewing or the ability to speak English. The two started a small drapery workroom and an upholstery shop in Miami, Florida, a few years later, which eventually became Tueskoes Drapery Machinery in 1964.
Irmi learned to make drapes, swags, and everything else that was necessary. When Michael came home from studying mechanical engineering at the University of Florida, he noticed how hard it was to make perfect drapes on horizontal tables and, thus, along with Irmi’s help, the Vertical Tabler was born.
“In a few months, the news spread in Miami about the new invention—Vertical Tabler,” Irmi said. The company sold numerous tablers to many workrooms before closing the shop and moving to Louisville, Kentucky. Shortly after, the couple reopened the drapery machinery business under the name Tuskos Machinery and the drapery business, Bluegrass Drapery. Michael designed several new machines for the drapery fabricating industry, including the Six Function Cutting Machine.
In 1974, the couple sold both businesses. They restarted the drapery workroom, calling it Bluegrass Drapery again. The equipment business was also restarted and named Creative Machinery LLC with several newly designed machinery for drapery workrooms and the textile industry.
“We were the pioneers in this business, the first company offering drapery fabricating machines in the U.S., and all over the world,” said Mary Kollarits, daughter of the Tueskos and operations manager at the company. “We operated a drapery workroom for many years to test and use the machinery in a real operating workroom to provide the best result.”
Creative Machinery now offers a variety of equipment, including the JR cutting machine. Along with the Vertical Tabler, Creative Machinery also offers the Slanted Micro Tablers from 20 feet to 38 feet wide and fabric wholesalers and handlers like the ECONO fabrication inspection machine, up to a 135-inch-wide machine.
“Now, we are developing the simple, horizontal table clamps with an affordable price for smaller workrooms,” Irmi said. “These machines are time-savers, and the investment is recouped in a short amount of time.”
Irmi said the company’s motto is “Tell us what you need, and we will try to make it.”
“The founders Michael and Irmi Tueskoes were the key people who helped the company to grow where it is today, relentlessly putting in time and effort to make it where it is today,” Kollarits said.
The company said they are devoted to their customers and building machines that are reliable and can be used for years. For example, the company received a call from someone in Hawaii whose father used a JR machine for 35 years and he wanted to order one for his own workroom.
COULISSE TURNS 30
Coulisse started 30 years ago in 1992 in an apartment in Enter in the Netherlands. Christiaan Roetgering began the trading company with one computer and the help of his brother, Maurice, and his family. They began trading with 10 employees, which eventually grew to more than 250 employees today.
“We are proud that every single person over the last 30 years has helped to get Coulisse to where they are today,” the Roetgerings said.
Coulisse offers a total solution of collections, advanced systems and MotionBlinds smart technology. This is a concept that can work together or stand -alone to meet the exact needs of their customers and partners around the world.
It also offers textile collections that they claim combine beauty, functionality and sustainability in one. “Our fabrics help to create happy, healthy, inspiring and energyefficient spaces for people to live and work,” the company said.
The company’s engineers develop modular window covering systems that are smart, safe, stylish and user-friendly.
The company sets itself apart from others by embracing technology. “We are ready for Matter, the smart home standard of the future that is currently being developed by Apple, Google, Amazon, SmartThings and many others,” the company said. “When Matter becomes available in late 2022, Eve MotionBlinds motors will be Matter certified and work directly with all leading smart home systems.”
The company has an in-house creative studio, research and development department, and the Coulisse Academy. “With our passion, creativity and know-how, we give our clients the wings and inspiration to strengthen any vision, strategy, assortment and brand proposition,” the company said.
The company said it strives to be good for the people and plants by creating sustainable products to make the world a beautiful and comfortable place for future generations to enjoy.
Christiaan and Maurice Roetgering said they are proud to celebrate 30 years. “If we think back to starting in our living room in 1992, it’s incredible and truly humbling to be the global leader in innovative and smart window coverings throughout the world,” the Roetgerings said. “As a family business, we are always grateful for the long-standing partnerships with customers and suppliers and the talented people we work with every day. We are excited about the future.”
In 1993, Craig and Randy Rubin came up with a plan in their home in Michigan. Randy, a marketing executive, and Craig, who worked in the fabrics industry, imagined a fabric that could stand up to life’s messes and still be touchable and beautiful, and one that would change the way designers could use fabric in commercial and public spaces.
They co-founded Crypton. Randy was chairman and oversaw the marketing and brand strategy. She was responsible for collaborations with artists, designers and architects, including the firm’s famous line with fine art photographer William Wegman and architect Michael Graves. Craig handled the operations. The couple eventually sold the business to Berkley Capital in 2017, but Craig remains on the Crypton Board of Directors.
“At the time, they likely could not have envisioned that they would ultimately create the fabrics that launched a global design trend of white sofas and that have added ease and beauty to the lives of millions,” the company said.
Crypton CEO Lance Keziah has been with the company for 20 years. Due to his efforts, the world’s first performance fabrics made with 50% to 70% recycled cotton fibers were introduced to the furniture market in 2020. Crypton performance cottons are now featured in retail stores across the country including at luxury furniture retailer Arhaus.
He was also a part of the world’s first and only bio-responsive woven residential upholstery fabrics made with Celliant yarns that reflect human body heat back as healing infrared energy with clinically proven wellness benefits, including improved circulation, cellular oxygenation, faster recovery and better sleep. Introduced to the residential design trade in June 2022 exclusively at Kravet, these fabrics are at the forefront of an industry-wide, designfor-wellness movement.
The company also created the world’s first and only U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-listed disinfectable fabrics. Crypton barrier fabrics for contract used along with its fabric cleaner are a two-part system recognized by the EPA as disinfectable fabrics.
In 2018, Keziah helped the company expand into Europe. He also organized the 2019 acquisition of the former Abercrombie Textiles mill, now the Crypton Mills at Broad River, North Carolina, where the new recycled cottons and Wellness Textures fabrics were developed and made. Another key individual at Crypton is Senior Vice President Jack Eger. He is responsible for creating a market for Crypton’s Home brand, which in its short, eight-year history has become a leading indoor residential performance fabric.
In addition to the first-to-market innovations, Crypton Home’s best-selling fabric, Nomad Snow, a white, linen-like textured upholstery fabric, is widely considered to be the material that facilitated a nationwide trend: the white sofa, according to the company. “Before Nomad Snow, and Crypton’s marketing showing all sorts of outrageous spills wiping cleanly off of its soft, sophisticated surface, nobody would have dreamed of having a white sofa,” the company said.
Over the years, Crypton kas kept its focus on what it’s known for: indoor performance fabrics.
The company has also focused on corporate responsibility in sustainability. The company launched Crypton’s PFAS-free technology and created a brand-wide PFAS-free policy for all Crypton fabrics, commercial and residential, and all Crypton fabrics are GREENGUARD Gold certified.
“Crypton was founded on a premise of making people’s lives easier, more comfortable and creating healthier and more beautiful environments for people,” the company said. “Crypton has accomplished this for 30 years through a persistent commitment to innovation— looking beyond what exists, discovering what’s possible and making it happen.”
Founder and President Grace McNamara purchased Window Fashion Vision magazine in October 1986 from the Industrial Fabrics Association International. Within the first year of the acquisition, McNamara quickly recognized the need for training and education in the industry and developed a traveling two-day conference specifically for window treatment retailers and designers. The conference was the foundation for the Window Fashions Certified Professionals Program, today the leading training program in the industry, offering courses online and live at the annual International Window Coverings Expo (IWCE).
In 1991, the company produced the first Window Fashions Expo in Chicago, Illinois, with Mario Buatta as a keynote speaker. The first Design & Workroom Competition awards were also introduced at this conference, evolving into the most prestigious awards recognizing excellence in design and fabrication of custom window treatments.
In 1997, McNamara and her team launched IWCE in Atlanta, Georgia, competing with the World of Windows show. With superior education and customer service, McNamara said her show was favored by the industry. After a brief partnership with the competition, she eventually purchased the event.
In between these business milestones, McNamara adopted four daughters from Poland in 1993: Paulina, Magdalena, Bogusia and Ania. Following in her footsteps, today, youngest daughter Ania is a business partner and vice president of the company. McNamara said Ania’s dedication and love of the industry will help continue the vision and goals of the company well into the future.
LONGTIME STACEY’S HOME DÉCOR OWNER CELEBRATES 52 YEARS
BY JENNIFER JENSEN
After 52 years, Stacey Home Décor Owner Vincent Lozzi Jr. has retired. He carried on the family legacy of the company after taking it over from the original owner, Leon Stacey. He decided to keep the name because it had become a household name in the community. Four generations of Lozzi’s family have now been a part of the business.
In 1915, Stacey started Stacey’s Shade and Screen in Lynn, Massachusetts. It became a staple of the community and helped out during World War II by providing shades to those in the community. During that time, Stacey invented many items with materials he had from custom shades and screens, including a mobile baby playpen.
Later, Lozzi joined the company as a 17-year-old junior in high school. He learned all about window treatments and to how to make the shades and rollers by hand from the original owner. Later, Stacey’s son, Frank took over the business and changed the name to Stacey’s Shade Shop. Lozzi worked alongside him until purchasing the company in 1986 and changed the name to Stacey’s Window Fashions. “Generations of families have come to Stacey’s,” Lozzi said. “It’s just a nice feeling.”
Lozzi still continues to make custom wood roller shades and uses the same machine Leon and Frank Stacey used.
“As a kid, I would go to yard sales with my dad and he would always buy old, junky Singer sewing machines and I never knew why,” said Tony Lozzi, Vincent’s son and now owner of the business. “Because they were so rare, anytime he found one, even if it was broken, he would buy it and store it in the basement just in case he needed a part.”
Lozzi, along with his then-employee David Carpinella, invented and developed the first wood slat vertical blind.
“My father told me in the early 1980s he was given a business card and it was made of wood—a very thin piece of wood,” Tony said. “So, he thought this would be a great idea for a vertical blind.”
Eventually, Lozzi changed the name to Stacey’s Home Décor, but today the company still offers the same exceptional customer service and quality products—even while dealing with a recession, pandemic and possible closure over the years.
“My father has always been a resilient person, and [Stacey’s Home Décor] was his pride and joy besides his wife and children,” Tony said.
Lozzi recalls a customer who came into the store in the ’80s looking to have about eight shades replaced, but the price point was just too high for her. So, Lozzi utilized the same shade and simply turned it over, saving her a large amount of money. Twenty years later, this same customer called to have Stacey’s install window shades on all 52 windows in her house.
“She said, ‘I never forgot the day you did that for me,’” Lozzi said. “You do those little things for people because you’re not like the box stores.”
Those little things are remembered and keep people coming back. It’s what has sustained Stacey’s for so long. “We were here in 1915 and we’re here now in 2022,” he said.
Although he is now technically retired, Lozzi said he still goes to work, offering up his consulting services. Although, he is looking forward to taking longer than a weeklong vacation with his wife in his retirement and possibly even buying a home in Florida to venture to during the winter. V
Vincent Lozzi Jr.
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