INDIANAPOLIS, 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 able to go direct-to-market by stockholding its own collections in its warehouses.

“We're our own jobbers now,” said Paul Bennotti, Camira’s 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 Benotti to manage its business development staff. Bennotti was named the company’s director of business development and brings with him more than twenty years of industry experience including most recently nearly two years as director of marketing for the North American textile manufacturer, the Victor Group.

“Everything is now in place for us to be able 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 the director of sales for its North American markets. “We have great products, fantastic pricing, and – crucially – the systems and staff in place to fulfill customers’ comprehensive sampling needs and provide rapid cut yard logistics.”