Bryant Sees Wovens Giving Ground to Prints
September 3, 2003
NEW YORK - Bryant Industries Corp., a 52-year-old converter sees a renewed interest in decorative print fabrics in the U.S.A. and worldwide.
In October, the outdoor furniture fabrics specialist will launch its first decorative print fabric line for the home interiors market. Bryant, which is one of the smaller converters in the marketplace, is making a major investment in interior fabrics and has added three industry veterans to help drive the effort. Bryant will be up against giant competitors like P/Kaufmann, Richloom and Covington Industries.
''Wovens have dominated the top of bed, furniture fabric and shower curtains for the past five years or longer,'' said Jean Gield, who was recently hired as chief designer of Bryant Industries Corp. ''The market has become so saturated with the wovens, especially in the mass market that the only place it can go is cheaper and cheaper.''
Gield believes it's the beginning of a turnaround for prints in general. 'With certain companies going after the higher end decorator market, there is a niche opening for a medium-sized converter to innovate with prints.
''We're very bullish on prints,'' she said.
Along with converting and its emerging print business, the company has a niche market with local companies for exclusive shower curtains and bedding. However, Bryant Industries owner and president David Miller said that the company's core business is outdoor furniture fabrics.
''We want to translate our outdoor print expertise into indoor decorative fabrics and retail over-the-counter sales,'' said Miller, whose father Paul founded the company in 1949. He said that Bryant expects to export the print collection in the future and will shop Decosit this year. Bryant expects to show its first printed decorative fabrics line to furniture manufacturers and OTC fabric retailers in October. In January the company is exhibiting in a temporary space in the Market Suites at Showtime.
The firm has ten employees with sales reps around the country. Gield, who has 15 years of experience as a textile designer in home furnishings, is one of three recent personnel additions by Bryant. She joined Bryant Industries in June and was previously with W.C. Design, a U.S. bedding importer. Prior to that, she was designing bedding for Lawrence Home Fashions, a Canadian manufacturer based in Montreal.
Bryant has hired Michael Hirson as VP of operations, a post he previously held at the converter, Cyrus Clark. And Susan Ziccardi has been retained as a design consultant. Ziccardi will spearhead design for the Bryant's interior home collection, which includes marketing Bryant's original designed prints to the mass market furniture manufacturer. Bryant plans to create internally all designs for the new line.
In October, the outdoor furniture fabrics specialist will launch its first decorative print fabric line for the home interiors market. Bryant, which is one of the smaller converters in the marketplace, is making a major investment in interior fabrics and has added three industry veterans to help drive the effort. Bryant will be up against giant competitors like P/Kaufmann, Richloom and Covington Industries.
''Wovens have dominated the top of bed, furniture fabric and shower curtains for the past five years or longer,'' said Jean Gield, who was recently hired as chief designer of Bryant Industries Corp. ''The market has become so saturated with the wovens, especially in the mass market that the only place it can go is cheaper and cheaper.''
Gield believes it's the beginning of a turnaround for prints in general. 'With certain companies going after the higher end decorator market, there is a niche opening for a medium-sized converter to innovate with prints.
''We're very bullish on prints,'' she said.
Along with converting and its emerging print business, the company has a niche market with local companies for exclusive shower curtains and bedding. However, Bryant Industries owner and president David Miller said that the company's core business is outdoor furniture fabrics.
''We want to translate our outdoor print expertise into indoor decorative fabrics and retail over-the-counter sales,'' said Miller, whose father Paul founded the company in 1949. He said that Bryant expects to export the print collection in the future and will shop Decosit this year. Bryant expects to show its first printed decorative fabrics line to furniture manufacturers and OTC fabric retailers in October. In January the company is exhibiting in a temporary space in the Market Suites at Showtime.
The firm has ten employees with sales reps around the country. Gield, who has 15 years of experience as a textile designer in home furnishings, is one of three recent personnel additions by Bryant. She joined Bryant Industries in June and was previously with W.C. Design, a U.S. bedding importer. Prior to that, she was designing bedding for Lawrence Home Fashions, a Canadian manufacturer based in Montreal.
Bryant has hired Michael Hirson as VP of operations, a post he previously held at the converter, Cyrus Clark. And Susan Ziccardi has been retained as a design consultant. Ziccardi will spearhead design for the Bryant's interior home collection, which includes marketing Bryant's original designed prints to the mass market furniture manufacturer. Bryant plans to create internally all designs for the new line.
