ANTWERP, Belgium – Algemene TWO is fully operational after a two month loss in weaving time and will exhibit at Proposte and Evteks in the same spaces as in previous years, according to Luc Callens, managing director in charge of marketing and sales.

“There is full continuity guaranteed for all collections for all customers. Maybe we lost in total 500 yards of orders during the two months that we could not weave; all customers were loyal and continue to give us orders now. Of course, we also will exhibit in Showtime (USA) in June together with the High Five group. “Our customer base will continue to be furniture manufacturers, distributors, jobbers, retail chains and also the contract market. We will start creating new collections for Proposte, Evteks, Showtime but the new approach including great packages of high end fabrics with coordinating structures and plains should surprise the visitors at the next MoOD exhibition.”

On February 5, Algemene TWO completed its purchase of production equipment from Frank Hefflink and Nathalie Beernaert, the receivers of the bankrupt Algemene mill. The Ledegem based factory  is now owned by a third party that is leasing the space to Algemene TWO for a nine-year term, Callens said. Production was already going full blast by mid February Luc Callens.

Algemene TWO key management includes Emmanuel De Spiegeleir, supervising production, buying, quality and all technical aspects of the business and Sabine Vermeersch supervising product development and design.
Algemene TWO will be a shareholder and part of High Five Textiles as before, no change planned, Callens said. 

During Showtime in December, Callens was informed about the filing of the bankruptcy. He took immediate action and in a short time, arranged the leaseback and financing from eight industry friends.  Nobody thought he could do it so quickly, according to one industry observer; but Callens did it! Then there was talk of moving the machines to another location but that also passed along with other rumors about who financed the purchase and for how much.

“At that moment it was a matter of remaining positive, turning the button and looking for solutions,” Callens explained. “The idea was to find a combination of the key management of Algemene and international worldwide investors; but not just money investors...people that have passion for textiles. After phoning a couple of days we had the group together. We immediately informed the receivers that we were interested to buy all the assets (except the buildings that were sold in the meantime, but we made a nine year rental contract with the new owners, worked out a fair offer and came quite quickly to a deal with the receivers.”

Callens said the rest was a matter of going through legal procedures and putting the money together. He said the sale terms are private and “the purchase is 100 percent financed with money from the international team with no banks involved.”

 “Algemene TWO will not be just a weaver of high end fabrics. We expect it to grow to a global distributor of high end and possibly other great valued products,” Callens said. “We are aiming to provide product with great value; this means European design at fair prices with low minimums and combined with great packages of different structures and qualities. We will work globally and look for cooperation with the best distributors, agents and fabric manufacturers all over the world. Of course the approach for each country can be and will be different and adapted to the local culture and business spirit.

“Our priorities will be to service our existing customers; better understand their needs, develop more business with them by increasing the partnership approach, offer them wider ranges of products both quality and price wise and at the same time improve our services and logistics by offering worldwide stock programs with 25 meter minimums.

“We are already strong in USA, England and Europe. In general, we want to be stronger and focus on Eastern Europe, China, Russia and Brazil. It looks very challenging but our international team has lots of experience and knowledge of what is needed in Europe, USA, China, Middle East, Russia...and everybody is very motivated and ready to go for it.”

“My life motto always is every problem is an opportunity...the new Algemene TWO company and the international club that we will build around it is exactly the answer to all the negative news we hear all the time about the disappearing textile business in Europe.”