CAPE GIRARDEAU, Missouri — The Carr Textile Group, a financially A rated, 43 year old fashion workwear, headwear distributor in Fenton, Mo. near St. Louis, hopes to restore R.M. Coco, now renamed RM COCO Décor Ltd. to its former glory as an important residential decorative fabric wholesaler under the leadership of principal and President Michael Carr and his brother Steve. The Carrs bought the assets of RM COCO December 1 and Michael already attended his first Heimtextil with Mark Knight, newly recruited Design Director and Jocelyn Anderson, Merchandising Manager, with the company eight years. The trio expects to attend Proposte this year for the first time as a team. Michael will run the day-to-day product and merchandising business while Steven will handle inside operations. “We are developing better information systems for the customer and a new website for RM COCO,” Michael says. After hearing through the grapevine that RM COCO was for sale, Carr became the successful bidder for RM COCO, which it bought the assets from a St. Louis, based bank in possession–lock, stock and barrel. “Most everyone else wanted to slice and dice the assets. We bought the business in tact –just about everything but the debts– including the 93,000 square foot warehouse and workroom, accounts receivable, equipment and hired all of the 80 plus employees which run the business. The business includes the Custom Creations workroom which produces custom bedding, pillows, draperies and top treatments and all of the fabric brands,” Michael explains. The brands include RM COCO, COCO Classic, COCO Suites, COCO Colors, COCO Allure, COCO Luxe, and COCO Allure Boutique. RM COCO produces 15-20 booked collections twice a year, Michael says. Recently, Michael hired Mark Knight as Design Director to define and refine these brands  “so that each one tells a story to the designer who buys them,” Knight explains. Knight will continue to work with Jocelyn Anderson, Merchandising and Product Development Manager and eight year veteran with RM COCO, Knight came to the job from Kasmir, another jobber based in Dallas. Prior to that, he was with Westgate and Payne Fabrics for 25 years, brands now owned by ADF. Knight will continue to live in Dallas and expects to commute to St. Louis/Cape Girardeau by plane. “I’m delighted that someone like Carr stepped up to buy a going business like RM COCO, taking it forward again instead of seeing it disappear like so many other wholesalers in this business,” Knight says. “Our goal now is to produce everything our customers need before they know they need it,” he says.