LANCASHIRE, United Kingdom — Thornber Home & Leisure Ltd. is looking to the U.S. jobber and manufacturer for increased sales of its low to middle ranges of woven fabrics.

“We sell our volume production to the UK furniture trade including DFS but we are looking for greater margin business through brands like Busby & Busby,” said Bill Collins, sole principal who hopes to achieve $20 million in annual sales with the inclusion of the U.S. business to be developed in 2012.

Thornber and Busby & Busby, with sales of $12 million annually, was cobbled together in 2010 through a series of purchases by Collins, the 48 year old textile veteran who was voted Lancashire entrepreneur of the year in 2011 for his deal making. Collins’ recent purchases included the original Thornber mill in Clitheroe that was headed for bankruptcy and Black Sheep Textiles, a failing dyer and finisher. By combining the two entities James Thornber and Black Sheep, Collins created a vertical operation. Thornber’s 100 year old classical design archive also went with the Collins purchase. Thornber now produces cotton, polyester, poly/cotton with the capability of standard back coating and unbranded FR lines in the $4-$12 range F.O.B. for export.

Busby & Busby, the high street editeur at Decorex and Maison Objet was also purchased by Collins in 2010 and all Thornber lines were consolidated at Busby & Busby’s Dorset based distribution center. Busby & Busby exports and distributes linen, cotton and silk to the U.S., Russia and China. Busby & Busby is distributed in the U.S. through Sterling & Knight in Boston.

The other lines now made by Thornber include Thornber’s brand for mass market sales; Bowland Fabrics for the middle range market and two more lines are expected for 2012 for the hospitality and healthcare markets, Collins said. 

Collins was recently joined by Neil Mooney as a non executive director who is now looking for a sales agent in the USA. Mooney and Collins worked together before at Dovedale which was acquired by Crowson’s over ten years ago.   F&FI