NEW YORK, NY— Designtex is turning up new business markets and new ways to run its marketing under the leadership of Susan Lyons, president since June, 2012. 

One example of the new activity is Designtex Surface Imaging, a newly named division that is developing large format design and then digitally printing the image on a variety of surfaces including fabric, according to Lyons, Designtex is also designing and installing in-store displays for many retailers, mostly in the apparel world so far but this is expected to change. Designtex now has 500 customers in the digital printing area. “This development was one of the things which attracted me back to Designtex,” Lyons said. 

The latest Designtex Surface Imaging installation was shown at Boutique Design New York at the Javits Convention Center in November.

Lyons rejoined Designtex after a ten year hiatus when she left to start her own company, Susan Lyons Studio and consulted for Herman Miller as creative director of materials for six of those years. Her previous post at Designtex was vice president, design and marketing when she left in 2002.

Designtex Surface Imaging was previously named Portland Color and was acquired by Designtex just over six months ago. The 35 man company, most employees with artistic backgrounds, is giving Designtex new business horizons that is expected to result in multi millions of new sales with Hospitality, Corporate and Retail markets. “We are installing and printing display modules in stores,” Lyons explained. Designtex is also working directly with the A/D community on new design projects using the large format printing.

Current customers include L.L. Bean, Athleta and Eileeen Fisher. About 50 percent of the new digital business is geared to hospitality; 25 percent to apparel and 25 percent to corporate, she said. “This is a great way to brand hospitality projects,” she added. The printing covers wall coverings, acrylic resin panels, rigid surfaces and fabric.

Lyons has also revamped her marketing department. In fact, she disbanded it after realizing that a four man department cannot possibly keep up with all the demands of a 215 person organization with all that is required in print, digital, web, social media and event planning. 

Instead, she hired Michael McGinn, a colleague she worked with for 20 years and  who runs an outside marketing agency named ‘Standard Issue’. 

“My job is to efficiently use all of our resources and to build a company that continues to build meaningful product,” she explained. One of her other moves had to do with Carol Derby who was vice president and director of environmental strategy and now is vice president of research and design, a new post at Designtex. The old post is being embedded into the organization without having someone specifically assigned Derby’s former role.

“We have to design products to solve customers’ problems—not just put out more products for their own sake,” she said. “Product can be spectacularly beautiful—aesthetics is a must; technical intelligence and sustainable intelligence is equally important for us.”

For the first 90 days of her reign, she is listening to different internal groups including sales and design as well as the customers outside the company. “The market has changed on the one hand and on the other hand it’s the same. The vertical markets are more distinct; hospitality, corporate and healthcare. There is some product overlap but the way you approach it has changed. People have less time to spend picking product so there is less custom business except for hospitality.

The customer is looking for ready-to-go product.”

Lyons has also noticed the movement towards more upholstery and less panel fabric in corporate installations.