LOS ANGELES, California — “Why are American buyers standing on their heads to find new global fabric sources when the best fabric is made right here in Los Angeles,” asks Michael Koch, principal of LA Mills with his partner Andrew Kohler.

They see a $15 million business for LA Mills when the American economy turns around. “We believe in American manufacturing. When LA Mills came up for sale in 2004, we saw it as a major opportunity for us,” Koch said. They turned the mill around based on Koch’s design expertise and Kohler’s administrative skills. Today, LA Mills supplies the jobber with fabrics in the $20 a yard range. “At our prices, jobbers don’t keep inventory so they depend on us for quick delivery. The mill based in downtown Los Angeles continues to prosper under their direction since they bought the equipment and leased back the rambling factory from Bill Meyer. A dog named Sammie also keeps an eye on the business and is part of the family.

Prior to owning LA Mills, Koch designed for Wearbest, Weave and Larson. He is a Rhode Island School of Design graduate (1987) and has developed the current lines of beefy dobbies and jacquards. Koch and Kohler were legally married in 2008 and have put all of their sweat and passion for textiles into the business. “We sell all of the major uptown jobbers like Donghia, Holly Hunt, Knoll, Kravet, Beacon Hill and Scalamandre in the USA. We source unusual novelty yarns in the USA, Italy, Belgium, Thailand and Taiwan in order to bring fresh designs to the USA. It does yarn dying in Philadelphia and in the South and makes some yarn internally.  We do not export our line,” Koch said.

About 60 percent of the collection is geared to upholstery and the balance is designed for drapery. LA Mills is a supplier to Hickory Chair, Baker, TRS and Hancock & Moore among other top end furniture lines. When the pair bought LA Mills, there was no drapery line, Koch pointed out. In addition to the dobby looms which came with the purchase, the pair has bought several Dornier jacquard looms with Staubli heads. All the design work is done in house on a Pointcarre CAD system.

Recently, the pair did well enough in the business to be able to take back their Manhattan loft after renting it out for eight years so they can live on both Coasts. 

Michael Koch and partner Andrew Kohler