Lucrative Commission-Coating Service Paves Way for Bradsal's Growth Efforts
September 20, 2001
Melbourne, Australia – In seven years Bradsal's growth has spurted 300 percent. Much of this growth has come in the last few years from a burgeoning export business, which represents about 35 percent of sales at the $10 million company.
Bradsal currently sells in 20 countries including the United States, Mexico, England, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Belgium, Holland, Cyprus, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, New Zealand, as well as South and Central America and its domestic turf. The company began in the late '70s as a retail curtain shop in the Melbourne area and soon evolved into the curtain lining industry when a husband-and-wife team, the Bradfords, saw a gap in the market for finished product. By the mid-'80s the Bradford family had purchased land and built a factory in the Bayswater area of Melbourne to accommodate their growing enterprise. Their three sons also showed interest in the business and were soon to hold positions. Darryl is factory manager; Gerard is computer manager and Ray is major accounts executive.
By the early 1990s the family recognized that growth would necessitate international expansion under the direction of experienced, professional management.
Rob Mildren, contract and export sales manager, joined in 1992 as sales manager and was followed a year later by Barri Trotter, now Bradsal's general manager. Along with national linings manager Marianne Todd, who handles the Australian market, they collectively bring more than 50 years of experience to the company.
The business now includes three segments. The fastest growing aspect is commission coating of prints and designs for Australian wholesalers who have export operations. The other two are export and domestic wholesaling.
"Our biggest oyster at this time is the States," Mildren said. "We now carry stock in the U.S. to help us with our distribution." In the U.S., Bradsal is distributed through Johnny Keeton Studios in New York City. Bradsal also holds stock in the U.K. and is examining opportunities for stock-holding in Hong Kong. Mildren's international selling strategy includes Web marketing – Bradsal claims its Website has fueled its growth significantly – trade show exhibitions and a strong wholesaling network. Mildren typically makes five to six international trips a year and he has assembled some 40 wholesalers into Bradsal's international network. These operations are supported by four sales people from the company's 41-member staff.
"Last year was the first year we started exhibiting," Mildren said. Bradsal established its trade show presence last year at TIP (Brussels) and Heimtextil Americas in Miami. Mildren said the company may exhibit at Heimtextil Frankfurt.
Trotter said that Bradsal linings are slightly more expensive than those of major competitors Roc-Lon and Hanes. The average price point for Bradsal products ranges per meter from $2.15 to $2.20 for a two-pass product and $2.40 to $2.50 for a three-pass product.
"We've got the Rolls Royce of blackout linings," Mildren said.
"We target our business to have the best product day in and day out and we believe we use a superior cloth. As a result, on quality, we compare very well against these competitors," Trotter said.
Mildren said Bradsal's flammable linings are new on the world market. "We meet the British standards," he said. "We're about to have our product tested to U.S. standard NFPA701. We've passed the Australian standard and we haven't yet sold any in Europe so we haven't yet applied for testing there," Mildren said.
Bradsal's self-funded expansion includes plans to bring export sales to 50 percent of its overall business in the next three to five years, Trotter said.
The expansion plan also calls for Bradsal to introduce new products and find trade partners in new export countries. The company has been exporting a range of plain color and jacquard coatings for about a year. It intends to introduce them to more countries. Bradsal only exports 140-meter widths. Its blackout linings are both two-pass and three-pass. Both provide full UV protection.
So what does the future hold for Australia's Bradsal? "We aim to have the best product and to sell into niche markets throughout the world to people who require a quality product for quality use," said Trotter. "Our limitations are only what we put on ourselves to ensure controlled growth."
Bradsal currently sells in 20 countries including the United States, Mexico, England, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Belgium, Holland, Cyprus, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, New Zealand, as well as South and Central America and its domestic turf. The company began in the late '70s as a retail curtain shop in the Melbourne area and soon evolved into the curtain lining industry when a husband-and-wife team, the Bradfords, saw a gap in the market for finished product. By the mid-'80s the Bradford family had purchased land and built a factory in the Bayswater area of Melbourne to accommodate their growing enterprise. Their three sons also showed interest in the business and were soon to hold positions. Darryl is factory manager; Gerard is computer manager and Ray is major accounts executive.
By the early 1990s the family recognized that growth would necessitate international expansion under the direction of experienced, professional management.
Rob Mildren, contract and export sales manager, joined in 1992 as sales manager and was followed a year later by Barri Trotter, now Bradsal's general manager. Along with national linings manager Marianne Todd, who handles the Australian market, they collectively bring more than 50 years of experience to the company.
The business now includes three segments. The fastest growing aspect is commission coating of prints and designs for Australian wholesalers who have export operations. The other two are export and domestic wholesaling.
"Our biggest oyster at this time is the States," Mildren said. "We now carry stock in the U.S. to help us with our distribution." In the U.S., Bradsal is distributed through Johnny Keeton Studios in New York City. Bradsal also holds stock in the U.K. and is examining opportunities for stock-holding in Hong Kong. Mildren's international selling strategy includes Web marketing – Bradsal claims its Website has fueled its growth significantly – trade show exhibitions and a strong wholesaling network. Mildren typically makes five to six international trips a year and he has assembled some 40 wholesalers into Bradsal's international network. These operations are supported by four sales people from the company's 41-member staff.
"Last year was the first year we started exhibiting," Mildren said. Bradsal established its trade show presence last year at TIP (Brussels) and Heimtextil Americas in Miami. Mildren said the company may exhibit at Heimtextil Frankfurt.
Trotter said that Bradsal linings are slightly more expensive than those of major competitors Roc-Lon and Hanes. The average price point for Bradsal products ranges per meter from $2.15 to $2.20 for a two-pass product and $2.40 to $2.50 for a three-pass product.
"We've got the Rolls Royce of blackout linings," Mildren said.
"We target our business to have the best product day in and day out and we believe we use a superior cloth. As a result, on quality, we compare very well against these competitors," Trotter said.
Mildren said Bradsal's flammable linings are new on the world market. "We meet the British standards," he said. "We're about to have our product tested to U.S. standard NFPA701. We've passed the Australian standard and we haven't yet sold any in Europe so we haven't yet applied for testing there," Mildren said.
Bradsal's self-funded expansion includes plans to bring export sales to 50 percent of its overall business in the next three to five years, Trotter said.
The expansion plan also calls for Bradsal to introduce new products and find trade partners in new export countries. The company has been exporting a range of plain color and jacquard coatings for about a year. It intends to introduce them to more countries. Bradsal only exports 140-meter widths. Its blackout linings are both two-pass and three-pass. Both provide full UV protection.
So what does the future hold for Australia's Bradsal? "We aim to have the best product and to sell into niche markets throughout the world to people who require a quality product for quality use," said Trotter. "Our limitations are only what we put on ourselves to ensure controlled growth."
