WINSTON SALEM, North Carolina — Microfibres, Inc. reported a sales increase of over 20% for 2010 and has inked a deal to represent Aydin Textiles of Istanbul, Turkey in the U.S. Aydin is a major global upholstery and mattress ticking mill with sales in excess of $100 million annually. It will function as as a stocking distributor and sales agency according to Mike Czarnecki, vice president, sales and marketing for Microfibres.  

Microfibres will stock Aydin velvets in the U.S., a category that is hardly available in the States since the closing of DeBall Velvet of Canada. Initially, the agreement covers approximately 100 sku’s of Aydin upholstery product, principally velvets that range $13.95 to $18.95 FOB, Czarnecki said.  

Tom Muzekari will be joining Microfibres as a consultant to facilitate the new effort especially where key retail and furniture manufacturing accounts are concerned. Muzekari was formerly vice president of sales and marketing for Quaker Fabrics Corp.

Microfibres is becoming a major sourcing company in addition to producing its U.S. and Belgian-made lines of flock that range $3.75 to $8.50. Aydin also produces flock but is small compared to Microfibres, which has also has been converting a line of plain Chinese linens for prints in the U.S. that range $6.75 to $8.50. 

"We had over 100 placements with this line alone at the recent High Point furniture market," said Czarnecki. "The addition of Aydin velvets gives us a higher end offering and a very broad line. We are doing a substantial amount of China to China business with companies like Ashley, Franklin and Albany furniture companies. This business is growing."

This is the first fulltime sales agency and stocking distributor for Aydin in the U.S. and CEO Ali Aydin has high hopes for growth with the new agreement.

According to an industry executive who has asked to remain anonymous, Turkey is gaining more respect as a supplier of better goods, fitting between the U.S. and China in pricing but more towards the USA. He said that Turkish product is on a par with the Italian and Belgians today and that The Turks are also easier to work with than the Chinese in part because the Chinese have not evolved as a supplier of better goods.