CHIERI, Italy -- Piovano-Leutenda and Radaelli have closed their mills after reports of poor management and strategy. According to industry reports, Piovano closed its mill operations in early July and receivers will liquidate Radaelli. Leandro Piovano left the company nearly five years ago and his cousin, Piovano has since been heading up the operation.

Meanwhile, Tissage de Kalken, a 100-year-old weaving mill, has acquired Etrotex, the velvet division of ITM International, further signaling the consolidation of the interior textile market. Tissage has focused mainly on manufacturing jacquard fabrics for residential and contract draperies. The production, creative and development teams will remain in Belgium while Etrotex's production units and offices will move to Laarne in the East Flanders area of Belgium by the end of the summer.

"This acquisition enables us to extend our collection and thus strengthen our position in the gloabl interior upholstery textile market," said Bob De Bruycker of Tissage De Kalken. "We will present an exciting collection of velvets in the coming months."