Richloom Forms Joint-Venture with Partner in Shanghai
January 3, 2001
New York — Richloom Home Fashions has formed a Global Sourcing Division as the result of a joint-venture in China between Richloom and a second party in Shanghai. The division will design and produce finished bed coverings and window coverings in China for export to the American retailer, and the company expects it to further accelerate the growth of its U.S. bedding and window coverings business.
Fifteen Richloom employees will shop Heimtextil for piece goods and designs for decorative and bedding fabrics.
The new global sourcing division will complement its decades-old manufacturing business in Ware Shoals, S.C., While most of the bedding and window fashions are sourced and finished in China, Ware Shoals will serve as the base for some needlework and all warehousing.
Richloom expects to capitalize on the increased need of American retailers for more diverse bedding and window fashions during a time when several American textile industry suppliers are having serious financial problems.
"The reaction to the new Richloom bedding and window collections is excellent, including solid placement with future orders," said Andrew Riesel, vice president of Richloom Fabrics Group. "The Chinese landscape is changing. It is now possible to work with many Chinese factories and bring in diverse styles of bedding and window treatments. We are now able to traverse China and bring in whatever fabrics we need direct from the source."
In the past, Richloom's primary business has been converting decorative fabrics, but in recent years, it has purchased an upholstery mill to produce woven goods for the domestic furniture industry and expanded its Ware Shoals-based drapery and bedding division.
The company announced that Todd Cella is marketing manager of the new division. Cella has been Richloom's export manager for the last five years. Steve Fanning, international sales manager, will fill that position. Fanning has been with the company for 12 years.
Cella said that subsequent bedding and window collections will not be limited to Chinese fabrics. "There will be other countries involved in the future as sources."
(Gustavo Muscoso, previously the agent in South America for Richloom Fabrics, will assist Fanning in export as a full time employee.)
About two dozen items in the first bedding/window collection were presented along with new ideas for retail packaging during New York market in October in a separate, dedicated bed and window fashions showroom at 261 Fifth Avenue.
The collections are geared to specialty stores at mass market price points. It emphasizes the innovative use of fabrics, including printed sheers over printed cottons, brushed nylon, heavily quilted and woven double cloth with heavy use of cut and sewn embellishments including embroidered effects. The free standing window coverings business will also coordinate with the bedding ensembles.
"The emphasis is on many fabrics in the same ensemble to heighten the texture and tactile feel," said Gopika Jariwala, director of design for the new division.
"We're designing for today's consumer who tends to have an appetite for less traditional ensembles. The collections will be available as open stock either as a complete ensemble or a la carte," Cella said. "We have the ability to satisfy the needs of the retailer and fill as much space with product as he needs. We're geared to today's retailer and today's look."
The collection rounds out Richloom's overall assortment of bedding options, which is not possible through manufacturing in the States alone. "This gives Richloom and the retailer a shot at targeting the changing needs of the consumer," Cella said. F&FI
Fifteen Richloom employees will shop Heimtextil for piece goods and designs for decorative and bedding fabrics.
The new global sourcing division will complement its decades-old manufacturing business in Ware Shoals, S.C., While most of the bedding and window fashions are sourced and finished in China, Ware Shoals will serve as the base for some needlework and all warehousing.
Richloom expects to capitalize on the increased need of American retailers for more diverse bedding and window fashions during a time when several American textile industry suppliers are having serious financial problems.
"The reaction to the new Richloom bedding and window collections is excellent, including solid placement with future orders," said Andrew Riesel, vice president of Richloom Fabrics Group. "The Chinese landscape is changing. It is now possible to work with many Chinese factories and bring in diverse styles of bedding and window treatments. We are now able to traverse China and bring in whatever fabrics we need direct from the source."
In the past, Richloom's primary business has been converting decorative fabrics, but in recent years, it has purchased an upholstery mill to produce woven goods for the domestic furniture industry and expanded its Ware Shoals-based drapery and bedding division.
The company announced that Todd Cella is marketing manager of the new division. Cella has been Richloom's export manager for the last five years. Steve Fanning, international sales manager, will fill that position. Fanning has been with the company for 12 years.
Cella said that subsequent bedding and window collections will not be limited to Chinese fabrics. "There will be other countries involved in the future as sources."
(Gustavo Muscoso, previously the agent in South America for Richloom Fabrics, will assist Fanning in export as a full time employee.)
About two dozen items in the first bedding/window collection were presented along with new ideas for retail packaging during New York market in October in a separate, dedicated bed and window fashions showroom at 261 Fifth Avenue.
The collections are geared to specialty stores at mass market price points. It emphasizes the innovative use of fabrics, including printed sheers over printed cottons, brushed nylon, heavily quilted and woven double cloth with heavy use of cut and sewn embellishments including embroidered effects. The free standing window coverings business will also coordinate with the bedding ensembles.
"The emphasis is on many fabrics in the same ensemble to heighten the texture and tactile feel," said Gopika Jariwala, director of design for the new division.
"We're designing for today's consumer who tends to have an appetite for less traditional ensembles. The collections will be available as open stock either as a complete ensemble or a la carte," Cella said. "We have the ability to satisfy the needs of the retailer and fill as much space with product as he needs. We're geared to today's retailer and today's look."
The collection rounds out Richloom's overall assortment of bedding options, which is not possible through manufacturing in the States alone. "This gives Richloom and the retailer a shot at targeting the changing needs of the consumer," Cella said. F&FI
