Stout’s Fourth Generation-Family Ownership Scores Dramatic Growth Through Additional Contemporary High-End Fabrics, Hardware, and Wallcovering Lines
Annual Growth of 7%-10%
February 6, 2020
COLMAR, Penn.—Stout is expanding its product line and price points with a more diverse offering of high-end fabrics and wallcoverings, according to John Greenawalt, fourth-generation owner and current vice president, operations, of the residential fabric wholesaler with about $25 million in annual sales.
Supported by strong sales in January this year, Greenawalt says sales have grown steadily by 7%-10% for the past six years and he expects to achieve this growth in 2020.
“We don’t want to be the biggest in this business—only the best,” he says. “That means we want to continue offering one of the best product lines in the industry and also offer on-time delivery to our customers.”
Stout is now reaching out to a different end-consumer with Bassett McNab and Marcus William brands and Greenawalt feels there is a big piece of the high-end consumer pie still out there for Stout’s taking.
The open line of traditional products is growing under the Stout brand. Stout is also expanding in the modern-high-end range with Marcus William brands and the upper-end product offering, in Bassett McNab’s traditional handwriting, has increased dramatically, according to Greenawalt.
He and his sister, Kate who is vice president of sales, are being groomed for co-management of the company since Bill Greenawalt l, vice president and head of sales, will partially retire later this year and Bob Greenawalt, president and head of operations, are planning to retire in five or six more years.
Barbara Godwin joined Stout in the fall of 2018 as design director, replacing Mark Rickers who retired.
A hardware line was added since Godwin joined the company plus a wallpaper line, both under the Stout brand.
Stout is back into wallpaper after 15 years without it. A Victoria Larsen wallpaper line is coming out this April. As a result of these activities, the sample budget has seen a major increase, Greenawalt says.
Stout has always been known for the traditional look in its Rainbow Library collections for the past 30 years, but this has been supplemented with the expansion of the Marcus William line through the distribution of Ashley Wilde's contemporary Kai line in the U.S. since 2018.
The fourth collection will debut this spring and more recently, Stout purchased the intellectual assets of the high-end, traditional Bassett McNab line (August 2019) -- the iconic print line in the $70-$150 price range.
Under the watchful eyes of creative director Anne Hahn-Waddell, Bassett McNab prints are being recolored and coordinated with 40 woven fabrics developed in India and Italy.
Hahn–Waddell joined the company in late 2019 from Bailey & Griffin and will be attending Proposte 2020.
The increased product effort will be supported by the Stout sales force of 40 plus in 40 nationwide showrooms. There are a 30,000-square-foot warehouse and office in Colmar to handle the inventory.
Stout had a major loss of inventory and IT systems due to a fire in 2011 but has completely recovered in a much stronger fashion, according to Greenawalt.
Supported by strong sales in January this year, Greenawalt says sales have grown steadily by 7%-10% for the past six years and he expects to achieve this growth in 2020.
“We don’t want to be the biggest in this business—only the best,” he says. “That means we want to continue offering one of the best product lines in the industry and also offer on-time delivery to our customers.”
Stout is now reaching out to a different end-consumer with Bassett McNab and Marcus William brands and Greenawalt feels there is a big piece of the high-end consumer pie still out there for Stout’s taking.
The open line of traditional products is growing under the Stout brand. Stout is also expanding in the modern-high-end range with Marcus William brands and the upper-end product offering, in Bassett McNab’s traditional handwriting, has increased dramatically, according to Greenawalt.
He and his sister, Kate who is vice president of sales, are being groomed for co-management of the company since Bill Greenawalt l, vice president and head of sales, will partially retire later this year and Bob Greenawalt, president and head of operations, are planning to retire in five or six more years.
Barbara Godwin joined Stout in the fall of 2018 as design director, replacing Mark Rickers who retired.
A hardware line was added since Godwin joined the company plus a wallpaper line, both under the Stout brand.
Stout is back into wallpaper after 15 years without it. A Victoria Larsen wallpaper line is coming out this April. As a result of these activities, the sample budget has seen a major increase, Greenawalt says.
Stout has always been known for the traditional look in its Rainbow Library collections for the past 30 years, but this has been supplemented with the expansion of the Marcus William line through the distribution of Ashley Wilde's contemporary Kai line in the U.S. since 2018.
The fourth collection will debut this spring and more recently, Stout purchased the intellectual assets of the high-end, traditional Bassett McNab line (August 2019) -- the iconic print line in the $70-$150 price range.
Under the watchful eyes of creative director Anne Hahn-Waddell, Bassett McNab prints are being recolored and coordinated with 40 woven fabrics developed in India and Italy.
Hahn–Waddell joined the company in late 2019 from Bailey & Griffin and will be attending Proposte 2020.
The increased product effort will be supported by the Stout sales force of 40 plus in 40 nationwide showrooms. There are a 30,000-square-foot warehouse and office in Colmar to handle the inventory.
Stout had a major loss of inventory and IT systems due to a fire in 2011 but has completely recovered in a much stronger fashion, according to Greenawalt.