MUENCHBERG, Germany—Neutex Home Decoration, a division of the Hoftex Group is taking the drop in the Euro as a sign to aggressively market its German made window dressings and roller shade fabric lines to the USA under the stewardship of Joseph Wheeler, recently named Export Manager.

Wheeler, a 15 year veteran of textile export sales is heading the effort for this $25 million division of the Hoftex Group, part of the  $600 million Erwo Holding AG. (stands for founders Erhart & Wolfgang Steger) Klaus Steger and Joseph Wheeler

He joined Neutex just prior to the last Heimtextil after a six year stint at Reig Marti, the bedding manufacturer in Spain. If he is right, Neutex expects to expand its highly diversified window dressings and roller shade fabric offering and increase sales to $40 million within five years.

Wheeler reports to the directors of Neutex, Dr. Christine König and Ulrich Venhoff, both of them also present at the show.

Klaus Steger is the Managing Director of the Suedwolle Group, the wool and cashmere yarn division of Erwo Holding AG, Board member of Hoftex Group AG and part owner of the entire company. “Who has the courage to make investments in the textile business in Germany—only a family held company like ours that is not driven by short term profits,” Steger explains with a great deal of pride. “We have deep pockets and family spirit behind our effort in the USA with Joe Wheeler.”

The corporation is in its second generation under Steger’s management.

“Wood, steel and glass have been the preferred decorating materials in the Europe but not in the UK,” Steger maintains. “For example there isn’t a fiber to be found in the Munich airport, quite different to airports in the Anglo-Saxon world. But I see a change coming after these 10-15 year trends,” he feels. “Decorative fabric is starting to change old habits driven by the need for noise reduction, energy saving and the interest in general coziness by the consumer,” he adds.

“The boost is coming to our decorative fabric industry because in the last decade, Europe has seen deco fabrics downplayed by the consumer and decorator.”

Neutex has a base of roller shade fabricators and sun protection/customers primarily in the German speaking areas of Europe, Eastern Europe and ex Soviet Republics. Neutex, along with it´s more traditional textile channels, also targets the marine, caravan and interior sunscreen markets.

“We hope to find new markets under Wheeler,” Steger emphasized. Until now, Neutex has a very limited presence in the USA, he explains. “Neutex product lines sell in the 6-8 Euro range in 140 cm width plus an upper end range for the editeur market”, Wheeler says. A new line featuring fils coupe and a Japanese panel collection is selling well in Europe and he sees potential for these items in the USA as well.

“Neutex is a vertical producer,” Steger says. “It’s yarn forward utilizing cotton and polyester yarns in production of roller shade fabric, curtain panels and traditional decorative fabrics.”

Both Hoftex and Suedwolle Group produce some of the yarns but most are purchased from other suppliers. Suedwolle Group concentrates on wool and wool blends, even owns its own sheep farm in Australia as a marketing tool and hobby and sells to knitters and weavers of apparel and home décor fabrics.