GRANBY, Quebec — Jozien Vet has resigned from her position as design director for Canadian velvet and corduroy manufacturer DeBall. She plans to move into real estate, where she'll use her design skills to stage and decorate houses.

"It's a little bit of a switch after 25 years in the textile industry, but I've been preparing for it because the industry is not so good right now," Vet said. She said the company was closed for a period while business was slow to build a good backorder position, and has since reopened.

DeBall is headquartered near Montreal. The company's in-house production processes include warping, weaving, dyeing, 8-color rotary screen discharge printing, finishing and embossing.