MIDRAND, South Africa – Formerly the company's managing director, Hugh Stevenson has left The Fabric Library and the textiles market to try his hand at new territory.

Stevenson left Fabric Library about three weeks ago and is now doing business for himself, importing custom-made window shutters from Asia under the brand name, "Custom Lifestyle Shutters." He worked at Fabric Library for six years.

"I realized there was a growing phenomenon in fashion for window coverings and I decided that I'd like to do this for myself," said Stevenson. "The textile industry worldwide is a tough market and I saw this as an opportunity to do something for myself rather than be an employee under someone else."

The shutters are made of a variety of woods, including two man-made composite woods. Through specialists, Stevenson is selling them in about 20 different colors to the decorator trade in South Africa.

"The secret of this product is the measuring and installing because it's all custom-made," he said. "You need specialists to do the measurements and installing."

According to Stevenson, the market for his products is huge in South Africa as well as in Australia and the United States.