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COVER STORY
Innovation
and Tradition
This hard-to-beat combination is ADO's answer to meeting customer
demand.
By Howard Shingle
For several years
now, window coverings dealers and interior decorators have been
heralding “the return to fabric at the window.” While
that may indeed be true, it seems as if it has never been quite
as apparent as it has been in just the last few years. Fabrics are
part of our everyday lives. We are touched by fabrics—their
look, their feel, the atmosphere they create in our homes and offices.
To paraphrase Benjamin Franklin, they are “the stuff our lives
are made of.”
Even traditional “hard” window treatments have taken on
a softer look and feel. Homeowners have gone beyond a single layer
treatment, adding top treatments, drapery panels and sheer fabrics.
And one of the hottest trends today is trimmings and embellishments—the
details highlighting the decorator touch.
Of course, this doesn’t come as news to ADO International,
Aschendorf, Germany, which has been growing continuously with this
trend over the last half-century. On this side of the Atlantic,
ADO-U.S.A. provides decorators with fabrics for sheers, draperies,
soft shades, bed coverings and tablecloths as well as top treatments
and decorative accessories—and a workroom, too.
In 2004, ADO International celebrated 50 years in business while
ADO-U.S.A. turned 25 (see D&WC, October 2004, page 28). In this
exclusive interview with Draperies & Window Coverings, ADO’s
Klaus Wulf talks about the importance of meeting consumer demand
by balancing the company’s two traditions: innovation and global
trend-setting design. ADO’s innovations not only come in the
machinery and processes of creating wide, seamless fabrics, but
in the fabrics themselves—their stability and colorfastness.
Its trend-setting designs come as a result of international design
experts creating contemporary classics. The combination is hard
to beat.
“ADO has been growing continuously for years as the sole worldwide
manufacturer offering value-added products along the entire chain,
from yarn production to the cut-to-size finished products,”
Wulf states. “In addition, ADO is also a leader in design topics,
offering the most beautiful, the best quality and the most representative
of all fabrics in the world, designed by international top designers.”
D&WC: What factors currently drive the
industry? Price? Consumer demand?
Klaus Wulf: All of the
factors you mentioned—price, product, consumer demand and technology—have
a very important influence on the industry. A company such as ADO,
for example, must always make sure that innovative technologies
and products are developed that reflect the wishes and needs of
our customers. Yet, the price/service ratio must balance out.
In terms of products, ADO is a trendsetter. We orient ourselves
toward the consumer. We develop new technologies to produce high-fashion,
high-quality products that are guaranteed for five years to be washable,
dimensionally stable, colorfast and free of manufacturing defects.
We pride ourselves on our excellent ability to deliver on that commitment.
D&WC: What is ADO’s role in the
window coverings industry? How did it achieve that role?
Wulf: ADO sets the trends
in designs and has put its emphasis on the innovation of production
technology and products, as well as on top designs.
At ADO, we focus on “innovation from tradition.” We offer
the most beautiful and most modern fabrics, but we have never neglected
the classics. With our focus on “innovation from tradition,”
we offer our customers continuity in development from the most traditional
designs and fabrics to the most modern. We continuously and reliably
serve our customer partners with the products consumers need and
want.
Especially in turbulent times, people yearn for a comfortable home.
The decorative fabrics and products offered from ADO—from draperies
to top treatments, bed coverings, soft shades, swags and tablecloths—provide
the desired atmosphere and cozy homes consumers are looking for.
D&WC: Where do you see ADO headed in
the short-term, in the longer term? How will it get there? What
do you see as your personal role in these plans?
Wulf: ADO has played
and continues to play an important role in the U.S. drapery and
window coverings market. The most prominent homes in the United
States are decorated with ADO fabrics—you will find ADO fabrics
in Air Force One.
Over the past 50 years [25 years in the United States] we have created
a solid base from which we will continue to grow and develop. That
base is our technical skills to produce high-quality products and
the trust of our customers, which we have earned.
Over the next five years, we want to secure and expand our market
share, and our goal is for ADO to become known as a brand name in
people’s minds. We are also striving for market leadership
in the United States. To do that, we want to reinforce our presence
at the point-of-sale and to expand the collections we offer. At
the moment, ADO is still like a small tender plant, but we will
do our best to change it into a stately sunflower over the next
five years.
In 10 years, our goal is to grow ADO into an entire field of sunflowers—in
other words: market leadership. In Europe, we have positioned ourselves
in the premium homeowner segment of the market and are successfully
conquering this market in the high-end, high-value range.
D&WC: What accomplishments or programs
are you most proud of?
Wulf: ADO is very proud
of its technical, manufacturing and marketing skills and its unique
ability to deliver to customers a trend-setting product, from yarn
production to high-quality fabrics to cut-to-size drapery products.
ADO also offers—as a true U.S.-based company—“Made
in the USA” quality, but it also has European roots and we
are proud of this tradition as well.
D&WC: Have there been any surprises—programs
or products that have done better than first thought?
Wulf: The success of
ADOWrap has been a wonderful surprise for us. The idea to combine
a vertical blind product with the benefits of a fabric curtain originated
with one of our sales agents. Since we first offered ADOWrap, many
other manufactures have tried to copy our product, but our original
has just been too good to fully copy.
D&WC: On a more personal note, who have
been some your greatest influences in business, or in the industry
specifically?
Wulf: My father, Hubert
Wulf, who founded ADO-U.S.A. 26 years ago is my biggest idol.
D&WC: What are your personal goals/passions?
Wulf: Two areas in my
personal life are very important to me and are my best energy sources:
my family and my love for horses and the sport of polo.
Currently, I own seven horses that take up much of the little free
time that I have. It provides the necessary balance for my business
and entrepreneurial activities. Going horseback riding clears my
head and helps me to devote most of my time to my work.
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VISION EXTENDS TO U.S.
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This year, ADO International and ADO Corp.
began their 51st and 26th year in business, respectively. ADO
Corp. was established in Spartanburg, SC, by Hubert Wulf in
1979. More than 25 years and several expansions later, ADO remains
a leader in high-quality fabric and draperies throughout the
United States and Canada.
During a worldwide recession in 1954, Hubert Wulf and his wife,
Marianne, established ADO Gardinenwerke in the small, northern
rural town of Aschendorf, Germany. The company takes its name
from the city where it started: Aschendorf. ADO Gardinenwerke
succeeded in part due to the Wulfs’ unparalleled vision
and innovative ideas; however, the most important factor was
ADO’s technical superiority and faithfulness to maintain
high quality manufacturing of 118-inch seamless drapery fabrics
and accessories.
Upon the success of ADO Gardinenwerke, the Wulfs envisioned
an expansion across the Atlantic Ocean. Rather than merely import
the finest seamless fabrics to the United States, he dedicated
himself to importing the technology and knowledge of manufacturing
the best seamless fabrics and draperies. Thus, ADO Corp. was
born.
Wulf’s vision of success continued until his death in 1989.
His wife Marianne carried on Hubert’s purview in the position
of Chairperson of the Board until her death in 1994. Today,
Hubert and Marianne’s sons, Klaus and Andreas, are responsible
for leading ADO Gardinenwerke, ADO Corp. and all other ADO facilities
worldwide.
Currently, both brothers manage ADO International. With Klaus’
and Andreas’ innovative ideas, dedication and support,
ADO Corp. is poised to meet the future and continue to provide
all of its partners with unlimited opportunities and success.
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