D&WC: Please tell us about your company and its history.
Rich Wolfin: The company was founded by my father, Julius Wolfin, in 1950. Since then we have been located in Carlstadt, NJ, and today we currently have 25 employees.
D&WC: What window coverings products did you handle initially? What products do you handle today?
Wolfin: Initially we manufactured Roman and Austrian shirring tapes. Currently we have a catalog devoted to a wide array of workroom supplies and installation items.
D&WC: Is your business computerized?
Wolfin: We are fully computerized, and we feature a secure on-line shopping experience through our site on the World Wide Web located at www.draperysupply.com.
D&WC: Who are your customers? What parts of the country do you service?
Wolfin: Our customers range from the smallest workroom to the largest of chains. We have customers in all 50 states and many foreign countries.
D&WC: Where do you see yourself and your company five years from now? Are there additional areas within the industry that you would like to get involved in?
Wolfin: As always, we see ourselves
servicing our accounts both large and small with the attention and caring they all deserve. In the years ahead, we will add items and go into product areas the marketplace leads us to.
D&WC: What best describes your niche in the marketplace?
Wolfin: We are able to offer the most commonly needed workroom supplies at competitive prices and excellent quality. We react quickly and ship on the same day orders are placed.
D&WC: What are some of the key factors involved in your growth and success?
Wolfin: We listen to what the customer wants, namely quality and good pricing. Customers also want products shipped to them quickly.
D&WC: What are your strengths in the
marketplace?
Wolfin: Our biggest strength is our ability to act quickly regarding the needs of our customers. We have added many of our catalog items based on the requests by customers.
D&WC: What trends and cycles do you
see occurring in the industry? How is your business addressing them?
Wolfin: We must be ready for the next generation of buying customers who prefer to do their shopping and purchasing over the Web. To that end, our Web site offers them the opportunity to buy on-line in a safe, secure manner, using our complete catalog.
D&WC: Do you offer any products other than window covering workroom supplies?
Wolfin: We are a distributor of Velcro® hook and loop products.
D&WC: Do you educate your customers?
Wolfin: We will be attending trade shows throughout the country, which we have not done before, in order to meet many of our existing and new customers face-to-face. Doing this will give us the opportunity to help educate our customers in exactly what we do and what products we provide.
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| April '99