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Industry News
FABER DENMARK ACQUIRES BENTHIN
Faber of Denmark recently positioned itself as Europe’s second
largest company involved in the manufacturing of components for
the sunscreen and window blinds business with the acquisition of
key German competitor Benthin.
Benthin, with a reputation for innovation and quality, is supported
by more than 30 years of experience in the market and has companies
located in Germany and France. It has been regarded as the leading
supplier of components and production equipment for vertical blinds
during the past 20 years.
“Benthin has the strength and leading position in Europe in
the product areas where Faber has not focused on in the past,”
said Henrik Lund-Nielsen, the group managing director of Faber.
He noted also that, “in complete contrast, Faber is a leading
supplier in Europe in the areas Benthin has not traditionally focused
on, being Venetian blinds, Roman blinds and roller blinds generally
for the domestic market. The combination of this diverse experience,
expertise and the product programs supplied by Faber and Benthin
is a perfect match.”
CPFILMS AND DUPONT TEIJIN FORM ALLIANCE
CPFilms, Martinsville, VA, and DuPont Teijin Films have announced
the formation of a new strategic relationship to work jointly to
reduce injury and property damage due to flying glass. This relationship
includes joint development and marketing of protective window film
products for the commercial and residential building markets.
Mylar polyester, a product of DuPont Teijin Films, will be exclusively
used as a component of the Llumar and Vista line of safety and security
films sold under the Magnum and Mirage brand names. Mylar possesses
optimal properties for safety and security window film: physical
strength to control shattering glass and outstanding optical properties
for visual clarity.
“The alliance between our companies will quickly strengthen
technology and expertise to create a broader offering to commercial
and residential markets,” said Ken Vickers, president and CEO
of CPFilms. “New products will continue to help control—and
in some cases prevent—damage and injuries through expanded
application of well designed safety and security window films.”
ASID, IIDA EXPLORE POTENTIAL FOR SINGLE DESIGN
ASSOCIATION
The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), Chicago, IL,
and the International Interior Design Association (IIDA), Washington,
DC, have entered into discussions about joining forces to become
the single voice of the interior design profession. These conversations
have been exploratory in nature and designed to discern if one organization
representing the interior design profession is best for both organizations’
members and the profession as a whole.
A cross-association team was charged by both boards to identify
key issues and make recommendations as to whether or not more formal
discussions should be pursued. From the discussions, it was clear
both organizations seek to advance and broaden the profession of
interior design, aid research, forward the right to practice, celebrate
design and provide effective member services.
Both organizations have agreed to continue discussions related to
the creation of a single organization. In the event of a formal
decision to merge, the professional members from both ASID and IIDA
would need to vote to approve such an alignment. As the discussions
move forward, ASID and IIDA are actively soliciting feedback from
their members, chapters, the media and other stakeholders. Individuals
can provide comments and input by e-mailing asid@asid.org or feedback@iida.org.
HESTER DECORATING WINS TWO NATIONAL PIPP
AWARDS
Hester Decorating Co., Skokie, IL, has received two “Picture
It Painted Professionally” (PIPP) Awards from the Painting
and Decorating Contractors of America (PDCA).
Hester Decorating, a high-end painting and decorating company, was
honored with two awards: one in the faux finishing category for
its work in a downtown Chicago home, and the other in the wall covering
installation category for its installation of hand-painted Gracie
paper in the powder room of a home in Wilmette, IL. This is the
fifth consecutive year Hester Decorating has been honored by PDCA
with a PIPP Award.
The PIPP Awards, in their 19th year, are prominent national awards
that honor interior and exterior professional painting and decorating
work in residential, commercial and industrial categories. Projects
are judged on use of color, specialty painting techniques, unusual
treatments, safety management and overall creativity, skill and
execution.
“The PIPP Awards have given us the opportunity to showcase
our work throughout the industry,” said Tom Hester, owner of
Hester Decorating. “Our team of more than 60 craftsmen pride
themselves on bringing a high level of expertise to our customers.”
DRAPER’S FLEXSHADES WIN ADEX AWARD
Draper, Inc., Spiceland, IN, recently received a Gold ADEX Award
for its Roman FlexShades. The ADEX Awards (Awards for Design Excellence)
are selected by a panel of independent judges, and are sponsored
by Design Journal. More than 1,200 products were entered in this
prestigious competition.
Draper motorized or clutch-operated Roman FlexShades are ideal for
spaces requiring a custom look. The included valance completely
conceals the operating mechanism. The award-winning RollEase No-Sew™
system means there are no visible stitches in the fabric.
IMPERIAL HOME DÉCOR GROUP WINS ADEX
AWARD
Imperial Home Décor Group (IHDG), Cleveland, OH, announces
that its Kema design from the Albert Van Luit’s British West
Indies collection was awarded the 2001 ADEX Gold Award.
The ADEX Awards are given annually to products “exhibiting
superior design based on form, functionality and style.” Kema
won in the Fabric & Wallcoverings category based on its design
and style. Only three wall covering awards, out of hundreds of entries,
were presented. There are five criteria upon which the award was
based: innovation, technological advances, quality, aesthetics and
value.
RAK INTRODUCES FRENCH DOOR ACCESSORY
RAK Ltd., Chicago, IL, introduced its X-10-Dor at the 2002 International
Window Covering Expo in March (see page 62). The X-10-Dor is a new
hardware accessory specifically targeting the shutter and wide blinds
markets that extends the door handles of French doors with multi-point
lock mechanisms.
The X-10-Dor moves the handle out from the door allowing adequate
room behind it to accommodate blinds and shutters up to four inches
eliminating the need for awkward cutouts, down turned handles or
handle replacements.
FABRIC PLACE LAUNCHES FREQUENT SHOPPER CARD
Thirty-thousand knitters, sewers, quilters and home decorators received
a perk from Fabric Place, Framingham, MA, recently when the chain
of fabric stores mailed a first-ever Frequent Shopper Card. The
wallet and key-chain sized cards will reward loyal customers with
unadvertised sales, special offers and events.
The company is using technology provided by Globe Specialty Products,
Inc. of Westboro, MA, to evaluate shopping data and better serve
customers. “Our business is segmented between home decorating
enthusiasts, crafters and garment sewers,” explained Alec Vezina,
Fabric Place CEO. “We want to use technology to help us better
serve all our customers with products, discounts and events they
want.”
Fabric Place’s six New England stores are a third-generation
family business that has evolved with the times—offering services
such as an e-commerce Web site at www.fabricplace.com (see D&WC,
March 2001, page 52).
SILVER STATE CELEBRATES GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY
Silver State Suppliers, Salt Lake City, UT, celebrated its 50th
anniversary with an open house in March. Now a highly respected
and successful distributor of wholesale fabrics for the upholstery
and décor industries, Silver State Suppliers has come a long
way from its beginnings in 1952, when Sargetakis brothers Steve,
John, Mike and Ted launched the business in Salt Lake City.
The company has since weathered the economic ups and downs of the
last five decades, while at the same time enduring the many growing
pains that every small, ambitious business must. Through it all,
the Sargetakis family has stayed true to its long-standing traditions
of quality, service, and good old-fashioned hard work. Silver State
is known throughout the fabric industry for its high level of integrity
and personalized attention to each of its thousands of customers
across the country.
With a diverse clientele including residential interior designers,
furniture manufacturers, automotive upholsterers and designers of
commercial and hospitality properties, Silver State was one of the
nation’s first suppliers of high-performance and leading-edge
furniture fabrics like Sunbrella, Crypton and Jacquard Plus. With
one of the largest and most impressive showrooms in the Intermountain
West, the company is dedicated to providing an enormous selection
of fabrics that reflect the latest trends, styles, and textures
in the industry. In addition to their own signature Olympus Fabrics
line, Silver State carries products by Robert Allen, Beacon Hill,
JAB, Stroheim & Romman, and countless other top-name designer
textiles.
YORK WALLCOVERINGS SELECTED FOR TOP TV AND
MOVIE SETS
York Wallcoverings, York, PA, has made its way into “Tinsel
Town.” The company says that a number of top network and cable
television shows are increasingly using wall coverings in their
stage sets, and York Wallcoverings has been selected for a number
of upcoming productions, including “Crossing Jordan,”
the hit NBC medical detective show. The segment aired following
the Olympics and was filmed in a hotel room using four patterns
from York’s Risky Business collection.
A new NBC sitcom, “Leap of Faith,” which debuted in March
2002, included a room with walls covered in an elegant distressed
tonal stripe and scroll from York’s Passport collection.
Coming in Fall 2002, Dreamworks movie studio will debut a new film,
“Catch Me If You Can,” starring Tom Hanks and Leonardo
De Caprio. A room set in the film will show dramatic trompe l’
oeil palm fronds and woven rattan texture, also from the Passport
collection.
WOMEN SURPASSING MEN IN HOME PROJECTS
The home workshop is no longer the exclusive sanctuary for men,
based on the results of a new national survey of retailers for Ace
Hardware Corp., Oak Brook, IL.
In a surprising finding, nearly one-quarter (23 percent) of the
130 retailers recently polled believe the number of women performing
home do-it-yourself (DIY) projects today actually exceeds the number
of men tackling such tasks. Of those surveyed who don’t think
women exceed men yet, half (49 percent) say women DIYers are beginning
to equal the number of men.
Retailers say several factors have contributed to this surge. Nearly
three-quarters (72 percent) said more women living alone explain
the growth in distaff DIYers. Of those who live with men, 66 percent
of the retailers polled believe women are tired of waiting for their
spouse or significant other to perform the work, while 59 percent
cite a growth among women in home improvement in maintenance. Multiple
responses were permitted.
The poll also found that, unlike their male counterparts, 66 percent
of retailers said women often rely on their store’s staff to
obtain product and project information, while 28 percent said this
happens “with some frequency.”
Retailers also said that the DIY projects women tackle most frequently
are painting and decorating (cited by 94 percent), followed by lawn,
garden and outdoor living activities (86 percent).
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