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Industry News
OCTOBER BECOMES NATIONAL WINDOW COVERING SAFETY MONTH
Government officials and the window coverings industry are joining
forces to declare October National Window Covering Safety Month and
to urge parents with young children to repair or replace their older
corded blinds and shades with today’s safer products.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Window
Covering Safety Council (WCSC) say the month-long campaign will call
attention to window-cord strangulation hazards and will launch an
official recommendation that pre-2001 corded window coverings be repaired
or replaced with the safer products now in the marketplace.
The unusual information and promotion campaign will be identified
with a “Kids, Cords, Caution” safety slogan for use in manufacturer
and retailer promotions as well as with WCSC-directed media, information
and public relations efforts.
Unlike most window-cord safety education efforts of the past, the
National Window Covering Safety Month campaign will place strong emphasis
on reaching consumers at the retail level. “Kids, Cords, Caution”
promotional signage and related marketing activities will be used
to create in-store consumer awareness of cord-safety concerns. In
addition, point-of-purchase signs displaying the CPSC insignia will
urge consumers to replace their pre-2001 window coverings with new
ones.
The Window Covering Safety Council will carry out umbrella public
relations and marketing activities for the campaign. This includes
developing news releases and feature stories for the broadcast and
print media, cooperative promotional efforts with other safety and
parents groups, special safety-month pages on its Web site and campaign
kick-off activities with the CPSC staff and commissioner’s office.
WCSC will distribute promotional kits to its members this summer.
The kits include a description of the campaign, news releases, sample
ad slicks, suggested promotional activities, and camera-ready artwork
for the “Kids, Cords, Caution” logo and the CPSC-insignia
poster urging consumers to purchase new window coverings.
Since 1994, WCSC has spearheaded the industry’s redesign of corded
products in response to child strangulation concerns. In 1995, looped
pull cords were eliminated from all two-corded blinds and pleated
shades. In 1997, the ANSI/WCMA product safety standard came into effect,
calling for access-limiting cord designs, permanently attached tie-downs
and warning hang tags. In 2001, cord stops were required for all horizontal
blinds and shades to eliminate inner-cord strangulation concerns,
and the ANSI/WCMA safety standard was revised.
In addition, the WCSC continues to operate its national window cord-safety
information and education program and to provide consumers with free
retrofit tassels, tie-downs and cord stops for repairing older window
coverings through its Web site (www.windowcoverings.org)
and its toll-free phone line at (800) 506-4636.
MASTERVISIONS COMPLETES EIGHTH SUPPLEMENT
Mastervisions By Visionary Concepts, Inc. has completed its 2003 window
treatment design overlay collection making this the eighth supplement.
This new edition includes 64 designs that range in complexity and
reflect the current lifestyle trends from sophisticated elegance to
casual and comfortable.
Corner windows are the new featured window type along with award-winning
designs collected from designers and workrooms from across the country.
Many of the designs in this collection have workroom patterns available.
DURALEE® ADDS TWO MIDWEST SHOWROOMS
Duralee Fabrics, Bay Shore, NY, will be represented in two new showrooms
as part of its continuing expansion project that has occurred over
the last three years. Thybony Wall Coverings, Troy, MI, and Hoffsommer
& Russ, Minnepolis, MN, will carry the Duralee and Highland Court®
fabric lines. Duralee has its own showroom in the Chicago Merchandise
Mart, Chicago, IL, and the two new showrooms will enhance its presence
in the Midwest.
Within the past three years, Duralee has doubled its operational capacity.
The company’s corporate headquarters in Bay Shore, design studio
in New York, NY, and High Point, NC, showroom have increased to twice
their original sizes. An additional 20,000 square feet currently is
being added to the corporate facility and the design studio will expand
this year.
MIDDLEBURG THREAD & SEWING FORMS ALLIANCE
THREAD & SUPPLY
Middleburg Thread & Sewing Supply, Warminster, PA, has announced
a corporate name change to Alliance Thread & Supply effective
September 2003. The new name more appropriately defines the company’s
philosophy and direction after a recent new association with Coats
North America as well as other key sources.
Middleburg Thread & Sewing Supply supplies complete lines of sewing
thread, hook-and-loop fasteners, zippers, webbing, elastic, Dennison
products and sewing notions for key cut and sewing operations including
mattress, bedding, filtration, home furnishings, bookbinding, banner,
knitting and all industrial sewing applications. |
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