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Industry News
RM COCO PURCHASES FABRICS 21
RM COCO, Cape Girardeau, MO, has purchased the assets of Fabrics 21,
a fabric jobber in Montebello, CA, from Robert and Angie Pedraza.
RM COCO has purchased Fabrics 21’s existing fabric inventory,
sample books and computer system and moved the inventory and assets
to its Missouri facility.
Previous to the purchase, Fabrics 21 had eight salesmen servicing
California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Montana, Idaho, Washington and
Oregon. Now, with a total of 23 salesmen, RM COCO has grown from servicing
a region primarily east of the Colorado Rockies to a nationwide distributor.
RM COCO carries many exclusive collections of fabric from Europe and
the Middle East. It has recently introduced Casa Valentina, an exclusive,
high-styled collection of decorative rods and finials designed and
manufactured in Italy.
3 DAY BLINDS® TEAMS WITH CHRISTOPHER
LOWELL ON EXCLUSIVE DESIGNS
3 Day Blinds, Anaheim, CA, and Christopher Lowell, Emmy Award-winning
designer, author and television personality, have teamed to offer
pre-coordinated window coverings under the Christopher Lowell brand.
The collection was made available beginning June 1, 2002.
The Christopher Lowell Collection will feature products that fit into
Lowell’s concept of “stress-free, pre-coordinated solutions
for the home.” Consumers choose from wood blinds, honeycomb shades,
mini-blinds or sheer vertical blinds from four lifestyle design categories:
Town, Country, City and Shore. The window coverings will be complimentary
in style and color to Lowell’s furniture and home décor
product lines, already available nationwide.
Lowell is the host of The Christopher Lowell Show, Discovery Channel’s
highest-rated daytime series, and author of a best-selling book Christopher
Lowell’s Seven Layers of Design.
“We are very excited to launch the Christopher Lowell Collection
of custom crafted window coverings,” said Jim Buch, president
and CEO of 3 Day Blinds. “Lowell’s brand has a reputation
for quality and style, and his philosophy to home design compliments
the 3 Day Blinds approach to personalizing creative solutions.”
3 Day Blinds has been manufacturing and installing quality window
coverings since 1978 (see D&WC, November 1997, page 26). Headquartered
in Anaheim, CA, the company has showrooms and in-home design consultants
located from Ohio through California.
FABRICLAND HOLDS GRAND OPENING
Fabricland Interiors, North Plainfield, NJ, celebrated the grand opening
of its new Hunter Douglas Window Fashions Gallery in May with a champaign
cocktail party for its top decorating customers and members of the
window fashions industry. “We are proud to offer our customers
optimum solutions for their window coverings needs,” said Bruce
Heyman, owner, who also is president of the Window Coverings Association
of America (WCAA) (see D&WC, December 2001, page 24).
Jeff Janke, director of the Hunter Douglas Window Fashions Gallery
Program, said they were equally pleased to have Fabricland join Gallery
dealers. “Their commitment to both product excellence and customer
satisfaction makes them the ideal candidate for this program,”
he said.
AM-SOURCE RELEASES NEW ELECTRONIC MOTOR
Am-Source International, Wauconda, IL has introduced the 1101 Drapery
Motor, a totally electronic motor that has features normally found
on more expensive motors.
The 1101 compliments the company’s heavy-duty 1103.hd model.
By using the same track as the 1103.hd, features such as track curving
and using Accordiafold and Ripplefold carriers are possible. Other
features such as infrared remote control, switch control/override
and dry contact interfacing for home automation are all achieved through
telephone ports on the motor. Individual addresses can be assigned
to each motor allowing for group, sub-group and individual control.
According to John Karas, Am-Source president, “the 1101 will
become the standard motor for the Am-Source Motorized Drapery Track
product line.”
ALTA FACILITY RECEIVES SAFETY AWARD
For the third year in a row, Hunter Douglas Alta/M&B Window Fashions,
Atlanta, GA, was presented the Hunter Douglas President’s Safety
Award for Best Overall Division. The award was presented by Troy Hackett,
director of risk management and corporate safety for Hunter Douglas,
Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ, to Carter Ramsey, Alta plant manager.
With 170 employees, the Atlanta plant achieved a total case incident
rate of only 2.12 and a lost time incident rate of zero from January
1, 2001, through December 31, 2001. “These safety numbers far
surpass the industry norm and distinguish the Atlanta plant as the
safest division in the Hunter Douglas organization,” said Hackett
after the safety award presentation.
The Atlanta division has been operating since January 1996, manufacturing
aluminum, honeycomb, wood and vertical blinds for the contract division
and Alta/M&B Window Fashions.
HUNTER DOUGLAS FACILITY GAINS ISO CERTIFICATION
The Hunter Douglas Metals and Distribution Center, Shannon, MS, has
gained certification under the International Organization for Standardization’s
ISO 9001: 2000 quality awards. ISO 9001: 2000 is the new format for
which all ISO-certified companies must comply within the next three
years to maintain their ISO registry. The Metals and Distribution
Center is among the first companies in Mississippi as well as the
first Hunter Douglas company to receive this acknowledgement.
The ISO 9000 Series is an internationally acknowledged series of quality
standards that outline the requirements for Total Quality Management
systems. Since its development in 1987, it has become the most widely
used and accepted system for rating quality management and quality
assurance.
The extensive three-day certification audit was performed by lead
assessor Barry Daniels of Lloyds Register Quality Assurance of Houston.
WEBB PRESENTS MOTIVATIONAL SEMINAR
“Relationship Selling and Networking” was the title of a
motivational seminar presented by Rose Webb, sales administrator,
Window Fashions, Inc., Cheswick, PA. The seminar was presented in
May in Elk Grove Village, IL. Attendees included designers and decorators
from Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.
Webb also reviewed Graber and Nanik products, including the new Graber
cordless option.
TIMBER BLIND & SHUTTER EXPANDS FACILITY,
PRODUCT OFFERING
Timber Blind & Shutter, McKinney, TX, announced the expansion
of its current facility with the purchase of an additional 50,000-square-foot
building, bringing the campus total to 196,000 square feet. The additional
space is needed for its new product offering of Villaggio Wood Plantation
Shutters, Vinylbilt Plantation Shutters and upcoming Prism Cell Shades.
In addition to manufacturing and distributing space, the new facility
includes a specialized call center, dealer showroom, training rooms
and office space for additional employees. The expansion ensures Timber
Blind & Shutter’s dedication to its growing product line
and on being a leading full-line fabricator for its dealers, the company
says.
ASTRUP RELOCATES ST. LOUIS DISTRIBUTION CENTER
The Astrup Co., Cleveland, OH, announces the relocation of its St.
Louis, MO, distribution center and office to new, larger and more
efficient facilities. The newly renovated building, located at 45
Worthington Access Dr., Maryland Heights, MO, 63043, occupies more
than 22,000 square feet with more than 19,000 square feet dedicated
to warehousing. The company’s new phone is (314) 205-8100; fax
(314) 205-8140. The toll-free numbers remain the same.
Astrup is a leading supplier of materials used in the manufacture
of awnings, signs, tarpaulins, tents, outdoor furniture and umbrellas,
marine tops—interiors and covers—and associated products.
COVERINGS 2002 PARTICIPATION SETS RECORD
With total attendance reaching a record 30,695 trade and professional
visitors from more than 101 countries, Coverings 2002 concluded its
four-day run at the Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL,
in May. The total number of the show’s population represents
a 16 percent gain over the 2001 event held last year in New Orleans,
LA.
Bob Daniels, chairman of this year’s event, stated, “In
fact, 30 percent of all visitors to this year’s event came from
outside the United States, reinforcing the global scope of our event.”
“The board of directors of Coverings is particularly pleased
with the response to the International Flooring Exposition (IFE) the
new sister portion of the show,” noted Daniels. |
