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INDUSTRY NEWS
-- February, 2002 --
SOMFY, SPRINGS ANNOUNCE NEW LICENSE AGREEMENT
Somfy, SA, Cluses, France, and Springs Window Fashions Division, Inc., Middleton,
WI, announce that Springs Window Fashions Division, Inc. has been granted a license
under Somfy’s U.S. Patent No. 5,328,113.
The above License Agreement is the result of a settlement by Somfy, SA and Springs
Window Fashions Division, Inc., of their litigation respecting patents on window
blind cord take-up systems on a mutually acceptable basis. The suit pending between
them in the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Illinois is being
dismissed.
OXFORD HOUSE JOINS AS KENSINGTON FABRICATOR
Oxford House, Oxford, IN, has become a licensed independent wholesale fabricator
for Kensington Window Expressions™, Suwanee, GA.
With fabrication facilities in Oxford and Boswell, IN, and Melbourne, FL, Oxford
House has a strong customer base of independent retailers and designers throughout
the Midwest. The company was established in 1987 by the father-and-son team of
Wayne and Polet Senesac.
“Our new partnership with Kensington will be invaluable in helping us to
achieve our goal of providing quality product to quality customers,” said
Polet Senesac.
DSC OFFERS SALES, MARKETING SEMINAR SERIES
DSC Window Fashions, Denver, CO, will produce the DSC Personal Success Series,
an educational seminar series addressing sales and marketing skills specifically
for window coverings professionals. The program of four seminars will be offered
to the trade in three western cities: Denver, CO; Seattle, WA; and Portland, OR
throughout the year.
“In a time when the economy is sluggish, our dealers deserve whatever support
we can give them to compete and be profitable,” says Ken Rathke, DSC sales
manager.
DSC Window Fashions has contracted professional speaker and author Fred Berns
to produce an exclusive mix of sales and marketing topics for its window coverings
dealers. As a marketing and sales consultant, author and professional speaker
Berns presents programs nationwide on how to use self-promotion to dramatically
increase sales performance and profits. He has delivered motivational sales and
marketing seminars to the interior design industry for more than 15 years, and
is the author of several books, articles and audio/video tape programs.
Also, Bruce Knott and Lamar Griggs will present the Springs Window Fashions seminar
featuring information on Graber products and business management topics in Denver,
and Deb Barrett will join Knott for the Portland and Seattle seminars.
Registration information may be obtained by telephone, fax, mail or e-mail. For
further information contact Linda Backer, Seminar Registrations at (303) 423-5151;
sales@dscwindowfashions.com.
AMBROSIA CREATES WHOLESALE DIVISION; PRESENTS VENDOR,
SUPPLIER OF YEAR AWARDS
Ambrosia Custom Window Fashions, Daytona Beach, FL, has established a wholesale
division offering dealers, designers and decorators an extensive selection of
drapery hardware and bedding items.
The wholesale division, American Drapery Hardware and Bedding Distributors, Ormond
Beach, FL, will offer dealers more than 50 brands of drapery hardware including
Kirsch, Graber, Vesta, The Finial Co., Paris-Texas, Ona, Waverly and Robert Allen.
Additionally, it will offer ready-made bedding and bath items including comforters,
bedspreads, sheets and pillow shames from Croscill, Wamsutta, Dan Rivers, Springmaid,
Arley and Baby Goose Down.
Ambrosia is an Internet and mail order reseller of window fashions.
In a separate announcement, Ambrosia has named Comfortex Window Fashions, Maplewood,
NY, its Vendor of the Year for its consistent service levels, quality products
and support.
The Ambrosia Supplier of the Year is Custom Concepts, Oviedo, FL, a distributor
of Graber products.
DRAPER RECOGNIZED FOR MARKETING EFFORTS
Draper, Inc., Spiceland, IN, has been recognized for it’s marketing efforts
in the construction marketplace. The McGraw-Hill Construction Information Group,
publishers of Sweet’s, awarded Draper an Honorable Mention in the “Best
in Sweet’s—Most Outstanding Marketplace Program (Print and Electronic)”
category of its second annual Sweet’s Marketplace Awards.
According to Sweet’s, “Winners in this category represent the finest
example of marketing in the construction marketplace. Utilizing print and electronic
programs, they create a complete, easy-to-use resource for industry professionals.”
Draper manufactures projection screens, lifts and mounts for projectors and plasma
displays, window shades and gymnasium equipment.
BEISLER AMERICA INTRODUCES ADVANCED SKI FOOTS
Beisler America, Inc., Linden, NJ, has developed two new ski-foot attachments
for any single-needle sewing machine.
The ski foot NP-9035 features a Teflon® coated foot, which ensures smooth
gliding over all kinds of fabrics. The foot is designed to act as a shock absorber
and prevents fabrics from puckering.
The NP-903P, also made with Teflon, features a see-through foot that makes the
sewing operation easier for the operator. The NP-903P also increases the operator’s
stitching accuracy, prevents puckering and enables smooth, clean finishing.
HUNTER DOUGLAS DIVISIONS, PUBLICATION AWARD WINNERS
The Product Development & Management Association (PDMA), has named Hunter
Douglas Window Fashions Division, Broomfield, CO, its 2001 Outstanding Corporate
Innovator. The award recognizes the excellence of companies that have been the
most successful at continuously developing value by creating new products and
services.
PDMA is an international organization committed to improving the theory and practice
of new product development. Hunter Douglas is the first and only window fashions
company, and one of the very few interior design companies, ever to receive this
distinction.
The award selection committee included industry practitioners, service providers
and academics. Committee members visited finalists to gain an in-depth understanding
of each company’s new product organization, development practices and success
rates in the new product development arena.
Hunter Douglas Northeast, Cumberland, MD, has been named one of the “2001
Businesses of the Year” by the Allegany County Chamber of Commerce. This
award was given, in part, due to the recent expansion of the Hunter Douglas Window
Fashions facilities in Allegany County.
After outgrowing its previous facility in Frostburg, MD, Hunter Douglas constructed
a 231,435-square-foot manufacturing facility in Cumberland that houses more than
500 employees in product, accounting, customer service, shipping and receiving,
purchasing and inventory, administration, human resources and warehouse. The company
plans to add 200 employees over the next two years.
Gatherings: Your Holiday Planning Guide, a 24-page custom magazine sponsored by
Hunter Douglas Window Fashions, earned a Bronze Award in the 12th Annual International
Galaxy 2001 Awards competition, honoring excellence in product and service marketing.
Produced by Meredith Integrated Marketing, the custom magazine won in the Public
Relations/Corporate Magazines category of the competition.
Gatherings provides everything from recipes, centerpiece suggestions and a holiday
planning schedule to tips for selecting just the right window treatment to enhance
light.
Sponsored by MerComm, an independent organization dedicated to defining standards
in the marketing communications field, this year’s Galaxy Awards received
more than 450 entries from 12 countries.
ITALIAN EXPORT CONSORTIUM OPENS NEW YORK OFFICE
Consorzio Como Export, the private-sector association of medium-sized enterprises
of the province of Como, Italy, has selected EurAmLink to set up a U.S.-based
office to ease business transactions between the Italian manufacturers and their
American clients. This new “antenna” office is called comoex/usa and
is located at 36 East 36th St., suite 8C, New York, NY, where merchandise samples
can be seen by appointment only.
The charter members of comoex/usa are six successful enterprises, of which five
are in the textile domain. Como is a center for silk and has an extensive array
of companies covering all aspects of the textile industry, from machinery to yarn,
from upholstery to window sheers and from new fibers to the most elegant fashion
fabrics.
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