Home Textiles Today - January 29, 2007

Malden Mills, producer of Polartec fleece blankets and apparel, will reorganize under Chapter 11 and then be sold to either Boston-based Gordon Brothers Group or Philadelphia-based Chrysalis Capital Partners. Both turnaround specialists have offered $44 million for the troubled business.

• Business Today
• Home Builders Turn Optimistic
• Same-Store Sales Show Snap
• Condos Lead Housing Sales, Starts
• Burlington Coat Hurt by Leveraging

• News
• For the Record
• Maitè Designs Pleased with U.S. Launch
• NRF: Soft Landing Due in 2007
• Exhibitors Ready for New York Show and Fair
• Safavieh Debuts Martha Stewart Rugs Collection
• Home Source Joins One Coast in Vegas
• Sferra Expands Offerings
• H&M to Enter Home Textiles Category
• Market Buzz Builds in Las Vegas
• Pantone Picks Red-Hot Color of the Year
• Area Rug Power on Display in Atlanta
• Wal-Mart Names Chief Merchant
• Karim Rashid to Design Bedding
• Betesh Group Buys Bananafish
• Crown Crafts to Sell Churchill Weavers
• Parimatex Moving to New Facility
• Abbyson Readies Vegas Showroom
• Unifi Loss Widens, Turnaround Seen
• Retail Briefs
• SoHe Designs to Bow New Collection
• Beader's Touch, OBAC Team to Show Designs
• Claire's Stores Licenses Bedding to Whisper Soft

• Opinion Today
• Time At Last for Better Goods
• Small Is Beautiful

• People Today
• Leto to Lead Mervyns after Castagna
• Nourison Hires Fawcett
• Next Creations Promotes Lauri, Hires Reiser
• NRF Elects New Board Members
• Frette North America Appoints Paul Raffin as CEO
• Industry Vet Rives Promoted by Sphinx
• Safavieh Taps Hugh Riley for Northwest
• Commonwealth Taps Lewis for New York City

• Special Report
• Eye On The Environment
• Eco-Friendly Merchandising On the Rise