United Weavers inks deal for prints

By Cecile B. Corral -- Home Textiles Today, 5/20/2002 12:00:00 AM

DALTON, GA —

United Weavers of America Inc. has forged its first licensing deal with U.K.-based carpet weaver Woodward Grosvenor to produce a large line of rugs featuring designs taken from archives of prints dating from the 1700s through the early 1900s.

The collection is titled Minster and will be launched in July at the Atlanta International Area Rug Show.

"The collection is being built around archival designs that royalty commissioned to be made for their own rugs," Diane Carleo, director of marketing, told Home Textiles Today. "There are 26,000 prints we can choose from in this archive, and we bought the rights to use any and all of them."

For the initial introduction, United Weavers will create rugs based on 20 designs in one to four colorways each for a total of 48 selections and 37 skus.

Minster is made of 1-million-point 100 percent olefin and, like the balance of the company's rug collections, it will be produced in Saudi Arabia. But it will target a more upscale customer for the company, with a 6' x 9' slated to retail for $299. Other available sizes include 3' x 10', 7' x 10' and 9' x 12', as well as an 8' x 8' and a round 10' x 13'.

The company will host a gala event in Atlanta during the rug show to celebrate the line's launch.