Mischen Glabman to represent La France

By Carole Sloan -- Home Textiles Today, 3/15/2004 12:00:00 AM

GREENVILLE, S.C. —

The Mischen Glabman Group has been formed to represent La France, a division of Mt. Vernon Mills in sales, marketing and product development.

La France once was a powerhouse in velvet fabrics for residential upholstery and decorative uses, and in recent years has been focusing on its automotive business and commission weaving for companies in velvets and tapestries.

Longtime textiles industry executives Steve Mischen and Thom Glabman are partners in The Mischen Glabman Group.

Mischen was an executive with the former Burlington House Fabrics; Glabman — a son of Jack Glabman, a principal in Glabman Himes — was a sales and product development executive with the firm.

After leaving Burlington, Mischen was a principal in Preview Furniture, which was sold to Bassett. Last September, Mischen said, "We started talking with La France, and we saw a great opportunity because of the technology that the company has."

Joining them as design director is Paulina Muzekari, who previously had been designing for Blumenthal and Microfibres at Glabman Himes. Earlier, she worked with Sofis on CAD systems.

The reentry of the residential line will be in June, Mischen said, and will be evenly divided between plain and jacquard velvets and flat wovens, including tapestries and chenille yarns in cotton, rayon, or blends of the two.

Mischen said color is a company strength. "Because we piece dye, we can keep colors up to date, as well as have special colors for customers. It also enables us to have quick delivery — two to four weeks."