Shavel keeps up foreign relations

Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 10/1/2001 12:00:00 AM

Shavel Industries

Princeton, NJ

Vp: John Shavel

Principal businesses: sheeting, top of bed items

Jon Shavel, vp, Shavel Industries, has a warning for those companies hoping to solve their production problems by going overseas: "It's not a panacea."

Shavel, a manufacturer of various sheeting and top-of-bed items, currently sources its products from Portugal and Mexico.

The company prides itself with its relations with domestic retailers. Because a Shavel has always been involved in every aspect of the company's business, whether overseas or in the United States — Jon's father Matt is president and his brother Doug is the other vp — "when they're talking to us personally, they're talking directly to the factory, too," Shavel said.

At this point, the company is content with the scope of its operations overseas and has no plans brewing to expand, he said. But if the right opportunity to expand business presents itself, the company is willing to take a look.

The home textiles business, he said, because of the enormous state of transition that it is currently in, is forcing many companies to re-evaluate their manufacturing constraints and efficiencies.

But vendors should be warned, Shavel said. Going overseas to find lightning in a bottle and the answers to the more expensive and limited manufacturing capabilities here may not be for everyone.

"Businesses should be careful in what they do," he said. "There ultimately have to be some balance points as people decide what quality best serves their customers."