At 25, Anchor Home Products looks to new growth

By Cecile B. Corral -- Home Textiles Today, 1/13/2003 12:00:00 AM

WYCKOFF, NJ —

Frank Petronzio named his kitchen textile company Anchor Home Products because "an anchor is a symbol of hope."

But hope isn't the only thing keeping this kitchen textiles company afloat. Now in its 25th year, Anchor's persistent growth has more to do with the willingness to adapt to an ever-changing home industry, Petronzio, owner and president, told HTT.

Anchor, a family-owned domestic manufacturer, has evolved over the past quarter century from strictly an appliance covers supplier into a producer of a broad array of kitchen textiles and table linens.

Making room for continued growth, Anchor last month moved its headquarters to a new, considerably larger space.

"It's only three miles away from the old site, but it's a world of difference," said Petronzio, who operates the business with his wife, Linda.

The new 22,000-square-foot headquarters includes offices, a factory and warehouse and is more than four times larger than its former location.

Privately held, Anchor does not release sales figures, however, Petronzio said revenues have risen 28 percent over the last three years.

Anchor was established in 1978, originally as a sales organization for kitchen, table linens, bedding and other home textiles manufacturers to retailers in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The firm became a manufacturer in 1988.

"We realized that we needed a product we could manufacture and market nationally to stay competitive," Petronzio said.

The first products it produced — under the company's then-open line label, Coveralls — was a six-piece line of appliance covers, available in six solid colors.

Each piece featured a wooden ring at the top of each cover; "and today it remains our signature, a sort of symbol that shows this product is an Anchor product," Petronzio said.

Four years ago, window treatments joined the list of Anchor's offerings.

Anchor uses its "America At Home" label for its open line, but also works with various licenses, like Pfaltzgraff, and other manufacturers, like Ex-Cell Home Fashions.

Some new lines, labeled the Solutions line, feature heat transfer technology and coordinate with wallpaper and wallpaper borders by Wallquest.