Newport/Layton in Streamlining Push

By Cecile B. Corral -- Home Textiles Today, 2/12/2008 12:00:00 AM

Portland, Ore. —

Less is more goes the saying, and it's true when referencing Newport/Layton Home Fashions' new headquarters and warehouse facility.

The country's third largest decorative pillow company, with $20 million in category sales last year, is restructuring its operations, and preparing to relocate to a facility in Portland, Ore. near its former site, in a plant one-third smaller.

But what this new address lacks in square footage — just over 100,000 square feet vs. the old site's 150,000 square feet — it will make up for in vertical storage space and production efficiencies.

"We're lean and mean," explained Belinda Ballash, design director, half-jokingly.

In other words, the longtime cut-and-sew and pillow fill manufacturer is augmenting its importing business considerably while downsizing its domestic manufacturing.

The company imports the bulk of its decorative pillows as well as all of its bedding, bath and table linens assortments.

More specifically, said president Corey Faul, the ratio has now shifted to 20% domestic, 80% imported. "Eight years ago when we moved to Portland, we were 90% cut-and-sew, so things have really changed, yes," Faul said.

What won't change, however, stressed Faul and Ballash, is that the company will continue to fill its decorative pillows domestically, with both poly and feather fills depending on the product line.

"They still don't do that well overseas," Faul remarked.

Added Ballash: "We have very good filling machines, and we use our own very high-quality fill for our pillows."

The new facility, which boasts very high ceilings and is currently being revamped for the company's official move July 1, will include: 55,000 square feet of area for vertical storage/warehousing of product; 45,000 square feet dedicated mostly to filling production but including some small cut-and-sew manufacturing work; and 5,000 square feet of offices.

"The efficiencies are superior at this new site," Ballash summed up.