Westone grows into new showroom

By Michele SanFilippo -- Home Textiles Today, 3/8/2004 12:00:00 AM

HACKENSACK, N.J. —

Home textiles manufacturer Westone recently signed a five-year lease on a 4,100-square-foot showroom at 230 Fifth Ave., which will be ready for viewing during the upcoming New York Home Textiles Market.

Westone formerly occupied a 950-square-foot showroom on West 38th Street.

Westone started out in Los Angeles in 1993 as a vendor of bedding, feather and down products to Pillowtex and Hollander Home Fashions. After about a year, the company relocated to New York and began providing bedding products directly to retailers.

"We have been in our current space for more than a decade and have expanded our lines so extensively that it was hard to fully display all our product categories and only have three beds in the showroom," said Daniel Fu, Westone vice president. The new showroom on Fifth Avenue will have a total of eight beds.

Currently, Westone designs and manufactures many home products, including its new upholstery fabrics, sheeting, duvet covers, pillow shams, coverlets, comforter sets, quilts, decorative pillows, throws, shower curtains, window treatments and table linens.

It is also developing bath accessories to coordinate with its shower curtains later this year and will be working on more sophisticated master bedroom ensembles that incorporate better fabrics and design. Westone goods appear at department stores, specialty stores, online stores and catalogers.

The company has factories in Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu, China, as well as a combined warehouse/factory in Hackensack.

Fu said that Westone understands what the U.S. market needs, as well as how to keep its prices moderate. "Our advantages are that we have cross-cultural understanding and high-quality products at smart price points," said Fu.