JLA Home launches JLA Rugs

By Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 1/8/2007 11:09:00 AM

New York– Fabric and fashion bedding company JLA Home is waking up this new year to a new product category – rugs. Area, accent, and bath rugs are the newest additions to the product roster of the company, which puts its annual sales volume for fabrics and finished home textiles at more than $250 million.

Led by Gary Shafran, formerly the sales and marketing manager for the past five years for Nourison's accent and bath rug division, JLA Home’s new floor covering division – JLA Rugs – will debut in February with about 100 styles in a variety of constructions, sizes, and designs. "JLA Rugs is open for business,” Shafran told HTT. As vp of the new rug division, Shafran reports to the principal of the company, Edmund Jin.

"The rug division is a natural extension of the JLA new business model and JLA Value Equation," Jin said, adding that the company — which turns seven years old this year — expects to add more divisions “down the road” for other new product categories.

Shafran described the initial line as a “broad assortment” that includes cotton bath rugs; a new innovative synthetic construction for bath rugs; novelty handmade machine-washable accents; seasonal scatters; and wool, acrylic and high-low tufted area rugs.

He said the rug unit will work closely with JLA Home’s other divisions — fabric and bedding — for coordination and design inspiration.

For the upcoming New York Home Fashions market Feb. 12 to 16, JLA Rugs will present its line in its new, permanent showroom on the sixth floor of 11 East 26 Street. JLA Home’s New York showroom occupies the full second floor of the same building.