JLA Rugs Launches

By Cecile B. Corral -- Home Textiles Today, 1/8/2007 12:00:00 AM

New York —

Fabric and fashion bedding company JLA Home wakes up this new year to a new product category — rugs — under the aegis of a whole new division, JLA Rugs.

Area, accent, and bath rugs are the new additions, which will add to JLA Home's annual sales volume of more than $250 million.

Led by Gary Shafran, formerly the sales and marketing manager for Nourison's accent and bath rug division, JLA Home's new floor covering division 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 division, he reports to JLA Home principal 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.

The rug unit will work closely with the other divisions — fabric and bedding — for coordination and design inspiration.

"I want to integrate the rug division into JLA's entire product line," Shafran said.

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 showroom occupies the full second floor of the same building. JLA showrooms are also in: Roswell, Ga.; Bentonville, Ark.; Greensboro, N.C.; Dallas; Boston; Ontario, Canada; Shanghai and Hangzhou, China; and at the headquarters in Fremont, Calif.

JLA Home will also debut its fashion bedding program with HGTV star Candice Olson. Other bedding licenses the company holds — fashion and juvenile, respectively — are Natori Home and Olive Kids. For the rug category, JLA Home is open to future licensing opportunities.