Ralph, Lacey look to clean up with bath rugs

CARTERSVILLE, GA — Bath, accent, kitchen and juvenile rug manufacturer Lacey Mills, based here, and Ralph Lauren Home recently forged a licensing partnership to create a line of nylon and 100 percent cotton bath rugs.

"We look forward to partnering with Lacey Mills and are committed to expanding the line with exciting new product," said Ken Rood, president of Ralph Lauren Home, a division of Polo Ralph Lauren Corp.

Lacey, which already began manufacturing the line earlier this summer, recently started distributing it to specialty and department stores.

"Ralph Lauren is the premier name in home fashion," said Tom Etheridge, president of Lacey Mills. "We are extremely proud to be associated with such a dynamic group of people and their outstanding vision for home."

Ralph Lauren Home under the agreement is responsible for all the design, sales and marketing of the bath rug line.

Pillowtex most recently was Ralph Lauren Home's licensee for bath rugs.

The collection currently includes three styles of bath rugs: 100 percent cotton reversible in 20 colors; 100 percent cotton in a diamond loop pattern that comes in eight colors and coordinates with Ralph Lauren Home's existing Avenue bath towel collection; and plush nylon rugs in six colors.

Spring 2002 introductions will be made during the New York Home Textiles Show in October and will include several new bath rugs under the Ralph Lauren Home and Lauren brand names.

For Lacey, the partnership with marks two milestones.

First, it serves as Lacey's gateway to a new customer.

"This licensing agreement will allow us to expand into the department store arena," Etheridge said. "We are excited about the possibilities for future growth."

Secondly, it is the manufacturer's second significant licensing deal in the past two years — the first being with the John Ritzenthaler Company for cotton and olefin kitchen rugs.