Stone Brook expands assortment

CEDAR FALLS, NJ — Stone Brook Linens is continuing to build its business by increasing both its product assortment and the size and reach of its sales team.

At the recent New York Home Textiles market, the company added kitchen textiles — oven mitts, potholders, chairpads, valances and chair bows — to its growing roster of goods. The company was originally a table linen supplier and added solid-color bath towels to its mix last year.

"Because we don't have seven layers of management to deal with, we're able to build our company easily and make it better and better," Rob Liguori, vp of sales, told Home Textiles Today. "We previewed the kitchen textiles line to some retailers at market, and it was well received, so we're moving forward with it."

The kitchen textiles are imported from India. Stone Brook also imports its table linens from India as well as from China. In addition, its standalone and ensemble bath towels, which by next market is expected to include embroidered ensembles, also come from India.

Stone Brook's sales team also recently got a boost with the addition of two new independent sales representatives — Robert Mittelman and Steve Chirchick. Together they will cover the West Coast region, focusing on California, Washington, Oregon and some special accounts.

"With these two new sales reps, we're completely covered in the U.S. right now," Liguori said. "The West Coast represents a substantial volume and it cannot be ignored. As far as fashion, the region actually leads in bringing it in earlier than most other sections of the nation."

Mittelman, who will be based in Long Island, NY, was most recently president of American Fabrics. He will also serve as a consultant at Stone Brook.

Chirchick, who will be based in Los Angeles, has acted as an independent sales representative within the home textiles industry for the past several years. Prior to that, he was a sales representative for American Fabrics.