Glenoit Has Much To Say at Market

From the New York Market —Glenoit Universal has spent the past year preparing for this New York Home Textiles Market, and the company has several new product categories to show for it.

Debuting are window coverings, kitchen textiles and welcome mats, which are additions to the company's longtime offerings of bath coordinates, table linens, decorative pillows and rugs.

It was last September when the Ex-Cell division hired a window coverings designer as one of its first steps toward entering this segment of the industry, said Barry Leonard, CEO.

“We've been working on this for a year now, because when we come out with a new line, it's to be a player,” he continued. “We want to be full scale. We don't want to show just a couple of designs to say we're in the business. We consider this, and our other new businesses, long-term strategic investments for our company.”

Ex-Cell's initial window coverings line comprises 30 styles of long-length panels, kitchen curtains and top-treatment awnings. Constructions include 100 percent cotton looks, jacquards, dobbys, sheers and embellished designs. Some are imported from India and Turkey, and others are made here and in China at the company's manufacturing facilities. Retail price points range from $10 to $20.

Jerry Pittman was recently appointed vice president of merchandising for window coverings. Most recently, he held the same post at Arley Corp. He now reports to Charlie Barrese, senior vice president of merchandising for Ex-Cell.

Through its recent acquisition of defunct Cecil Saydah Company's Design Network division, Glenoit is entering the welcome mat category with 10 styles. Made mainly in India with some from China, these mats come in 2-by-4-foot and 30-by-48-inch sizes.

“Our focus in our welcome mats is to blend fashion with function and offer high quality,” Leonard said.

For its new kitchen textiles line — which includes kitchen towels, potholders and oven mitts — the company is launching with more than 20 spring styles and previewing more than 20 harvest and holiday patterns, all of which are prints and heat-transfer prints. Made domestically and in China at the company's facilities, the kitchen textiles all coordinate with Glenoit kitchen rugs.

“We've been the largest in the kitchen rug business for years, so we thought it was time to offer coordinates as a natural extension,” Leonard said. “We're experts at coordinating because we already do it well in bath. We have the pick-and-pack capabilities and the fashion capabilities in place.”

The move is also acting as a catalyst to boost price points for its kitchen rugs.

“We still have some at $3.99 but we're moving significantly up to, in some cases, $19.99 for hooked rugs, for example,” Leonard said. “We have a range of patterns focused on all levels of distribution, from mass to specialty.”

Retail price points for kitchen towels are set at $4 for prints and $6 for heat-transfer prints.