Classical Elements Opens China
April 3, 2008
RALEIGH, North Carolina —Trimming supplier Classical Elements LLC has officially opened its China based division in Hangzhou according to Stuart Gans, principal of the five year old firm.
The 100 person Classical Elements Hangzhou Company was approved to do business by the Chinese Government in February.
In addition, Classical has added a 60 piece hand carved wood hardware collection produced in Vietnam and assembled in China. There is a possibility of opening a Vietnam based company in 2009 for Classical Elements, Gans said. The hardware line includes finials, brackets, polls and holdbacks. It will be shown at Showtime for the first time in June. The company has also developed sustainable wood and trim lines featuring all bamboo and bamboo/linen textiles which meet Oeko-Tex 100 standards, Gans said. He has also inked a deal with Wesley Mancini for a new trim collection as of this Showtime which features multi-media in glass, wood and metal combinations. "Vietnam is more artistic than China. As a result, we're now seeking out more aesthetic places of production for our lines," Gans said. He sees trim and hardware together as a $50 million business and is already producing product in China, Vietnam and the Philippines. Classical focuses on the higher end of the market, Gans said especially jobbers, furniture and bedding companies. Gans' wife Leyla is in charge of design and Steve Shelly is director of sales. He was previously with Conso Trimming.
Classical Elements produces trim lines in China and Italy for distribution worldwide with the principal market in the USA where the company produces many private label lines. The company has seen steady growth as other trim producers fall by the wayside in the USA, Gans explained. He was originally involved in a family retail fabric business in Dania, FL in 1995 and then started Tasseltime, a Florida based wholesale trim company in 2001 which was later sold to Castellano Beltrame.
"Producing trim in China in our own facility gives us better control than outsourcing it to someone else. China offers the producer great diversity but you need two months inventory on your shelf locally because of the long distance to the USA. You can produce thousands of meters of product in China or even more complex, shorter runs which still can be sold at attractive prices."
The 100 person Classical Elements Hangzhou Company was approved to do business by the Chinese Government in February.
In addition, Classical has added a 60 piece hand carved wood hardware collection produced in Vietnam and assembled in China. There is a possibility of opening a Vietnam based company in 2009 for Classical Elements, Gans said. The hardware line includes finials, brackets, polls and holdbacks. It will be shown at Showtime for the first time in June. The company has also developed sustainable wood and trim lines featuring all bamboo and bamboo/linen textiles which meet Oeko-Tex 100 standards, Gans said. He has also inked a deal with Wesley Mancini for a new trim collection as of this Showtime which features multi-media in glass, wood and metal combinations. "Vietnam is more artistic than China. As a result, we're now seeking out more aesthetic places of production for our lines," Gans said. He sees trim and hardware together as a $50 million business and is already producing product in China, Vietnam and the Philippines. Classical focuses on the higher end of the market, Gans said especially jobbers, furniture and bedding companies. Gans' wife Leyla is in charge of design and Steve Shelly is director of sales. He was previously with Conso Trimming.
Classical Elements produces trim lines in China and Italy for distribution worldwide with the principal market in the USA where the company produces many private label lines. The company has seen steady growth as other trim producers fall by the wayside in the USA, Gans explained. He was originally involved in a family retail fabric business in Dania, FL in 1995 and then started Tasseltime, a Florida based wholesale trim company in 2001 which was later sold to Castellano Beltrame.
"Producing trim in China in our own facility gives us better control than outsourcing it to someone else. China offers the producer great diversity but you need two months inventory on your shelf locally because of the long distance to the USA. You can produce thousands of meters of product in China or even more complex, shorter runs which still can be sold at attractive prices."
