POMPANO BEACH, Florida — Second generation managers Mike and Diana Dobin have been named co-presidents of Valley Forge, Inc., the largest supplier of hospitality fabrics in the world with some 10 million yards of piece goods and finished goods to its credit on an annual basis.

Products include upholstery, sheers and drapery; faux leather; a ‘Fresh’ program featuring sustainable fabrics. In 2007/8, Valley Forge said it lowered its greenhouse gas usage by 35 percent. Bedding and finished products like towels, sheets, throws, bed skirts and shower curtains are now over 25 percent of total sales for VF.

As the pair take hold of the management reins from their parents, the ‘kids’ are forecasting growth in 2012 after a 32 percent increase in 2011. At the same time, the ‘kids’ point to several changes underfoot in the industry.Mike and Diana Dobin

First and foremost is the shift back to domestic suppliers of product in the USA as opposed to imports. About 40 percent of the product is sourced in the USA today, they said. Just three years ago, the U.S. sourcing was only 20 percent of the business, they said. “We can perform better, faster and greener in the USA and the product is more consistent than some imports. “We started to consolidate suppliers to three to four per country,” Mike said. “Today more than ever before, our customer wants the product quickly. Suppliers are like our partners and we expect them to deliver when we need the goods. For example, we recently took delivery of 12,000 yards of fabric from Turkey in just three weeks,” he pointed out.

“The customer will tell us they finally have funding after two years of waiting and Valley Forge has 11 weeks to do the entire job! Often we can get shipment of 1,000 yards in a week if the warp is on the loom and the yarn for the weft is available,” Mike said.  The U.S. mill can do this for us while it takes too long dealing with some other off shore suppliers.

“The customers were to deal with a trusted source that is financially stable. Sometimes, the customer wants to work with Valley Forge without putting down deposits. We carry no debt. Our last bank loan was paid off in 1990. Sometimes we carry the customer for 30 days from shipping depending on the size of the order. There are just a few companies in Valley forge’s financial league,” Mike said.

“Valley Forge focuses 100 percent on hospitality while our competitors might have a division which does 15 percent of their company’s total in contract. While 85 percent of their time is spent on residential, ours is 100 percent spent on hospitality, Mike explained. One of their first efforts in their new jobs was to eliminate any residential activity Valley Forge might have been doing.

“Our customer wants to buy everything from one supplier, including upholstery, drapery and finished bedding,” he explained.  On the other hand, wide width sources are b not available in the U.S, Mike said, so drapery has to be purchased elsewhere

Mike and Diana have been with Valley Forge 15 and 19 years respectively. Originally New Yorkers, the company moved to Florida from New York in 1992; the pair moved with the company—first Mike and then Diana. Mike is expecting his fourth child while Diana has three. “We want a joyous environment that is fun to work in at Valley Forge,” said Mike as he sprayed his sister with Crazy Goo! The company has 110 employees.

The new co-president positions were largely ceremonial since the pair say they have been running the business for several years—without the titles. Their responsibilities are now divided between Mike as the head of operations, overseas sourcing and product development; Diana handles accounting, design, color, public relations and advertising. Valley Forge created 30 booked collections last year. While Mike says this rate will slow down since the market is now flooded with its products, the design job alone is nonstop for Diana.

“We crisscross in sales, business development, strategy and planning,” Mike said. While he still chooses to share an office in the center of the corporate headquarters with Dan, his father, Diana prefers going it alone in her own office in the front of the building. “When I came back to the States from Hong Kong, my mom wanted me to move into her office but I decided to go it alone.   Dan and Judy, the first generation founders are spending more time out of the office today but they can still decide what projects they wish to get involved with, the children said.   F&FI