Ladner Re-establishes Intertex to Service Hospitality Market
January 17, 2003
Davidson, N.C. (USA) - George Ladner and Dean Johnson have reestablished Intertex, a sales and marketing agency geared to the contract trade that Ladner previously ran for 15 years. Intertex's focus is selling to the hospitality fabric marketplace through offices in the New York area, Birmingham, Ala., Charlotte, N.C., and San Francisco.
In its previous incarnation, Intertex reached annual sales of more than $30 million and helped two major U.S. companies establish a presence in new markets. In 1992, Intertex introduced Burlington's Klopman Division to the contract market. A year later, Intertex helped Main Street, a division of Joan Fabrics, into the contract and decorative markets. It also brought product from a Slovenian mill, IBI Kranj, into the U.S. ticking market in 1994. During Intertex's first year of operation, it sold 507,000 yards of fabric. By 1998, it was selling 7.6 million yards, Ladner said.
Ladner merged Intertex into eDesignerSource, a B2B online trading platform, which he founded in 1999. When the venture halted operations due to insufficient funding in 2001, Ladner also folded Intertex.
''I actually think the concept of eDesignerSource still works,'' Ladner said. ''We underestimated the time it would take for people to get comfortable doing business on the Internet.'' Nonetheless, Ladner said he expects an Intertex website to play an important role in the company's rebirth, including capacity for online transactions.
Intertex also provides business development consulting. ''Obviously one of the major trends is ecological issues,'' Ladner said. ''The demand is for product that is sustainable and benign in terms of doing damage to the environment. Another major trend is technology. Just about every customer, particularly at the better end of the distribution market, is looking for products that will do different things, that have multi-use or performance characteristics, like Crypton® for example.''
Ladner said Intertex's experience in the hospitality market will be a strong selling point. Ladner has more than 20 years of management and marketing experience working for the interior fabric divisions of Chatham, Burlington Industries and Joan Fabrics Corporation. He has also held positions in finance and start-up manufacturing operations. Intertex executive vice president and partner, Dean Johnson, has held management positions in sales, marketing, market research and product development with Armstrong World Industries, Chatham Manufacturing, Burlington Industries and Joan Fabrics during the last 30 years. He served as a vice president of Intertex from 1992 to 2000.
''We have expertise,'' said Ladner. ''The hospitality market is a very specialized one and not a lot of people have the knowledge in it. I enjoy the prospect of looking for new and different ideas and products to bring to this market.'' F&FI
In its previous incarnation, Intertex reached annual sales of more than $30 million and helped two major U.S. companies establish a presence in new markets. In 1992, Intertex introduced Burlington's Klopman Division to the contract market. A year later, Intertex helped Main Street, a division of Joan Fabrics, into the contract and decorative markets. It also brought product from a Slovenian mill, IBI Kranj, into the U.S. ticking market in 1994. During Intertex's first year of operation, it sold 507,000 yards of fabric. By 1998, it was selling 7.6 million yards, Ladner said.
Ladner merged Intertex into eDesignerSource, a B2B online trading platform, which he founded in 1999. When the venture halted operations due to insufficient funding in 2001, Ladner also folded Intertex.
''I actually think the concept of eDesignerSource still works,'' Ladner said. ''We underestimated the time it would take for people to get comfortable doing business on the Internet.'' Nonetheless, Ladner said he expects an Intertex website to play an important role in the company's rebirth, including capacity for online transactions.
Intertex also provides business development consulting. ''Obviously one of the major trends is ecological issues,'' Ladner said. ''The demand is for product that is sustainable and benign in terms of doing damage to the environment. Another major trend is technology. Just about every customer, particularly at the better end of the distribution market, is looking for products that will do different things, that have multi-use or performance characteristics, like Crypton® for example.''
Ladner said Intertex's experience in the hospitality market will be a strong selling point. Ladner has more than 20 years of management and marketing experience working for the interior fabric divisions of Chatham, Burlington Industries and Joan Fabrics Corporation. He has also held positions in finance and start-up manufacturing operations. Intertex executive vice president and partner, Dean Johnson, has held management positions in sales, marketing, market research and product development with Armstrong World Industries, Chatham Manufacturing, Burlington Industries and Joan Fabrics during the last 30 years. He served as a vice president of Intertex from 1992 to 2000.
''We have expertise,'' said Ladner. ''The hospitality market is a very specialized one and not a lot of people have the knowledge in it. I enjoy the prospect of looking for new and different ideas and products to bring to this market.'' F&FI
