Latimer B. Alexander Forms Partnership with J.B. Martin
December 11, 2006
HIGH POINT, North Carolina -- Latimer B. Alexander Inc., founded in 1984 as a fabric wholesaler to small manufacturers, jobbers and retailers, has formed a partnership with J.B. Martin Inc., the New York based velvet producer with plants in Canada and Mexico.
The new entity is called Latimer Alexander LLC and its shares are owned by a South Carolina based holding company according to Latimer B. Alexander, the 49-year-old owner along with his wife Robin.
Under the arrangement with J.B. Martin, Latimer B. Alexander expects to greatly expand services as a fabric wholesaler to large furniture manufacturers. Alexander has sales of about $5 million but the firm expects explosive growth with the new strategic partnership with increased sales to large manufacturers.
Alexander has always catered to the furniture industry, fabric stores, jobbers and small manufacturers while J.B. Martin is geared to large manufacturers and distributors.
"The industry is changing. More and more, we have seen mills begin to provide 'just in time' cut yardage services to the furniture industry. One of the first things we will do with J.B. Martin is to provide cut yardage with its $40 a yard mohair product line to the furniture industry because furniture manufacturers don't want to tie up money with $40 yard fabrics. We're still operating the same way we were but we hope to launch this program in the first quarter of 2007. Large manufacturers want to buy exactly what they need on an immediate basis. We are already a customer of Martin for mohair so this will be an expansion of our services to large manufacturers," Alexander stated.
"We hope that Latimer will take a stock position in our goods," said Robert Lachow, vice president of sales for J.B. Martin. Current delivery at J.B. Martin is five weeks but Lachow hopes that "Alexander will offer cut and ship services with 48 hour delivery."
The Latimer B. Alexander warehouse consists of two buildings in less than 20,000 square feet in High Point.
The new entity is called Latimer Alexander LLC and its shares are owned by a South Carolina based holding company according to Latimer B. Alexander, the 49-year-old owner along with his wife Robin.
Under the arrangement with J.B. Martin, Latimer B. Alexander expects to greatly expand services as a fabric wholesaler to large furniture manufacturers. Alexander has sales of about $5 million but the firm expects explosive growth with the new strategic partnership with increased sales to large manufacturers.
Alexander has always catered to the furniture industry, fabric stores, jobbers and small manufacturers while J.B. Martin is geared to large manufacturers and distributors.
"The industry is changing. More and more, we have seen mills begin to provide 'just in time' cut yardage services to the furniture industry. One of the first things we will do with J.B. Martin is to provide cut yardage with its $40 a yard mohair product line to the furniture industry because furniture manufacturers don't want to tie up money with $40 yard fabrics. We're still operating the same way we were but we hope to launch this program in the first quarter of 2007. Large manufacturers want to buy exactly what they need on an immediate basis. We are already a customer of Martin for mohair so this will be an expansion of our services to large manufacturers," Alexander stated.
"We hope that Latimer will take a stock position in our goods," said Robert Lachow, vice president of sales for J.B. Martin. Current delivery at J.B. Martin is five weeks but Lachow hopes that "Alexander will offer cut and ship services with 48 hour delivery."
The Latimer B. Alexander warehouse consists of two buildings in less than 20,000 square feet in High Point.
