Softline's Carr Brothers Build $25 Million Fabric, Curtain Business
August 21, 2009
LOS ANGELES, California - Softline, a $25 million plus importer/distributor that started in 2001 as a piece goods supplier is now an important supplier of readymade curtains and decorative pillows to the wholesaler and retailer according to Rodney, 35, and Jason Carr, 38, brothers, partners and co-founders. Aside from the company's base here, Softline has a 38,000-square-foot showroom and warehouse in Montreal, home of the two brothers who started it all. Softline also has showrooms in New York and Atlanta.
Rodney, who was married this August, is based in Montreal but started with Jason in Los Angeles. Their goal is to build a great company with excellence and grow with the 400 customers they already have in North America, Australia, Dubai, UK and Central America.
''Our customers's interests always come first,'' states the pair on their website, softonline.com. ''We take great pride in the professional quality of our work. We have an uncompromising determination to achieve excellence in everything we undertake. By offering the highest quality of affordable decorative fabrics and ready made curtains from around the world, we are constantly raising the industry's bar.'' Softline said that it partners with factories that are ethical and follow international code of labor standards. Softline's quality assurance team regularly conducts audits and uses external assessors to undertake ethical and technical audits, the site continues.
''Because we didn't finance our business, our employees were able to be a part of the decision making from the beginning,'' said Rodney and Jason. We couldn't pay large salaries but we welcomed their input from the beginning.''Softline does cut and sew in California to offer local service and quick ship to smaller stores at higher prices while the volume merchants and big box retailers are serviced out of Shanghai. Kelly Luino, vice president of production and general manager, joined Softline five years ago from Carol Little Apparel, a $300 million fashion business. The Carrs credit her and her 12-person staff for contributing to the success of Softline. There are 75 employees total at the company including two fulltime designers.
Softline is in the process of moving into larger company-owned facilities, about 160,000 feet in the Carson, Calif. area. This will mostly be a warehouse for container load fabric buyers. Also part of the Carrs' next move is to bring out an important licensed line featuring a well-known brand on a licensing basis. The pair said Softline is debt-free today though starting out was a money-losing proposition. The boys left a family business in 2000 that was sold and still operates as Bonavista. ''Our father sold that business but we wanted to work together,'' Jason said. Jason was in Los Angeles where the company began and Rodney was in Canada. The business began right after 9/11.
''We offer readymades in any piecegoods that we carry,'' Jason said. That covers 7,400 fabric SKUS inventoried in Softline warehouses. The sales volume of Softline is split between 80 percent readymades and 20 percent fabrics. ''We are expanding our business where others are shrinking back because we feel that these markets will turn around in the next two years,'' Rodney explained. ''Our fabrics are fashion-forward,'' said Jason. ''We entered a business that was saturated in basic fabrics and we added fresh looks with affordable fashion, novelty products with good pricing.'' Softline also sells blackout curtains and blackout thermal drapery through jobbers.
The company offers a line of eco-friendly fabrics branded Evidences of Evolution. This line is 100 percent recycled polyester made from plastic bottles; a line of organic cotton fabrics as well as a 50/50 recycled polyester line. Matchstick bamboo is available in curtain panels in the $6 to $10 range.
Softline sources woven jacquards from India; detailed embroidery and fine laces in 12 to 22 gauge to jacquards from China. ''These fabrics used to be sourced from Italy and Turkey but they sell in China from $8 to $9 or less,'' Rodney said. Vietnam is a limited market as far as they are concerned but the company imports lace from Brazil. About 90 percent of the fabrics offered are 100 percent polyester. These fabrics include the boucle linen look, chain stitch embroidery, yarn-dyed jacquards, faux silk, multi-colored embroidery. Prices are in the $4.95 to $6.95 range.
Rodney, who was married this August, is based in Montreal but started with Jason in Los Angeles. Their goal is to build a great company with excellence and grow with the 400 customers they already have in North America, Australia, Dubai, UK and Central America.
''Our customers's interests always come first,'' states the pair on their website, softonline.com. ''We take great pride in the professional quality of our work. We have an uncompromising determination to achieve excellence in everything we undertake. By offering the highest quality of affordable decorative fabrics and ready made curtains from around the world, we are constantly raising the industry's bar.'' Softline said that it partners with factories that are ethical and follow international code of labor standards. Softline's quality assurance team regularly conducts audits and uses external assessors to undertake ethical and technical audits, the site continues.
''Because we didn't finance our business, our employees were able to be a part of the decision making from the beginning,'' said Rodney and Jason. We couldn't pay large salaries but we welcomed their input from the beginning.''Softline does cut and sew in California to offer local service and quick ship to smaller stores at higher prices while the volume merchants and big box retailers are serviced out of Shanghai. Kelly Luino, vice president of production and general manager, joined Softline five years ago from Carol Little Apparel, a $300 million fashion business. The Carrs credit her and her 12-person staff for contributing to the success of Softline. There are 75 employees total at the company including two fulltime designers.
Softline is in the process of moving into larger company-owned facilities, about 160,000 feet in the Carson, Calif. area. This will mostly be a warehouse for container load fabric buyers. Also part of the Carrs' next move is to bring out an important licensed line featuring a well-known brand on a licensing basis. The pair said Softline is debt-free today though starting out was a money-losing proposition. The boys left a family business in 2000 that was sold and still operates as Bonavista. ''Our father sold that business but we wanted to work together,'' Jason said. Jason was in Los Angeles where the company began and Rodney was in Canada. The business began right after 9/11.
''We offer readymades in any piecegoods that we carry,'' Jason said. That covers 7,400 fabric SKUS inventoried in Softline warehouses. The sales volume of Softline is split between 80 percent readymades and 20 percent fabrics. ''We are expanding our business where others are shrinking back because we feel that these markets will turn around in the next two years,'' Rodney explained. ''Our fabrics are fashion-forward,'' said Jason. ''We entered a business that was saturated in basic fabrics and we added fresh looks with affordable fashion, novelty products with good pricing.'' Softline also sells blackout curtains and blackout thermal drapery through jobbers.
The company offers a line of eco-friendly fabrics branded Evidences of Evolution. This line is 100 percent recycled polyester made from plastic bottles; a line of organic cotton fabrics as well as a 50/50 recycled polyester line. Matchstick bamboo is available in curtain panels in the $6 to $10 range.
Softline sources woven jacquards from India; detailed embroidery and fine laces in 12 to 22 gauge to jacquards from China. ''These fabrics used to be sourced from Italy and Turkey but they sell in China from $8 to $9 or less,'' Rodney said. Vietnam is a limited market as far as they are concerned but the company imports lace from Brazil. About 90 percent of the fabrics offered are 100 percent polyester. These fabrics include the boucle linen look, chain stitch embroidery, yarn-dyed jacquards, faux silk, multi-colored embroidery. Prices are in the $4.95 to $6.95 range.
