Interface Expands, Opens New Mill
August 2, 2000
Mirfield, West Yorkshire, England - Interface Fabrics expects to improve operations and provide better customer service with the opening of its new 170,000 square foot mill and warehouse in Meltham, just seven miles away from its original factory, said Ian Burn, marketing manager.
The new building will house Interface Fabrics' 50 Sulzers and Dornier looms as well as some of its 350 employees. The company weaves middle and upper market lines of contract upholstery and vertical fabrics in wool and synthetics from the yarn forward with outside dyeing. The Interface lines are branded Camborne in the middle market; Studio I and II for the upper market, a total of 1,000 SKUs. The company boasts 100 percent recyclability for its new wool lines including 'ReSKU' manufactured from 100 percent recycled Army sweaters.
Interface Fabrics has also purchased Glenside Fabrics, Camborne's main U.K. competitor in Meltham, said Burn.
''Interface Fabrics exports to Europe, Middle East Asia and Hong Kong. Its woolrich lines are preferred by Scandinavian and British buyers but Trevira CS(r) is preferred by specifiers in Germany, France and Benelux. Far Eastern buyers seek out Interface lines in polypropylene and polyester,'' he said.
Interface sells through its international offices and through its worldwide distributors including Titch Trading in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia; it also sells directly to the contract furniture manufacturer.
Since 1997, the former Camborne Fabrics business has been under the ownership of Interface Inc. in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Paul Goodhall is the managing director and the only original partner in the Camborne operation, Interface was founded as a carpet tile manufacturer, then added broadloom and an interior fabrics group including Toltec, a producer of cubicle cloth for hospitals and decorative fabrics; Stevens Linen, Intek and Guilford of Maine, upholstery and panel cloth producers, all based in the USA.
Interface operates independently of the US operations in Europe and Asia but distributes some of the other Interior Fabrics Group (IFG) lines along with its own, said Burn. Under the new ownership, Interface has increased sales from 25 million to 35 million pounds even though the overall contract market is growing only at a rate of two to five percent a year, said Burn. Interface caters to the architect and designer market and will supply as little as one-meter minimum orders.
The new building will house Interface Fabrics' 50 Sulzers and Dornier looms as well as some of its 350 employees. The company weaves middle and upper market lines of contract upholstery and vertical fabrics in wool and synthetics from the yarn forward with outside dyeing. The Interface lines are branded Camborne in the middle market; Studio I and II for the upper market, a total of 1,000 SKUs. The company boasts 100 percent recyclability for its new wool lines including 'ReSKU' manufactured from 100 percent recycled Army sweaters.
Interface Fabrics has also purchased Glenside Fabrics, Camborne's main U.K. competitor in Meltham, said Burn.
''Interface Fabrics exports to Europe, Middle East Asia and Hong Kong. Its woolrich lines are preferred by Scandinavian and British buyers but Trevira CS(r) is preferred by specifiers in Germany, France and Benelux. Far Eastern buyers seek out Interface lines in polypropylene and polyester,'' he said.
Interface sells through its international offices and through its worldwide distributors including Titch Trading in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia; it also sells directly to the contract furniture manufacturer.
Since 1997, the former Camborne Fabrics business has been under the ownership of Interface Inc. in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Paul Goodhall is the managing director and the only original partner in the Camborne operation, Interface was founded as a carpet tile manufacturer, then added broadloom and an interior fabrics group including Toltec, a producer of cubicle cloth for hospitals and decorative fabrics; Stevens Linen, Intek and Guilford of Maine, upholstery and panel cloth producers, all based in the USA.
Interface operates independently of the US operations in Europe and Asia but distributes some of the other Interior Fabrics Group (IFG) lines along with its own, said Burn. Under the new ownership, Interface has increased sales from 25 million to 35 million pounds even though the overall contract market is growing only at a rate of two to five percent a year, said Burn. Interface caters to the architect and designer market and will supply as little as one-meter minimum orders.
