Chieri, Italy — Giovanni Vaj, President and his brother Enrico stopped production in their family mill in 2005 and ten years later, they are operating a $35 million fabric converting business in residential and some contract, serving the EU that grew 30 percent in the last five years according to the owners. 

Giovanni handles sales as President and brother Enrico is responsible for product development and the local Italian market.

Ten years ago, our competitors told us we were crazy to close the mill. Many never thought we’d get off the ground with the new converting business but they were mistaken. Those who stayed with their mills are having a very tough time today,” Giovanni says. “Some mills have lost up to 50 percent of their business.” In contrast to this decline, Vaj says it is getting the business of more and more of the largest editeurs and jobbers in Europe. “Russia is still a large market but it has suffered in the last nine months.”

They sold off the last weaving equipment in 2009 and focus on commission weaving their dual-purpose taffetas, plains and textures principally in Italy and to a lesser extent in Turkey. Vay stocks raw material in the form of yarn including FR yarn and greige. The price range of the Vay line is seven to nine Euros but it starts at 2.5 Euro and is as high as 20 Euros in three-meter widths. Vay does 70-80 collections a year and produces 1.8 million meters a year compared to Brutex of Mechelen, Belgium, for example, which produces a reported five million meters a year just to give an idea of relative size. Brutex is in the same space as Vay, only four times larger converting plains and textures. Vay is ‘Avis’ versus Brutex as ‘Hertz.’

“Business is successful, but we can do better,” Giovanni reasons. “About 97 percent of our orders are in Europe but we are looking to do more business in Central and South America. Vay has one account in the USA which is not a target market…yet.

“We prefer direct relationships with large accounts. We deliver  in 48 hours from receipt of order. We want to give each customer exclusive product. We grew seven percent in 2014 in a very difficult market.” 

“Our goal is not to have four distributors selling our same products in the same market.” Giovanni says his goal is not to grow too fast. “We are consolidating our gains and improving our operations to better service the customer.”

“Half of our finishing is done in Italy; 40 percent in Turkey and 10 percent is finished in China,” Giovanni says. “Plains require hand finishing for a plush finish, structure and many colors in the range.”