TAVERNES DE LA VALLDIGNA, Spain — Textiles Vilber, a converter of 10-12 screen prints on 15 different basecloths, expects to move into digital printing in 40-50 colors according to Paco Vila, principal.

“The timing is good because prints in general are coming back strong, he says. Vilber does three collections a year with 1,500 new items annually, Vila says. His son, also named Paco has been in the business five years helping in sales and design. Paco’s brother Jacinto handles the business administration for the firm. It’s very much a family business which is a strong suit for many Spanish companies. Francisco Vila

“Customers seek out Textiles Vilber because of its design expertise for walls, floors, and tabletop says Vila, the second generation owner of this print fabric converter. He sees the European market changing rapidly with fewer wholesalers and distributors in the fabric business and more of his sales to retailers. The price of the line is between 6E and 15E for prints and for jacquards, the price range is 8E to 12E, all with one piece minimums.

Vilber is a supplier of curtain and upholstery fabrics but plans to launch a line of wall coverings this year which will boost its overall export business.  The wall covering will include classic designs in a better product range in a textile product and a lower end range on nonwoven substrate in more modern styling, he says.  “Vilber Fabrics will coordinate with the wall covering lines.”  

Vilber is also reaping the benefits of growing its export business in the USA since taking his own warehouse in Chicago seven years ago. Vilber is represented in the US through High Five, the High Point, NC sales agency. Vilber is also seeing gains in Russia and sells wholesalers in Turkey.

The forerunner  of this company was started by his father along with two brothers in 1948 in Albaieda, Spain but by the time the father married  in 1951, a new company was formed called Textiles Vilber, and amalgam of his parent’s  names Vila and Beringer.  The current owner was born in Alebaieda and lived over his father’s mill. The original business was the weaving of blankets, bedspreads and interlinings for apparel . Some bedspreads are still sold in Europe but the mill was closed three years ago.  In 1975, the mill was making curtain and upholstery for export and today, those products are a  40/60 mix.

 “My toughest competition today is the Spanish companies themselves,” Vila says.