Friitala enhances offerings
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, June 24, 2002
HICKORY, N.C. — Leather supplier Friitala of America has expanded its line with 11 patterns, has added a finishing process for a softer hand, and has improved its customer service with an order-tracking system.
"We've expanded both our aniline and pigmented enhanced leathers," said Charles Robson, executive vice president. "Our tannery has developed a touch agent that increases the softness of pigmented, enhanced and aniline leathers."
Prices for the new articles range from $1.85 to $2.65 per square foot.
Friitala also is adding a cut-and-sew program in Uruguay for leather and vinyl coordinates or split-matched leathers, and is implementing a local cut-to-pattern program in Icard, N.C., that offers low-volume programs for any size customer.
A new computer-direct communication service allows Friitala to track orders that are in production at its offshore tannery. Robson said the service "provides a means for giving our customers accurate answers to questions concerning their orders."
Friitala offers 52 patterns of South American leather in more than 450 colors and in price ranges of $1.50 to $3.50 per square foot. The company has a permanent showroom on the second floor of Market Square Textile Towers in High Point and has a distribution center, showroom and stocking warehouse in Icard, N.C.
| Robson |
